viverrine

viverrine (vahy-VER-een, vi-VER-in) - adj., of, pertaining to, or resembling the Viverridae, a family of small carnivorous mammals including the civets, genets, palm cats, linsangs, binturongs, et cet.


Also viverrid. By some accounts, also the mongooses, but generally those are now considered a separate (but most closely related) family. The ultimate source (after wending its way through scientific Latin) was ancient Latin vīverra, which is usually translated as ferret but was also used of similar animals -- which these are. Plus, of course, there's the fun of saying two V sounds close together.

---L.