Binturong

Fascinating facts about the Binturong

• Binturongs roam the forests of South and Southeast Asia, from the foothills of Assam to the rain-soaked lowlands of Malaysia, up to 3,000 m (9,843 ft) elevation, spanning India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. Their presence across such a vast belt shows they can survive in both primary and secondary forests.
• Figs, especially the strangler fig, are a major component of the binturong's menu, and the animal is the only known disperser of those seeds because its gut enzymes scarify the tough seed coat. By swallowing whole figs and later excreting viable seeds far from the parent tree, binturongs plant new forest recruits, a service that keeps tropical rainforests regenerating after disturbance.
• When a binturong urinates, it releases 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the same molecule that makes popcorn pop, giving its scent the unmistakable aroma of hot buttered popcorn. The compound is concentrated in urine, not the perianal scent glands, so the animal drags its tail across branches, leaving a sticky, popcorn-scented trail that warns rivals and signals reproductive readiness.
• Radio-collared binturongs trek 25 m to 2,698 m (82-8,852 ft) each day in the dry season, extending to 4,143 m (13,593 ft) when rains swell their forest routes. Males claim home ranges from 0.9 to 6.1 km², while females average 4 km² and some males roam up to 20.5 km².
• The bearcat's body stretches 71 to 84 cm (28-33 in) while its prehensile tail adds another 66 to 69 cm (26-27 in), and it tips the scales at 9-20 kg, making it the largest viverrid. anchoring itself with a muscular tail that acts like a fifth limb.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the Binturong

In the dense, emerald canopies of Southeast Asia's tropical forests, the binturong moves with deliberate, unhurried pace, its shaggy coat and bushy tail a testament to its adaptability in this realm of twisted vines and ancient trees. As it navigates the intricate network of branches, its prehensile tail grasping and releasing with deft precision, the binturong embodies a quiet, unassuming power, its gentle eyes belied by a fierce determination to survive in a world where its very existence is increasingly precarious. With its unique, carnivorous yet largely frugivorous diet, the binturong weaves a subtle yet vital thread into the fabric of its ecosystem, a thread that is sadly beginning to fray.

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