When was the masked palm civet (Paguma larvata) introduced into Japan and how has its habitat been extended? These problems have so far been discussed but no definite conclusion has been reached yet.
The writer sent out questionaries to the game rangers in Shizuoka Prefecture asking them whether the animal lives or not in the area under their charge. Their answers seem to indicate that its habitat extends from four source areas. Therefore it is supposed that the civet was imported several times into several areas in the Prefecture from several places of origin.