Binturong (Lives in The Tropical Rainforests)

The binturong (Arctictis binturong) also known as bearcat, is a viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. Binturong has a face like a cat, a body like a small bear, and a tail like a monkey. The tail is nearly as long as the head and body, which ranges from 71 to 84 cm, the tail is 66 to 69 cm long. Mean weight of captive adult females is 21.9 kg with a range from 11 to 32 kg. Captive animals often weigh more than wild counterparts.

Viverra binturong was the scientific name used by Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1822 for a binturong collected in Malacca. The scientific name of the genus Arctictis was coined by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824.

Binturongs are in the order Carnivora, but they mostly eat fruit. In the wild, they eat a varied diet which can include carrion, eggs, plant shoots and leaves, small invertebrates, fish, birds, small mammals, and fruits like the strangler fig.

Binturongs play an important role in their rainforest habitats by spreading the seeds from the fruits they eat in their droppings. This is especially true for seeds of the strangler fig, which cannot germinate without assistance. The binturong is one of only two known animals with digestive enzymes capable of softening the tough outer covering of the fig's seeds. This special relationship makes the binturong a keystone species in the rainforest ecosystem.

Binturongs live high in the forest canopy and rarely come down to the ground. They are excellent climbers, moving slowly and cautiously through tree branches, aided by strong feet with semi-retractable claws. Their hind legs can even rotate backwards so their claws still have a good grip when climbing down a tree head-first. Due to their large size, binturongs cannot leap between trees; they must climb down to the ground to move from one tree to another. Binturongs walk like bears. Binturongs even sleep high in tree branches, curling up with their heads tucked under their tails.

Like other members of the Viverridae family, the binturong has scent glands, which are located just under its tail. As it moves about, the binturong drags its tail, marking branches and foliage in its territory. To humans, the smell is reminiscent of buttered popcorn, but to other binturongs it communicates that the area is occupied and they should move along. It can also help male and female binturongs find each other when they want to mate.

The main threats to binturongs are habitat destruction, hunting, and the wildlife trade.
India included the binturong in CITES Appendix III and in Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act 1973, so that it has the highest level of protection. In China, it is listed as critically endangered. It is completely protected in Bangladesh, and partially in Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Licensed hunting of binturong is allowed in Indonesia, and it is not protected in Brunei.

#WildLife #Borneo #FigTree