Common palm civets enjoy the sap from sugar palm trees that’s used to make a sweet liquor called “toddy,” hence the civet’s nickname, “toddy cat”.
Other than fruits, common palm civets are very fond of the sap from the flowers of sugar palm trees (Arenga pinnata) that are found throughout their natural range. This sap has been used by the indigenous people of the areas to make sweet liquor by fermenting the sugar sap, which is called “toddy”, giving the common palm civet its other common name, the toddy cat.
Sources: (Burton, 1968; Duckworth, et al., 2011; Larivière, 2003; Nelson, 2013; Wemmer and Murtaugh, 1981)
Image: Dhruvaraj S
