Spooner’s sacred lines revolve around arboreal mammal (4,5)

I believe the answer is:

palm civet

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'mammal' is the definition.
(palm civet is a kind of mammal)

I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.

(Another definition for palm civet that I've seen is " Carnivore".)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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