Plural of genet; small carnivorous mammals with spotted coats found in Africa and Eurasia, resembling a cross between a cat and a civet.
From Arabic 'janah', via Middle French 'genette'. The animal was named by Arabic speakers and the term was adopted into European languages through trade and exploration.
Genets are rarely seen despite being common across Africa and Europe because they're perfectly adapted night hunters—some species have retractable claws like cats, showing convergent evolution with felines.
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