Civets are small carnivores. They belong to one of the most ancient families of Feliformia ("cat-like" animals): the Viverridae family. Tragically they are very often the victims of the civet coffee industry, indiscriminate snaring, the pet trade and wild meat. 

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The Viverridae family consists of civets, oyans, binturong, linsang and genets- all of which are small bodied carnivores found in Asia and Africa. Whilst these species are the most primitive of the Feliformia alive today, they are amongst the most poorly researched family of Carnivores. This is because civets and their Viverrid cousins tend to be nocturnal, solitary, and highly elusive which makes them very difficult to study in the wild. Most species are also arboreal (tree dwelling) and so can be difficult to observe from the ground.

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