₦airaland Forum

This thread was simply created to provide elaborate answers to the preceding thread:
www.nairaland.com/2217280/leopard-like-creature-killed-public-school
I just thought it would help to educate people on the 'harmlessness' of this particular creature.
African linsang
This article is about the species of
linsang. For the genus of linsangs,
see African linsang (genus) .
African Linsang [1]
Conservation status
Least Concern ( IUCN 3.1 ) [2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Carnivora
Family:
Viverridae
Genus:
Poiana
Species:
P. richardsonii
Binomial name
Poiana richardsonii
Thomson, 1842
African linsang range
The African linsang ( Poiana
richardsonii ), or oyan , is a catlike
mammal that belongs to the civet
family( Viverridae ). [1]
Habitat
The African linsang is a largely
arboreal creature that inhabits dense
forests and jungles. It is endemic to
Cameroon , the Central African
Republic , the Democratic Republic of
the Congo , Equatorial Guinea , Gabon ,
and the Republic of the Congo . [1]
They have also been known to live at
heights of 950m in Zaire and at
300-500m in North-east Gabon. [3]
Characteristics
Like all linsangs, African linsangs
vary in colour, and resemble an
elongated cat. They grow to a length
of 33–43 cm (13–17 inches) for
both sexes, excluding a banded tail
that is almost as long as the body.
They have slender bodies, relatively
narrow heads, elongated muzzles,
retractile claws, and dense, close fur.
[4] They weigh only 500-700 grams
(1–1.5 lbs).
African linsangs are white or cream
in color on their ventral side, while
the dorsal sides have dark circular
marks. Sometimes an individual can
have a black thin stripe that runs
from the nose to the root of the tail.
Its tail holds 10 to 14 rings which
differ in measurement. The soles of
the linsang's feet are covered with
hair. [3]
Activity
The African linsang is an omnivore,
eating insects and young birds as
well as fruits, nuts, and other
vegetation. It is thought that they
could also take small vertebrates, but
these are eaten only if the
opportunity arises, as they do not
hunt for them. [3] Although its
breeding habits are largely unknown,
it is thought that it gives birth to two
or three young annually or
semiannually. [5] When born, the
young are altricial .
The African linsang is nocturnal, and
generally lives alone or in a pair.
They construct arboreal nests 2
meters above the ground with green
materials. They only stay in a nest
for a short amount of time before
moving on to make a new nest. Very
rarely, several linsangs will stay in
the same nesting place. On average,
linsangs in the wild live for about 5.3
years.
Species
There are two other species of
linsang, the banded linsang
( Prionodon linsang ), and the spotted
linsang ( Prionodon pardicolor ). [4]
These species belong to the
Prionodontidae family and are
therefore more closely related to the
Felidae than the Viverridae . [6]
Risk
The African linsang is considered a
species of Least Concern (LR/lc),
lowest risk and does not qualify for a
more at risk category. Taxa are
included in the category because
their widespread and abundance on
the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Its only known predator is
man. Larger carnivores, owls and
snakes are thought to be some of its
non-human predators but none have
been observed. [
Source: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_linsang

Nice one OP. God bless you.

UrennaNkoli:
Nice one OP. God bless you.

You are welcome .