Scientific name:
Genetta

Natural spread:
Africa, Europe

this with eight, maybe also more types in Africa and Southern Europe spread broom-cats or Genetten is narrow relative with the Zibetkatzen. they are house-cat-big barely, with very much long-stretched body, a long tail and small head with long, pointed muzzle. The fur shows to longitudinal-stains dark on brownish light reason - or - point-strings that is enough from the shoulder as far as to the tail-base. The tail always is crosswise-curled brown-black-and-white. This mainly in Africa of gave a home Genetten sends out its single representative with the small-stain-broom-cat (Genetta genetta) to Southern Europe, in fact to Spain and France. Beside this type, the big-stain-broom-cat (Genetta tigrina) only is examined nearer.

Habitat and way of life If types also are both very similar in its behavior and in other biological data, however, they differ in its habitats. The small-stain-broom-cat lives mainly in steppes, and desert-areas, while the big-stain-broom-cat they bush, and rain-forest-area of Africa south from the Sahara loves. Both Genetten are an immensely lithe and nimble movement-manner particular. Here, this finds the highest perfection for the family of name-giving "sneaking." Nimbly, the animals climb also in the branches of the trees. On this occasion, the completely re-ductile claws of big benefit are for them. The Genetten are the "kätzischsten" Sneak cats also in its behavior. they dress up similarly extensively like house-cats and show Z. T. comparable loot-catch-actions. One sees it also often "play" with loot-animals.

The activity-phase of the broom-cats is in the night-hours. On this way of life, they are on optimally tried with its fine senses, at fore place sight and hearing-sense. So it also is comprehensible that Genetten show an excellent light-darkness-seeing about, but practically color-blind is.

Reproduction In the combination-times, that for the big-stain-broom-cat March / April and August in the months and for the Kleinfleck-Genette in the months February / March and July / August falls, they live in pairs more einzelgängerischen animals otherwise. The male courts the female with continuous Muckerlauten and pursues it, until it gives up its brittle attitude. The female then allows the male of sniffing and licking of the genital-region. The partners now rub also the heads and noses together feline and leave "meow" - sounds hears. Finally, the mating occurs, in whose end-phase the male holds on to the cat with the mouth in the neck.

Come to the world two to six kids after a Tragzeit of 70-84 days. These already are hairy in the birth in contrast to many other Zibetkatzen and show the typical drawing-pattern. they open the hearing-walks with 5-8 and the eyes with 8-12 days. With 21 days, they moderately certainly run on its legs. The boys are nourished up to six weeks exclusively with mother's milk and then take more and more solid food to itself. This food consists of animal food in the most important thing. Is preferred by the Genetten mouse particularly, why they were held already in prehistoric period in human settlements.

Endangering There is not at least an acute threat at the moment for small-stain and big-stain-broom-cat.