About the Genet

The genet is a slender, cat-like mammal native primarily to Africa, though the common genet is also found in parts of Europe and the Middle East. Despite their feline appearance and agility, genets are not cats at all; they belong to the Viverridae family, making them close relatives of civets and mongooses.

These agile creatures are easily recognized by their elongated bodies, pointed muzzles, and exceptionally long, ringed tails, which often match or exceed their body length. Their soft coats typically feature a cream, buff, or gray background covered in dark spots, with a distinctive crest of hair running down their spine that they can erect when alarmed. Genets are incredibly flexible and possess semi-retractable claws, making them masterful, acrobatic climbers capable of navigating trees with ease.

As strictly nocturnal hunters, genets spend their daylight hours resting in hollow trees, rock crevices, or dense thickets. They are opportunistic omnivores that primarily hunt small mammals, birds, and reptiles on the ground, but they will also supplement their diet with insects and fruit. Because they are solitary, elusive, and largely quiet animals, little is known about their daily behaviors in the wild outside of their breeding seasons, when they rely heavily on scent markings and pungent pheromones to communicate with one another.

Description of the Genet

Genets typically weigh 2 to 5 pounds, featuring long bodies measuring 16 to 24 inches and bushy tails that add another 13 to 20 inches. They are easily distinguished by their highly flexible bodies and striking spotted or banded patterns.

Their physical characteristics include:

Coat & Markings: Dense fur ranging in color from pale gray to yellowish-gray or golden-brown. Their flanks and legs are covered in dark spots, while a distinct black stripe runs along their spine.
Tail: A long, thick tail that is nearly as long as their body, marked with alternating light and dark rings and a white or dark tip.
Head & Face: A relatively small head with an elongated, pointed muzzle, large eyes, and blunt, triangular ears. They often have distinctive white patches around their eyes, giving them a masked appearance.
Legs & Claws: Short, muscular legs adapted for quick bursts of speed, equipped with sharp, semi-retractable claws that function similarly to a cat’s, aiding in climbing and gripping.

Genet Species / Subspecies

There are 17 recognized species species of genets:

Common Genet: The only genet found outside Africa; widespread across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Cape Genet: Also known as the large-spotted genet, found in South Africa.
Rusty-Spotted Genet: Found across sub-Saharan Africa.
Southern Small-Spotted Genet: Formerly a subspecies, now often treated as a distinct species native to southern Africa.
Servaline Genet: Small, forest-dwelling species.
Abyssinian Genet: Found in East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia).
Giant Forest Genet: One of the largest genet species, native to the Congo Basin.
Pardine Genet: A West African large-spotted genet.
Angolan Genet: Native to south-central Africa.
Aquatic Genet: A highly specialized semi-aquatic species in the Congo Basin.
Bourlon’s Genet: A rare West African rainforest species.
Hausa Genet: A small West African species.
King Genet: Extremely rare species from Central/West Africa.
Johnston’s Genet: Found in the upper Guinean forests of West Africa.
Crested Genet: Native to Nigeria/Cameroon.
Letaba Genet: Often classified in the large-spotted complex in southern Africa.
Schouteden’s Genet (Genetta schoutedeni): Central African species.

Suitable Weapons

For rifles use a .223 or smaller caliber. Shotguns with a small pellet size work well.

Hunting Area

Genets can be hunted in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Cameroon.