Binturong
- Class: Mammalia (Mammals)
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Viverridae
- Genus: Arctictis
- Species: binturong
ABOUT
A mammal about the size of a medium-sized dog, a binturong has a face like a cat's and a body like a bear's, long, shaggy black hair, stiff white whiskers, and a prehensile tail that’s as long as its body. Binturongs are also called bearcats, but that name is rather misleading since they are not related to bears or cats. Instead, they are related to civets but look more like gigantic dust mops and smell like a freshly made batch of popcorn!
The hair coloration on binturongs can vary from black to brown with white, silver, or rust on the tips, which can give a binturong a grizzled appearance. Binturongs are classed as carnivores but eat mostly fruit. Their long ear tufts and reddish-brown eyes give them an endearing appearance but one that isn’t seen very often by people.
Binturongs spend most of their time in the trees, but they usually have to climb down to get from tree to tree, since they are not nearly as acrobatic as monkeys. Padded paws and long claws help them grasp branches. They walk flat-footed, and, when waddling on the ground, they tend to amble much like a bear does. Unlike a bear, though, binturongs can turn their ankles 180 degrees so their claws can still grip when climbing down a tree headfirst.
A binturong’s tail is very thick and muscular at the base, and the last third is prehensile, meaning it can grasp like an extra hand. A leathery patch at the tip helps the tail grip the branches a binturong climbs through. Binturong youngsters have been seen hanging upside down while completely supported by their tail, but adults are a bit too heavy to do this without using a paw or two for extra grip. Binturongs are the only mammal from Africa, Asia, or Europe and one of only two carnivores with a prehensile tail (the other is the kinkajou).
Binturongs can swim fairly well and have good vision both during the day and at night.
HABITAT AND DIET
Binturongs generally sleep during the day high in the forest canopy and often bask in the sun. Binturongs are primarily nocturnal and move slowly through their home in the trees to look for fruit. Because of this, they have often been confused with sloths. Like sloths, binturongs have long, shaggy coats that keep their skin dry. They groom their coats like cats do, licking and nibbling their fur, and cleaning their face with their front paws. Binturongs keep their claws sharp by scratching them on tree trunks. As arboreal predators, binturongs are rarely threatened by other predators.
Binturongs may smell like popcorn, but it’s not on their menu. They are classified as carnivores for their physical characteristics like sharp teeth and claws, but eat most anything that suits their fancy: mainly fruits, but also vegetables, birds, small mammals, and fish. They have been known to eat carrion, small invertebrates, eggs, leaves, and plant shoots, too.
At the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, binturongs eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, roots, and whole prey.
Binturongs have an important job in the forests where they live. Through their waste droppings (poop), they help spread seeds from the fruits they eat, helping to replant the rainforest.
FAMILY LIFE
Female binturongs experience delayed implantation, which allows her to time the birth of her young with favorable environmental conditions. This means that mating can take place anytime of the year, because females can control when their babies are born.
Females are about 20 percent larger and heavier than males and are the dominant sex. A male sometimes stays with a female after mating, even after she has given birth. Baby binturongs, called bintlets, are born with their eyes sealed and remain nestled in their mother's thick fur for their first few days. At six to eight weeks, they are the size of a domestic cat, have grown a coat of coarse hair, and begin to explore and eat solid food. Binturongs usually live by themselves or in small family groups consisting of a female and her immature offspring.
Most wildlife have some sort of odor, and many use scent as a form of communication. Some, like skunks, use scent to keep predators away. Binturongs have a very distinctive smell—that of buttered popcorn! This is because their urine contains the same chemical compound that gives popcorn its scent. As pleasing as it might be to us, that scent serves a purpose: to let other binturongs know they are trespassing on someone else’s territory or to discourage potential predators. This can be a good thing if you’re looking for a mate, or a not-so-good thing if you’re the trespasser. The scent is made by an oil gland under their tail; as a binturong drags its tail through the branches it climbs on, it leaves its scent behind.
Binturongs also make lots of noises to communicate: snorts and chuckles when happy, a high-pitched wail that sounds like a cat screaming if bothered. They also make loud howls, low grunts, and hisses. A binturong who lived at the San Diego Zoo used to snort when he found something interesting on one of his walks!
CONSERVATION
Binturongs are considered vulnerable in most parts of their range but face increased risks in some regions. They are not common anywhere, though, and they are currently threatened by habitat destruction, poaching for traditional Asian medicines, and the fur and pet trade. They are also considered a delicacy in some areas and are hunted for food.
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Program for the conservation of binturongs. By joining San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as an ally for wildlife, you help save species worldwide.
