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Great Spotted Woodpecker · Iberian Magpie+33
Common Genet
Genetta genetta
Photo © Guérin Nicolas (messages)
Photo © Guérin Nicolas (messages) — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia CommonsABOUT
Subspecies of Common Genet
North African Small-spotted GenetCentral African Small-spotted GenetArabian Small-spotted GenetGenetta genetta isabelae
Identification
The common genet is a small, slender viverrid with a distinctly cat-like appearance, though it is not a true cat. It has a small head with a pointed muzzle, large oval ears, and large eyes enhanced by well-developed whiskers reaching up to 7 cm in length. The body measures 43 to 55 cm with a tail of 33 to 52 cm, and males average 2 kg and are about 10% larger than females. Short legs with cat-like feet and semi-retractile claws complete the feline resemblance.
The coat is pale grey with distinctive black markings: approximately five rows of black spots run along the back and flanks, while a long black stripe extends along the spine from shoulders to rump. A black stripe marks the forehead, and dark patches appear beneath the eyes, contrasting sharply with white fur on the chin and throat. The striped tail displays eight to thirteen rings, and the animal possesses an erectile crest of hair running from shoulder to tail base, a white tail tip, and black hind feet. Notably, a melanistic individual was recorded in southern Portugal in 2019.
Range & Habitat
The common genet is widely distributed across Africa, ranging north of the Sahara along the western Mediterranean coast and in a broad band from Senegal and Mauritania through the savannah zone to Somalia and Tanzania. Populations also occur in coastal regions of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman, and in southern Africa from Angola through Zambia and Zimbabwe to Mozambique. The species is common in Morocco and Algeria but rare in Libya, Egypt, and Zambia. In South Africa, it is common in west-central KwaZulu-Natal, the Cape Province, and QwaQwa National Park in the Free State.
Introduced to southwestern Europe approximately 1,000 to 1,500 years ago, the common genet spread from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balearic Islands and southern France, and has since established populations east of the Rhône river. Recent sightings in Italy's Regional Natural Park of the Ligurian Alps (first recorded in 2008) and the Beigua Natural Regional Park confirm ongoing range expansion. The species prefers dense vegetation including bushes, thickets, and evergreen oak forests, and uses trees with dense canopy foliage and climbing plants as resting sites. It tolerates proximity to human settlements and inhabits rocky terrain, but is rare in open areas and marshes.
Behaviour & Diet
The common genet is solitary and primarily nocturnal and crepuscular, showing highest activity levels following sunset and before sunrise, though juveniles may be active during daylight hours. Adults rest during the day in hollow trees or among thickets, often reusing the same sites. Males are more active at night than females due to their larger size and greater energy requirements. Females typically weigh less and maintain smaller home ranges, with females averaging 72 hectares compared to males' mean of 113 hectares. These territorial differences are most pronounced during winter months, and home ranges expand slightly in spring due to increased activity levels.
Best Time & Places to See It
Travellers seeking the common genet should visit during their active periods around dusk and dawn, though nocturnal observations require patience and appropriate lighting. In Africa, Morocco and Algeria offer the best opportunities, while in Europe, southwestern Spain and southern France provide reliable sightings. In South Africa, west-central KwaZulu-Natal, the Cape Province, and QwaQwa National Park are productive locations. The species favours areas with dense vegetation, rocky terrain, and proximity to forests, so focus on oak and pine forests, scrubland, and riparian zones. Protected areas such as the Dinder–Alatash protected area complex in the East Sudanian Savanna and mountainous regions like Ethiopia's Degua Tembien district offer additional opportunities.
Photography Tips
Photographing genets requires patience and preparation for nocturnal wildlife. Plan visits during dusk or dawn when activity peaks, and use a headlamp with a red filter to avoid startling the animal. Position yourself near dense vegetation, thickets, and trees where genets rest and forage. The species' slender frame, striking coat pattern of spots and stripes, and elongated tail provide excellent photographic subjects when properly lit. Use a telephoto lens to maintain distance and allow natural behaviour, and consider setting up near known resting sites or frequently used trails within suitable habitat. The contrast between pale fur and black markings photographs well in both natural and supplementary lighting conditions.
