Owston’s palm civet occurs in Vietnam, eastern Laos and a small part of southern China. It searches damp forest for small animals such as earthworms.
Broad brown-black bands cross the back, markings split from the eyes toward the shoulders, and spots cover the neck and front legs. The coat ranges from ivory to silvery gray.
Using known records of Owston's civet, researchers modeled current and future climate-suitable areas in Vietnam, eastern Laos and southern China. Their current map included 21 protected areas: 18 in Vietnam and three in Laos. The analysis combined recorded locations with climate conditions to examine habitat across the region's mountains.
Future scenarios projected a shift upslope of about 600 m or more and an average decline of about 42% in suitable area. Thirteen protected areas remained in the model, down from 21. The Annamite range along the Vietnam–Laos border was identified as a possible climate refuge.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Future climate scenarios projected an average 42% decline in suitable area and 13 protected areas remaining, down from 21. The authors identified the Annamite range along the Vietnam–Laos border as a possible climate refuge.