Bornean Striped Palm Civet calling at Meriuk Farm Stay, Brunei

This Bornean Striped Palm Civet Arctogalidia stigmatica was calling steadily as it moved through the canopy at Meriuk Farm Stay in Brunei. The call was a soft, plaintive, high pitched “chirrrrrop” repeated constantly. All the 3 species and 5 of the 6 sexes of  palm civets that occur in Borneo have a  scent gland situated next to their anus. Only the male  Striped Palm Civet lacks the  scent gland.  It is believed that of all the six sexes of palm civets only the male Striped Palm Civet has a distinctive contact call. It would appear that  the other 5 sexes palm civets communicate by scent. Perhaps the male Striped Palm Civet can afford to announce his presence by voice because he has a lower risk of predation compared with the others but this has yet to be proven.