HOTSPOTS
National Park
Monfragüe National Park
Torrejón el Rubio, Spain
+219 birds+10 mammals
Where the Tagus River cuts through limestone plateaus in central Extremadura, Monfragüe National Park rises as a fortress of Mediterranean and Atlantic woodland, its dramatic rocky…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Serengeti National Park
Tanzania
+558 birds+57 mammals
Across Tanzania's northern plateau, where volcanic soils meet acacia woodland and open grassland, unfolds one of Earth's most dynamic ecosystems. The Serengeti National Park sprawls across…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Park
Serra D’Irta Natural Park
Alcossebre, Spain
+122 birds+13 mammals
Where Mediterranean limestone cliffs meet the Balearic Sea, Serra d'Irta unfolds as a tapestry of dramatic coastal terrain and diverse terrestrial habitats. This Category 5 protected…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
L’Albufera Natural Park
València, Spain
+321 birds+18 mammals
Where shallow lagoons meet Mediterranean coastal marshland, L'Albufera Nature Park unfolds as one of Spain's most vital wetland complexes. This protected landscape, designated under IUCN Category…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNational Park
Doñana National Park
Hinojos, Spain
+300 birds+13 mammals
Where the Guadalquivir River delta spreads into the Atlantic, vast marshes, cork woodlands, and coastal dunes converge to create one of southwestern Europe's most biodiverse wetland…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Tsavo East National Park
Athi ward, Kenya
+468 birds+50 mammals
Across the semi-arid lowlands of southeastern Kenya, where acacia woodland fragments into scrubland and the landscape rolls toward the Indian Ocean horizon, lies one of Africa's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Tsavo West National Park
Mwatate, Kenya
+513 birds+49 mammals
Where volcanic ridges and weathered lava flows meet the semi-arid lowlands of south-central Kenya, Tsavo West National Park unfolds across a landscape sculpted by fire and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Amboseli National Park
Etonet/Lenkism ward, Kenya
+501 birds+43 mammals
Where the Amboseli basin opens toward the Tanzanian frontier, a shallow alkaline lake mirrors vast skies across one of East Africa's most iconic savanna landscapes. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Park
Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park
San José, Spain
+274 birds+11 mammals
Where volcanic ridges plunge toward the Mediterranean, Cabo de Gata-Níjar Nature Park unfolds across one of Europe's most arid coastlines, a landscape sculpted by tectonic violence…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNational Park
Tarangire National Park
Tanzania
+527 birds+50 mammals
Acacia woodland and grassland sweep across the Manyara Region where the Tarangire River carves through low hills and volcanic soils, creating one of East Africa's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Park
Ponga Natural Park
San Juan de Beleño, Spain
+98 birds+13 mammals
Where the Picos de Europa rise in dramatic limestone walls, the landscape softens as you descend into Asturias' Ponga Nature Park, a 407-square-kilometre sanctuary where deciduous…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
Delta de l’Ebre Natural Park
Eucaliptus, Spain
+341 birds+18 mammals
Where the Ebro River spreads into a vast labyrinth of shallow lagoons, reed beds, and brackish marshes before surrendering to the Mediterranean, one of southern Europe's…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
Cap de Creus Natural Park
Roses, Spain
+245 birds+23 mammals
Where the Pyrenees tumble into the Mediterranean, Cap de Creus Nature Park unfolds across 300 square kilometres of one of northeastern Spain's most dramatic coastal wilderness…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNational Park
Cabañeros National Park
Retuerta del Bullaque, Spain
+183 birds+8 mammals
Cabañeros National Park is one of Spain’s finest wildlife destinations and one of the best-preserved examples of Mediterranean forest and scrubland in Europe. Located in the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Cévennes National Park
Vebron, France
+187 birds+63 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through the limestone plateaux of southern France, the Cévennes Cœur National Park unfolds across nearly 3,500 square kilometres of one of Europe's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Mercantour National Park
