Though they look like cats, African Civets are actually part of the Viverridae family. They are of similar size to a domestic cat, with a long body, short legs and a bushy tail. Their coats are shaggy with a mane from the neck to the end of the back, and are covered in irregular spots. They have black patches around their eyes.

Being carnivores they will eat small mammals, reptiles, aswell as fruit and berries. As they are nocturnal, their days are usually spent sleeping in burrows throughout the open savannahs and woodlands.