title: Estimated months of parturition and litter size in female masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) in Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo Metropolis.
abstract: Reproduction of the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) has not been well investigated in Japan. We examined 361 female masked palm civets harvested as nuisance animals between April 2007 and March 2009 in Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo Metropolis. Pregnant animals and placental scars-bearing animals were found only in 12 months old and over. In these animals, the observed rate of pregnant animals was 13.7% (29/212) and that of placental scar-bearing animals was 29.2% (62/212). The number of fetuses ranged from 1-4 (average 2.8), and the principal months of parturition estimated from the crown-rump lengths of fetuses were from March to November.
authors.affiliation: Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tei
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamamoto
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayama
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kawakami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005260:Female; D007564:Japan; D008098:Litter Size / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D045949:Viverridae / Q000502:physiology*