The Binturong

The Binturong, otherwise known as the Bearcat, is neither a bear nor a cat.  It is more closely related to civets and genets.  It is a nocturnal animal.  The Bearcat primarily eats fruit, but also eats eggs, leaves, and small animals such as birds and rodents.  Its natural habitat is in trees of the forest canopy in rainforests of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, China India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, , the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.  When cornered, it can and will be vicious. The Binturong makes chuckling sounds when it seems to be happy and a high-pitched wail if annoyed. It can live over 20 years in captivity-one has been recorded to have lived almost 26 years.

Binturong (in Captivity)

The Bearcat climbs trees and leaps from branch to branch, using its tail and claws to cling while searching for food. It can climb down trees headfirst by rotating their hind legs backwards for stability.  The Binturong also uses its tail to communicate, through the scent gland located under it.  The scent that it produces can be compared to warm, buttered popcorn.  The Binturong brushes its tail against trees and howls to announce its presence to other Binturongs.

Binturong Skull

You can see that the Binturong skull is similar to that of a cat’s and a bear’s, hence the name Bearcat.

Binturong Baby

The Binturong baby stays with its mother, like other animals, until it is old and mature enough to get food for itself.

Binturong Facial Model

You can see that the teeth of a Binturong are very odd-shaped.  They look like an upside-down “V” on a platform.  The teeth are very sharp, but there are also molars in the back for grinding plants.

Binturong Baby-You Can Also See It's Teeth

The Binturong baby can also be vicious-look at those teeth!  But they are also very nice.

Binturong Asleep

Hey-who said they don’t sleep?  They, being mostly nocturnal animals, sleep a lot during the day.

Binturongs are a threatened species.  They will go on the endangered list if they continue being hunted.

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