Genets and Oyans

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Genetta "letabae"

Genetta letabae Thomas and Schwann, 1906 [provisional species name]

Synonyms: zuluensis Roberts, 1924.
Distribution: Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland.
Habitat: woodland savannah, savannah-forest mosaic.
Sympatric species: G. genetta, G. "schoutedeni", G. tigrina (G. angolensis: uncertain).

* Similar with G. maculata, but (1) wider inter-orbital constriction relative to frontal width, and (2) narrower zygomatic arch (characterized through morphometric geometric analysis; Gaubert et al., 2005).

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Teeth

• General aspect of the dentition : normal
• m2 : developed (similar to size of m1 talonid)
• M2 : present, well developed
• Flattening of the anterior region of the mandible : absent
• m1 talonid : developed (hypoconulid, entoconid and hypoconid present)
• P3 lingual cusp : absent or extremely reduced ; present

Body proportion

• Ratio head + body / tail length : between 1.1 and 1.4

Pads

• Central depression of the forefeet : hairy

Teats

• Number of teats : two pairs

Hair ultrastructure

• Cortex of dorsal guard hair (spatula) : thin (< 1/3 medulla width)
• Cross section shape of dorsal guard hair (base of spatula) : round or slightly ovoid
• Margin of the scales located in the middle of the spatula of dorsal guard hair : smooth
• Shape of the scales located between the base and the middle of dorsal guard hair : baso-distally compressed

Coat

• Pair of wide median nuchal stripes : absent
• Coat of hindfoot : same as ground coloration but dark around pads
• Coat of upper leg : same as ground coloration but dark posterior part
• Coat of inner upper leg : same as ground coloration
• Spots on upper leg : not merged
• Coat of forefoot : same as ground coloration
• Coat of upper arm : same as ground coloration
• Mid-dorsal crest : absent (similar length than adjacent dorsal hairs)
• Length of hairs on tail : short (from 20 to 30 mm)
• Tip of the tail : dark
• Chin : inferior chops bordered by a thin dark stripe
• Sagital (nuchal) crest : absent
• Rings on tail : present
• Dorsal spots : present
• Number of bright rings on tail (not included, if present: i) short, distal bright ring, and ii) last bright ring covered with dark) : six ; seven ; eight ; nine
• Relative width of the bright rings over the dark rings (middle of tail, dorsal view) : between 50 and 75 %
• Shape of the first dark rings of the tail : circle
• Distal part of the tail : the last bright ring is covered with dark
• "Dirty"stripe longitudinally crossing the rings of the upper part of the tail : well marked
• Mid-dorsal line : present
• Longitudinal coalescence of the first row of dorsal spots (contiguous to mid-dorsal line) : absent ; weak,at the rump (fusion of 2-3 spots)
• Density of distribution of dorsal spots : low
• Mid-dorsal line, pattern : continuous stripe
• Mid-dorsal line, coloration : full dark

Skull

• Maxillary-palatine suture position in relation to main cusp of P3 : at the same level
• Premaxillary-maxillary suture position in relation to cusp of P1 : forward
• Ventral inflation of the caudal entotympanic bone (ceb) : strong (twice as much inflated than ectotympanic bone)
• Staphylinal fissure : V-shaped
• Interorbital constriction : strong (inferior to 1 - 0.12) ; intermediate (equal to 1 +/- 0.12)
• Posterior extension of the frontal bones, from post-orbital process to post-orbital constriction : moderated, overlapping ca. 50 % of the dorsal part of the interorbital constriction
• Premaxillary-frontal contact : absent ; present
• Shape of crest of insertion of temporal muscles (upper part of the parietal) : very narrow, elevated

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Base updated on 14 janvier 2008 | Page generated with Xper2 on January 14, 2008