Viverridae in the context of "Malagasy carnivore"

Carnivora (/kɑːrˈnɪvərə/ kar-NIH-vər-ə) is an order of placental mammals specialized primarily in eating flesh, whose members are formally referred to as carnivorans. The order Carnivora is the sixth largest order of mammals, comprising at least 279 species. Carnivorans are found on every major landmass and in a variety of habitats, ranging from the cold polar regions of Earth to the hyper-arid region of the Sahara Desert and the open seas. Carnivorans exhibit a wide array of body plans, varying greatly in size and shape.

Carnivora are divided into two suborders, the Feliformia, containing the true felids and several "cat-like" animals; and the Caniformia, containing the true canids and many "dog-like" animals. The feliforms include the Felidae, Viverridae, hyena, and mongoose families, the majority of which live only in the Old World; cats are the only exception, occurring in the Old World and the New World, entering the Americas via the Bering land bridge. The caniforms include the Caninae, Procyonidae, bears, mustelids, skunks, and pinnipeds that occur worldwide with immense diversity in their morphology, diet, and behavior.

The Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), also called common palm civet, toddy cat and musang is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Since 2008, it is IUCN Red Listed as least concern as it accommodates to a broad range of habitats. It is widely distributed with large populations that in 2008 were thought unlikely to be declining. It is threatened by poaching for the illegal wildlife trade.

Hyenas or hyaenas (/haɪˈiːnəz/ hi-EE-nəz; from Ancient Greek ὕαινα, hýaina) are feliform carnivoran mammals belonging to the family Hyaenidae (/haɪˈɛnɪdiː/). With just four extant species (each in its own genus), it is the fifth-smallest family in the order Carnivora and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems.

Although phylogenetically closer to felines and viverrids, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canids in several elements due to convergent evolution: both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their teeth rather than claws. Both eat food quickly and may store it, and their calloused feet with large, blunt, nonretractable claws are adapted for running and making sharp turns. However, hyenas' grooming, scent marking, defecation habits, mating, and parental behavior are consistent with the behavior of other feliforms.

The crowned eagle, also known as the African crowned eagle or the crowned hawk-eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus), is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa, it is restricted to more easterly areas. Its preferred habitats are principally riparian woodlands and various forests. The crowned eagle is the only extant member of the genus Stephanoaetus. A second species, the Malagasy crowned eagle (Stephanoaetus mahery), went extinct after early humans settled on Madagascar.

Mammals comprise the majority of the eagle's diet. Principal prey species vary throughout its large range, with monkeys, antelopes, rodents, hyraxes, and viverrids all being notable prey groups. Other wild mammals recorded as prey include bushpigs, pangolins, and bats. Birds are also a considerable component of the diet in some populations. In an urban population in Durban, South Africa, camera traps at nest sites revealed that 25% of prey items were birds, of which 17% were hadada ibis juveniles. In Taï, Côte d'Ivoire, trumpeter hornbills comprised 8% of prey. Reptiles and carrion are occasionally consumed. Domesticated cats, dogs, sheep, goats, and chickens are sometimes taken. However, in Durban, South Africa, domesticated animals comprised only 6% of the diet across 11 nests and 836 prey items, of which 3% were chickens. There is at least one credible report of an attack, presumably a case of attempted predation, on a 19.6 kg human child.