The African civet, native to the savannas and forests of central and southern Africa, has short, dense fur that is a grayish color, with black spots arranged in rows along their bodies. Their legs and about 2/3 of their tail is black, with about a third of the base of their tail having striped markings. Their face is solid grey except for a white muzzle and black markings around the eyes that lead down the face. Their long necks have bars of white and black running down the sides, usually one white bar enclosed by two black bars, one above and one below. They have a short mane of about 1-4 inches (3-10 cm) in length that runs along their back. This mane becomes erect when the animal is frightened. They have 40 teeth. They have five digits on each paw with non-retractable claws. They have six mammae.

The African civet is omnivorous. It will eat a variety of fruits, carrion, insects, rodents, eggs, reptiles, and birds. They are able to consume animals and plants that are poisonous to most other animals, such as the Stychnos fruit, certain species of millipedes, and carrion that is decayed and pungent. The African civet does not use its paws to catch food; instead it picks it up with its teeth. Small mammals are usually killed by shaking them violently until their neck snaps.

African civets are primarily nocturnal, but can be seen during the day in cloudy weather and in the early mornings. The peak hours of their activity is from a couple hours before sunset until about midnight. They sleep in dense grass during the day. This civet, like most others, is solitary except during the mating season. They mark territories by pressing the glands located on their lower abdomen against a raised object. These civets also have special dung piles, or civetries, located near the edges of their territories. They make four distinct sounds: growls, coughing-spit, scream, and a "ha-ha-ha" sound used to locate other civets.