Post #15065

Tangalunga: Between a cat and something strange. The smelly and agile beast of Asia The Tangalunga, or Malayan civet, is a relative of the cat that farmers on the Malaysian peninsula hate. But not because she steals chickens or other small birds, but because she eats fruits right from the trees! And if you try to catch her, be prepared to wash your clothes from the disgusting smell! Civets are distant relatives of hyenas and cats, together with them they are included in the suborder Felidae. Therefore, there really is something feline about them: they are very flexible and dexterous animals with an excellent sense of smell and a long, strong tail that whips sharply from side to side when the tangalunga is angry. But there are also many differences, of course. The civet's legs are a bit short, it doesn't have sharp retractable claws, and I'm generally silent about the muzzle; anyone can figure it out. But the most impressive difference is hidden under the civet's tail. There are exits of the anal glands, which secrete an exceptionally odorous liquid, the strength of the stench is not inferior to the stream of a skunk. It is the odorous glands that are the main means of self-defense for the tangalunga. Indeed, unlike domestic cats of comparable size, the tangalunga is not such a good hunter. No, she can catch a mouse, a lizard, a large insect, and sometimes even a bird, but this is not enough for her. Like any bad hunter, she is forced to resort to vegetarianism. Since fruits are an important part of the pseudocat's diet, it lives almost exclusively in tropical forests, only occasionally found on the plains. However, even next to human habitation, the herbivorous predator feels quite well. Yes, he is hampered by constant noise and a lack of safe places, but this lifestyle has two undeniable advantages: fragrant orchards and stinking garbage dumps. To the eye of the civet, both are overflowing with yummy food! But people, as expected, do not want to tolerate animals nearby that steal their fruits and gut their garbage bags, so they drive away or even shoot civets. However, this phenomenon is not universal. Their low population density saves them from the wave of general popular anger. Tangalungs are territorial animals that prefer not to interact with members of their own species outside of the breeding season. And so that no one even accidentally enters its territory, the civet leaves scent marks. At the same time, the animals extremely respect other people’s borders and do not try to expand their territory until the opportunity arises by itself. In the entire history of observations of them, not a single fight over territory has been recorded. Even the mating season - a period of special intensity of passions for most animals - passes almost routinely for them. The tangalunga, like many other tropical animals, does not have a clear breeding season - breed whenever you want, you can always feed the cub. Therefore, males learn