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Despite eating the same figs, binturong, small-toothed palm, masked palm, and common palm civets do coexist together.

For smaller omnivorous and carnivorous mammals such as masked palm civets or elephant shrews, nectar can act as a high-calorie supplement.

The samples from the stall that contained the coronavirus also contained DNA from a variety of animals, including dogs, rabbits, hoary bamboo rats, Malayan porcupines and masked palm civets.

The results identify a shortlist of animals – including racoon dogs, civets and bamboo rats – as potential sources of the pandemic.

A virus in civets and raccoon dogs sold in marketplaces in southern China matched the one that sickened humans, and a virus later found in bats looked like its ancestor.