VOLUME 13 NUMBER 1 (January to June 2020)

by Anna Pauline O. de Guia*¹, Geneva Carla S. Chavez², and Desamarie Antonette P. Fernandez¹

¹Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences,
      College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines
      Los Banos, Laguna 4031, Philippines
²Graduate School, University of the Philippines Los Baños,
      Laguna, Philippines

In the Mt. Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR) the common palm civet (Paradoxurus philippinensis) is both perceived as a carnivore which feeds on domestic animals and a frugivore which spreads coffee within the forested areas. This study aimed to determine the distribution and diet of common palm civets within the MMFR. Night transect walks/spotlighting, trapping and scat collection were conducted during the sampling periods. There was a total of four captures, one juvenile and three female adults indicating a potentially breeding population of civets in the area. Transect and trapping data concur with the number of fecal samples collected indicating that more civets occupy the higher elevations of Mt. Makiling. Figs, anahaw and wild banana were identified as the most common food items for civets across the various elevational gradients. Our results suggest that common palm civets are present in MMFR at all elevations but are mainly found within 600-900 masl of the lower montane forest, away from human dwellings. Common palm civets are thus frugivorous but spread of coffee in MMFR may not be attributed to them.