A new range record for the African palm civet Nandinia binotata (Carnivora, Viverridae) from Unguja Island, Zanzibar

Surveys for nocturnal mammals (principally galagos) were conducted on two occasions for 2 weeks in 1998 and 1999 in Jozani Forest Reserve, Unguja Island, Zanzibar (location coordinates, 06 15.9¢S, 39 24.8¢E). Jozani Forest Reserve contains moist ground water forest as well as significant areas of dry coral rag thicket forest. A minimum of 3 km of ground water forest is said to remain in Jozani Forest Reserve, which is the largest remaining stand of near natural forest on the island (Burgess & Clarke, 2000). This forest is well known for hosting the largest population of the endemic Zanzibar red colobus monkey Procolobus kirkii, and the near endemic Ader’s duiker Cephalophus adersi on Unguja Island (Pakenham, 1984; Burgess & Clarke, 2000). Unguja Island, Zanzibar is known to have other African herpestids and viverrids, Bdeogale crassicauda, Galerella sanguinea, Civetticis civetta and two introduced species: Mungos mungo and Viverricula indica (Moreau & Pakenham, 1940; Swynnerton & Hayman, 1951; Pakenham, 1984). Recently a new subspecies of servaline genet Genetta servalina archeri was described (Van Rompaey & Colyn, 1998). No other records of other herpestids and viverrids were known but Pakenham (1984) mentioned the local kiswahili names of animals reported from the Jozani forest area called ‘Ukwiri’ (said to look like Viverricula) and ‘Uhange’ (which is said to be ‘like Bdeogale... and marked like Civettictis’). This paper presents evidence for the presence of Nandinia binotata in Jozani Forest Reserve. Methods