linsang

/lin"sang/, n.

any of several civetlike carnivores of the genera Prionodon, of the East Indies, and Poiana, of Africa, having retractile claws and a long tail: some East Indies linsangs are endangered.

[1880-85; < Javanese lingsang]

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▪ mammal

      any of three species of long-tailed, catlike mammals belonging to the civet family (Viverridae). The African linsang (Poiana richardsoni), the banded linsang (Prionodon linsang), and the spotted linsang (Prionodon pardicolor) vary in colour, but all resemble elongated cats. They grow to a length of 33–43 cm (13–17 inches), excluding a banded tail almost as long, and have slender bodies, relatively narrow heads, elongated muzzles, retractile claws, and dense, close fur.

      The banded linsang occurs in Malaysia and the Indonesian archipelago, while the spotted linsang is found in tropical uplands in northern India and Myanmar (Burma), southern China, and Nepal. The African linsang, or oyan, lives in western and central Africa. All three species inhabit dense forests and jungles. The two Asian species are strictly carnivorous, but the African linsang eats plant materials as well. All three species are nocturnal and arboreal. They usually produce two litters annually, each containing two or three young.

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