Isola, France
+146 birds+32 mammals
Where alpine meadows surrender to vertiginous limestone cliffs, the Mercantour's beating heart pulses with Mediterranean and Alpine rhythms. This 4,221-square-kilometre sanctuary straddles France's southeastern border, its…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Park
Túria Natural Park
València, Spain
+150 birds+21 mammals
Where the Túria riverbed winds through the lowlands south of Valencia, a sprawling natural park of nearly 440 square kilometres unfolds across one of Spain's most…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Nature Park
Las Canalejas, Spain
+176 birds+21 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through mountainous terrain in eastern Andalusia, the Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Nature Park sprawls across more than 5,200 square…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
Parc del Garraf
Rat-Penat, Spain
+190 birds+15 mammals
Where limestone ridges rise abruptly from the Mediterranean coastal plain, Parc Natural del Garraf unfolds across 319 square kilometers of one of Catalonia's most dramatic protected…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
Collserola Natural Park
Barcelona, Spain
+194 birds+20 mammals
Where Mediterranean scrubland rises steeply from Barcelona's urban edge, Collserola unfolds across 173 square kilometres of low mountains that form a crucial ecological buffer between city…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor
Font-Montnegre, Spain
+148 birds+16 mammals
Where Mediterranean scrubland gives way to deciduous and coniferous woodland, the Parc Natural del Montnegre i el Corredor unfolds across nearly 478 square kilometres of northeastern…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNational Park
Kruger National Park
Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality, South Africa
+540 birds+91 mammals
Across the low-lying savanna of northeastern South Africa unfolds one of Africa's largest and most ecologically intact protected areas, where acacia woodlands merge into mopane scrub…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Park
Montseny Natural Park
Viladrau, Spain
+156 birds+30 mammals
The Montseny Natural Park is one of Catalonia’s most remarkable protected areas, offering an extraordinary blend of biodiversity, scenic landscapes, and cultural heritage within easy reach…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNational Park
Peneda-Gerês National Park
A Baixa Limia, Portugal
+156 birds+15 mammals
Where granite gorges cut through ancient montane forests, the Peneda-Gerês National Park rises across the rugged borderlands between northern Portugal and Galicia, a landscape shaped by…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBiosphere Reserve
Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve
Txatxarramendi, Spain
+268 birds+8 mammals
Where the Pyrenean foothills surrender to the Bay of Biscay, tidal estuaries carve through Basque limestone, creating one of Europe's most ecologically vital wetland complexes. Salt…
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVENatural Park
Montes de Málaga Natural Park
Málaga, Spain
+159 birds+7 mammals
Where cork oak and pine forest sweep across the rugged hills inland from the Costa del Sol, the Montes de Málaga Nature Park unfolds as a…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNature Reserve
Espai d’interès natural de les Gavarres
Cruïlles, Monells i Sant Sadurní de l'Heura, Spain
+143 birds+16 mammals
Where Mediterranean scrubland rises and falls across the gentle hills of inland Catalonia, the Espai d'interès natural de les Gavarres protects one of the region's most…
VIEW NATURE RESERVENatural Park
Ports Natural Park
Alfara de Carles, Spain
+157 birds+13 mammals
Where the eastern Catalan ranges descend toward the Mediterranean, a sprawling mosaic of Mediterranean scrubland, pine woodland, and rocky limestone terrain defines Ports Natural Park, a…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNature Reserve
Sierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park
Casbas de Huesca/Casbas de Uesca, Spain
+175 birds+10 mammals
Where limestone gorges slice through the pre-Pyrenean foothills of Aragon, the Sierra y Cañones de Guara sprawls across nearly 940 square kilometers of one of Spain's…
VIEW NATURE RESERVENature Reserve
Serra de Mariola Natural Park
