Binturong: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Hunters · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. A binturong smells like hot buttered popcorn. Its urine holds 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the same chemical made when popcorn pops.
2. Binturongs drag their tails over branches, leaving oily musk and urine. The sticky oils help the popcorn smell last longer in the humid rainforest.
3. Figs are a big part of the binturong's diet, and it is a very important spreader of strangler fig seeds because it can scarify their tough coat.
4. Captive binturongs climb skillfully but slowly, moving as easily upside down beneath a branch as along the top, with the tail as a balance aid.
5. Female binturongs can delay implantation, keeping the fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus until conditions are ideal.

The quiz

1. What does a binturong smell like?

• Fresh mint
• Wet earth
• Hot buttered popcorn (correct)
• Burnt toast

It smells like hot buttered popcorn.

2. Why does the popcorn smell last longer on branches?

• Sticky oils from the scent glands help it stay (correct)
• Rain washes it into the bark
• The tail sprays it every hour
• Sunlight fixes it in place

The sticky oils help the popcorn smell last longer.

3. Which tree's seeds do binturongs help spread?

• The oak
• The baobab
• The bamboo
• The strangler fig (correct)

Binturongs are very important spreaders of strangler fig seeds.

4. How do captive binturongs move along branches?

• By leaping often between trees
• Skillfully but slowly, even upside down (correct)
• Only along the top of branches
• They never climb

They climb skillfully but slowly, even upside down.

5. What can a female binturong delay?

• Attaching the fertilized egg to the uterus (correct)
• Shedding her fur
• Her daily sleep
• Her first meal

She can delay attaching the fertilized egg to the uterus.

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