Binturong Classification and Evolution

The Binturong is a medium sized carnivore that is found

inhabiting the dense forests of South-East Asia. They belong to
the same family as other small carnivoresincluding Civets,
Genets, Mongooses and Fossa and share a number of
characteristics with them including a long snout and having
more teeth than most other carnivorous mammals. The
Binturong is thought to be most closely related to the Palm
Civet and is the largest member of this family. Also known as
the Bearcat, the Asian Bearcat and the Asian Civet, the
Binturong was once commonly found throughout much of it's
historical range but sadly, today they are a rare find in the thick
jungles and very little is actually known about their behaviour in
the wild. There are nine different subspecies of Binturong which
vary little in appearance but tend to be most easily
distinguished by their size and geographic location.
Binturong Anatomy and
Appearance
The Binturong is a large, heavy animal that can grow to more
than a meter long from their snout to the tip of their tail, with
females being up to 20% bigger and heavier than their male
counterparts. They have very long, coarse and shaggy fur
which varies from dark brown to black in colour and is tipped
with grey, along with tufts of long and dark straight hair which
protrude beyond the tops of their ears. The Binturong (along
with the Kinkajou of South America) is also unique among
carnivorous mammals as they possess a prehensile tip to their
tails, which acts almost like another leg helping both with
climbing, and gripping onto branches to give the Binturong
more stability. The Binturong also has long, white whiskers that
are thick and sensitive and are found both on their checks and
above their brown eyes.
Binturong
Distribution
and
Habitat
The Binturong was once natively found throughout China, India,
Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines
and on the island of Borneo, and although there are populations
still found in a number of these countries, their numbers have

been declining and the Binturong can now be extraordinarily

hard to spot. Found in dense, moist jungles and in areas that
are close to a slow-moving water source, the Binturong has
been most affected by habitat loss particularly in the more
southern parts of it's natural range. Towards the north however
where the rate of deforestation is not quite as ferocious, they
have been more affected by hunting and capture as well as
generally expanding Humanpopulations. The Binturong relies
heavily on dense, thick forest where there is plenty of cover
both in the trees and on the ground and with a big decline in it's
native jungles, thismammal simply has fewer places to go.
Binturong Behaviour and
Lifestyle
The Binturong is a generally solitary and nocturnal animal that
spends the majority of it's time moving about slowly and
cautiously amongst the trees. Due to their large size the
Binturong cannot leap between one tree and another and so
must climb down to the ground to go from tree to tree. They are
excellent climbers and are well aided by their strong feet, agile
bodies, semi-retractable claws and their prehensile tail. The
Binturong is also known to both swim and dive well and often
spends time in the water to simply cool down in the heat of the
sun. Although they do tend to be mainly solitary, small groups
of Binturong are not uncommon and usually consist of an adult
pair and their young. As with the hierarchy in Mongoose society
however, it is the female Binturong who remains the dominant
adult. The Binturong is known to be a very vocal animal and
makes a number of sounds to both communicate with other
Binturongs and to warn off species that it sees to be a threat.
They are known to make chuckling sounds when they seem to
be happy and appear to utter a high-pitched wail if they
become aggravated.
Binturong
Reproduction
and
Life
Cycles
Although there is not thought to be a mating season as such,
there are thought to be higher instances between February and
April and then later in July and November. After a gestation
period that lasts for around 3 months, the female Binturong

climbs down to the ground to nest in thick vegetation that is

sheltered both from the elements but is also out of sight of
passing predators. Between 1 and 3 small cubs are born that
measure about the size of a Human fist. Like a number of other
mammalian young, BInturongs are born blind and cannot hear
and rely solely on their mother to provide them with milk. They
are usually weaned by the time they are 2 months old and
reach their adult size after a year. The Binturong is thought to
live for between 10 and 15 years in the wild but can happily
reach older ages in captivity with one individual having died at
the age of 26.
Binturong Diet and
Prey
Despite belonging to the carnivorous mammal group, the
Binturong is mainly frugivorous meaning that it survives
primarily on a diet that is comprised of fruit. Although they are
also known to hunt insects, birds and rodents which they stalk
in a cat-like manner amongst the branches, the Binturong has
evolved well to eating in the trees with front feet that are not
only designed to climb and dig, but they can also hold onto fruit
and even open it with their agile toes. The Binturong primarily
hunts for food under the cover of night but is also known to
feed whilst resting in the trees in the heat of the day. Due to
their ability to swim and dive well, the Binturong also
hunts fish in the water when cooling down in the heat of the
day.
Binturong Predators and
Threats
The Binturong is a relatively large and slow-moving animal, yet
it is not really a main source of prey to the predators that also
inhabit the dense, surrounding jungle. Largeranimals such
as Tigers and Snakes would pose the biggest threat to the
Binturong
adults,
along
with Birds of Prey and
small carnivores that could easily target one of the young cubs.
The biggest threat to the world's Binturong population though is
people and in a number of ways. The Binturong has been
caught for their meat, captured and sold into the pet trade,
subjected to vast habitat loss (mainly in the form of

deforestation), and is also trapped and caught to be sold into

the Chinese medicine market, where a number of their body
parts are used in traditional remedies.
Binturong
Interesting
Facts
and
Features
Like other members of the Civet family, the Binturong has scent
glands which are located just under it's tail. These glands are
used to mark trees and foliage to outline an individual's
territory and is distributed whilst the Binturong is moving about.
Oddly enough, the odour of this scent is said to smell like
popcorn as are Binturong cubs when they are newborn. Until
they became stronger and are more aware of their
surroundings, young Binturong are incredibly vulnerable and
are able to spray foul smelling liquid (like a Skunk) when they
are really frightened. This is not a behaviour however that has
been observed in individuals who are more than a couple of
months old, because as they get bigger they are able to defend
themselves more easily. When climbing, the Binturong is
actually able to rotate it's hind legs backwards so that their
claws still have a good grip when climbing down a tree head
first.
Binturong
Relationship
with
Humans
This tree-dwelling mammal is actually known to be startlingly
passive towards people and has been easily domesticated and
kept as an exotic pet all over the world. However, it is this
industry that along with other factors, has aided in the rapid
decline of Binturong population numbers throughout SouthEast Asia. Not only having been over-exploited as pets, zoo
attractions, in medicines and for food, the Binturong is also
subjected to devastating loss of vast areas of it's
natural habitat which has pushed the remaining populations
into smaller and smaller pockets of their once large historical
range. Both growing Human settlements and forest clearance
for agriculture are the main culprits and seeing as the
Binturong needs dense jungle to successfully survive,
plantations provide no sanctuary in their dwindling homelands.

Binturong Conservation Status

and
Life
Today
Today, the Binturong is rarely seen in the wild with just a
handful of sightings having been reported over the past
decade. The Binturong is listed by the IUCN as a species that is
Vulnerable from extinction in it's natural environment in the
near
future. Humanencroachment
on
their
historical habitats has meant that numbers have declined
drastically and along with their capture still in many parts, has
led to a 30% decline in Binturong population numbers in the
last 30 years.