Common genet
Genetta genetta (Linnaeus, 1758)
The common genet (Genetta genetta), also called the small-spotted genet, is a mammal of the order Carnivora and the family Viverridae, subfamily Genettinae. It is a medium-sized, nocturnal and arboreal carnivore with an adult body mass of 1.8 kg, and up to 1.95 kg.
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Quick facts about the common genet
Gestation lasts from 70 to 77 days, litters hold from 2 to 3 young, and females have 2 litters per year. The IUCN Red List classes the common genet as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.
- Weight
- 1.8 kg – 1.95 kgsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- 21.6 years – 34 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Diet
- Carnivoresrc for Diet
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Gestation
- 70 days – 77 dayssrc for Gestation
- Young per litter or clutch
- 2 – 3src for Young per litter or clutch
- Age at maturity
- 2 years – 4.05 yearssrc for Age at maturity
- Litters or clutches a year
- 2src for Litters or clutches a year
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)src for Active
- Lifestyle
- Arborealsrc for Lifestyle
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the common genet
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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Where does the common genet live?
Not recorded
What is the common genet?
The common genet (Genetta genetta) is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coast of Arabia, Yemen and Oman. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
From the Wikipedia article “Common genet” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_genet&oldid=1382507105), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the common genet endangered?
The common genet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.
How is the common genet classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classMammalia
- orderCarnivora
- familyViverridae
- genusGenetta
- SpeciesGenetta genetta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Genetta genetta afra, Genetta genetta pyrenaica, Viverra genetta
Other names and names in other languages (52)
- GenetEnglish
- Northern small-spotted genetEnglish
- Small-spotted genetEnglish
- Small-spotted genetEnglish
- KleinkolmuskejaatkatAfrikaans
- Noordelike KleinkolmuskejaatkatAfrikaans
- RatiemArabic
- زيردةArabic
- رباح شائعArabic
- زباد شائعArabic
- ChinetaAragonese
- AlgaireAsturian
- Eirópäische GinsterkotzBavarian
- Kazh-banal boutinBreton
- Geneta comunaCatalan
- Ženetka tečkovanáCzech
- GenetteDanish
- GinsterkatzeGerman
- Europäische GinsterkatzeGerman
- GemeinegenetteGerman
- Kleinfleck-GinsterkatzeGerman
- KleinfleckgenetteGerman
- KleinfleckginsterkatzeGerman
- Kleingefleckte GinsterkatzeGerman
- Κοινή ΓενέταGreek
- GenotoEsperanto
- GinetaSpanish
- KatajinetaBasque
- genettiFinnish
- Genette communeFrench
- SjenetkatWestern Frisian
- XenetaGalician
- גחן מצויHebrew
- Közönséges petymegHungarian
- GenettaItalian
- Genetta comuneItalian
- ヨーロッパジェネットJapanese
- 유럽제넷Korean
- Paprastoji genetaLithuanian
- EuropagenettNorwegian Bokmål
- Vanlig GenettNorwegian Bokmål
- GenetkatDutch
- Gewone genetkatDutch
- Żeneta zwyczajnaPolish
- GenetaPortuguese
- Обыкновенная генетаRussian
- Обыкновенная генеттаRussian
- ženetaSlovenian
- tshipaTswana
- Генета звичайнаUkrainian
- Chồn genetVietnamese
- 小斑獛Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataIUCN Red List
Relatives of the common genet
Other species in the same genus Genetta.
Cape genet
Genetta tigrina
Ethiopian genet
Genetta abyssinica
Miombo genet
Genetta angolensis
Johnston's genet
Genetta johnstoni
Aquatic genet
Genetta piscivora
Pardine genet
Genetta pardina
CompareCommon genet vs Cape genetCommon genet vs Ethiopian genetCommon genet vs Miombo genetCommon genet vs Johnston's genet
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the common genet?
The common genet is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Viverridae. It belongs to the subfamily Genettinae and the genus Genetta.
How heavy is a common genet?
An adult common genet weighs 1.8 kg, with values up to 1.95 kg reported. This places it in the medium size class.
What does the common genet eat?
The common genet is a carnivore.
Is the common genet nocturnal?
Yes, the common genet is nocturnal, and it has an arboreal lifestyle.
Is the common genet endangered?
No. The common genet is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, which is not a threatened category.
How long does a common genet live?
The common genet has a lifespan of 21.6 years, with values up to 34 years reported.
How many young does a common genet have?
A common genet has from 2 to 3 young per litter and 2 litters per year, after a gestation of 70 to 77 days.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals · CC0 1.0 · 1.0
Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1 - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Common genet (Genetta genetta). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-genet
“Common genet (Genetta genetta).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-genet.
@misc{common_genet_2026,
title = {Common genet (Genetta genetta)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-genet},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}