Bocairent, Spain
+164 birds+19 mammals
Where limestone ridges rise above the Valencian interior, Serra de Mariola unfolds across 225 square kilometers of Mediterranean mountain terrain that shifts between dense evergreen woodland,…
VIEW NATURE RESERVENatural Park
Estrecho Natural Park
Pedro Valiente, Spain
+281 birds+20 mammals
Where Mediterranean pine forests meet wind-sculpted coastal cliffs, one of Europe's most dynamic ecological crossroads unfolds across the Strait of Gibraltar. Spanning 686 square kilometers of…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Park
Sierras Subbéticas Natural Park
Algar, Spain
+156 birds+10 mammals
Where limestone ridges rise abruptly from the Córdoba countryside, the Sierras Subbéticas Nature Park sprawls across nearly 583 square kilometres of one of Andalusia's most rugged…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNature Reserve
Sierra de Castril Natural Park
Castril, Spain
+110 birds+13 mammals
Where limestone walls rise abruptly from the Guadalentín valley, carving passages of breathtaking drama through Andalusia's interior, one encounters the raw geological theatre of this protected…
VIEW NATURE RESERVENational Park
Bwabwata National Park
Namibia
+377 birds+35 mammals
Where the Kavango River winds through northeastern Namibia, vast floodplains and dense riparian woodland create one of southern Africa's most ecologically dynamic protected landscapes. Spanning 14,249…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Etosha National Park
Namibia
+356 birds+58 mammals
Across northern Namibia's stark semi-arid plateau, a vast shallow depression transforms seasonally into one of Africa's most dramatic wildlife theaters. Etosha National Park, encompassing more than…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Waterberg Plateau National Park
Okambukonde, Namibia
+198 birds+27 mammals
Where ancient sandstone cliffs rise 200 metres above the surrounding bushveld, a fortress of geology creates one of southern Africa's most compelling ecosystems. The plateau's steep…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Park
Somiedo Natural Park
Pola de Somiedo, Spain
+165 birds+25 mammals
Where granite gorges cleave through the Cantabrian Mountains of northern Spain, alpine meadows roll toward beech and oak forests in a landscape virtually untouched by industrial…
VIEW NATURAL PARKMountain & Alpine
Sierra de Boumort
Segan, Spain
+145 birds+13 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through the Catalan Pyrenees, ancient limestone cliffs rise in dramatic ramparts above dense Mediterranean forests. This wild corner of northeastern Spain harbors…
VIEW MOUNTAIN & ALPINEMountain & Alpine
Montañas de Prades
Capafonts, Spain
+151 birds+13 mammals
Where granite peaks rise abruptly from the Tarragona hinterland, a wild mosaic of pine forests, scrubland, and limestone cliffs creates one of northeastern Spain's most biodiverse…
VIEW MOUNTAIN & ALPINEForest & Jungle
La Mata de València
Son, Spain
+82 birds+15 mammals
Forests of Mediterranean pine and deciduous woodland blanket the terrain around Son in Lleida, where the Catalan landscape transitions between lowland scrub and denser woodland habitat.…
VIEW FOREST & JUNGLEObservation Point
Cabo Peñas
Susacasa, Spain
+303 birds+21 mammals
Where sea cliffs rise sheer from the Bay of Biscay, Susacasa's observation point commands one of Asturias's most dramatic coastal vistas. The landscape here is defined…
VIEW OBSERVATION POINTNational Park
Pyrénées National Park
Hautes Pyrenees, France
+150 birds+35 mammals
Where alpine meadows give way to limestone cliffs and rushing torrents carve through ancient stone, the Pyrénées National Park spans a landscape of austere beauty along…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNational Park
Calanques National Park
Bouches-du-Rhône, France
+233 birds+42 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge dramatically into crystalline Mediterranean waters, Calanques National Park preserves one of Europe's most striking coastal landscapes. These steep-sided inlets, carved by erosion…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNature Reserve
Samburu National Reserve
Samburu, Kenya
+430 birds+42 mammals
Across the arid plains of northern Kenya, where scattered acacia woodland gives way to rocky outcrops and dry riverbeds, Samburu National Park unfolds as one of…
VIEW NATURE RESERVECOMMUNITY
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