“How do you know that the poop you are collecting was from the civet?” – This question is probably the most frequently asked question I got from my friends.
I have thought about this question myself when I first started with my project. I did searches online and most of the time, the search results were Kopi Luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world made from coffee beans in civet poop. One cup of Kopi Luwak may cost S$60! Read Civet coffee demand rising in S’pore.
As I continued my searches, I managed to find a couple of photos on the civet scats from Singapore nature blogs such as Wild Singapore. Marcus has also kindly sent me some pictures of the civet scats.
Civet scats from Pulau Ubin
With some idea of how the civet poop may look like and that the common palm civets like to defecate at conspicuous and open sites such as boardwalk, trails and roof tops, I began my hunt for the poops.
As days passed, I began to realise that civet scats do not only look like “blueberry jam” as Erica has once described how civet poop consisting of fish tail palm seeds looks like. The fishtail palm scats (photo A below) are more well known as the fishtail palm fruits all year round and these are often seen by people. The scats actually come in different colours and consist of a variety of food items! Some food items such as insect or crab parts are often hidden within the scats, waiting to be discovered while being sorted. However, they can be detected sometimes out in the field as they tend to smell.
Civet poop with a variety of colours and food items!
As I gained more experience from fieldwork, I learnt to identify civet scats based on their shape, size, location and the presence of civet hair. Civet hair, characterised by its black and white colour, is often found in the scats as they may ingest their hair accidentally while grooming themselves.
Common palm civet hair in scat - Sungei Buloh, 21 Sep 2010, 10:50am
Now, you do agree with me that civet poop collection is more interesting and challenging than you think, right?
