ANIMAL: Binturong Arctictis binturong Type of Animal: Civet Habitat: Tropical forests, forested plains, hill forest, grassland-forest mosaic Location(s): Forested areas of S. China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Bangladesh & Burma to Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, & The Philippines. Appearance: Black & furry w/ long, bushy prehensile tail used for hanging from trees, very noticeable whiskers & tufted ears. Food/Diet: Fruit, leaves, shoots, vegetables, nuts, birds, fish, carrion, small snakes, lizards, small mammals, insects & eggs. Favorite fruit is figs. Status in Wild: Threatened Conservation: Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers Lifestyle: Solitary, male-female pairs, or family groups of a breeding pair w/ 1-3 sets of offspring. Usually 1-3 young born at a time. Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young-Pup/Cub Group-Pair Weight: Male-30-40 lbs Female-40-60 lbs Young-1.25-1.87 lbs Gestation: 3 months Height: 1.2 ft Body Length: Male-2 ft Female-3 ft Life Span: 15 years in wild, 20 years in captivity Tail Length: Male-2 ft Female-3 ft Main predators are tigers, large pythons, & clouded leopards. Smaller cats prey on young. Threatened due to pet trade, deforestation, habitat loss, logging, & hunting for fur/meat/medicine trade. Their seed droppings help plant the forest. Sexually mature at 2 years. They’re highly arboreal, living life in the trees. They chuckle when happy, wail when angry/annoyed, snort when interested in something, & howl to mark territory. They’re generally nocturnal. They’re known to be good swimmers. Pups stay w/ mom and sometimes, dad, for up to a year, sometimes longer. Fun Fact(s): Orang Asli tribe of Malaysia commonly keep them as pets. One of only 2 carnivores with prehensile tail. (The other is the Kinkajou) Female dominant over male & in fact, has enlarged enough clitoris known as “pseudo-penis.” Scent used to mark territory resembles that of buttered popcorn. Known to be very affectionate animals, unless young are present or provoked. Mom & sometimes, dad, highly protective of young. They have a powerful bite.
