Binturong Facts
Binturong Facts
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| Interesting Binturong Facts: |
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| Binturong can reach 2 to 3 feet in length and 25 to 31 pounds of weight. Females are larger than males. |
| Binturong has thick, coarse, brown or black fur with grey tips and tufts of black hair on the ears. |
| Binturong has long snout, small, rounded ears, small reddish-brown eyes and long white whiskers. It has elongated, stocky body that ends with long, bushy tail. Binturong is also known as "Asian bearcat" because of its bear-shaped body and cat-like face. |
| Binturong is an arboreal animal (adapted to the life in the treetops). It cannot jump from one tree to another, so it has to descend to the ground when it wants to change location. Binturong is also excellent swimmer and diver. |
| Binturong has strong feet with sharp claws. When it descends from the trees, it moves head first with its hind legs rotated backwards. That way claws prevent slipping from the trees and branches. Binturong has prehensile tail which acts like extra limb. Tail is wrapped around nearby branches when binturong sleeps. |
| Binturong is nocturnal animal (active during the night). |
| Binturong is an omnivore (it eats both meat and plants). Its diet is based on fruit, leaves, shoots, eggs, fish, small mammals, birds and carrion. |
| Binturong eats strangler fig and facilitates dispersal of this plant in the wild (via feces). |
| Natural enemies of binturongs are tigers, snakes and birds of prey. |
| Binturong is solitary and territorial animal. Family groups (females with their cubs) can be occasionally seen in the wild. Binturong uses popcorn-like scent to mark its territory and find mating partner. |
| Binturongs use various sounds for communication. Aggressive binturongs produce high-pitched noise and growls. Binturongs chuckle when they are happy. |
| Binturong can mate all year round. Most babies are born from January to March, and from July to November. |
| Females are able to postpone pregnancy (to delay implantation of eggs). Pregnancy lasts 3 months and ends with 1 to 3 babies (born in the nest on the ground). |
| Babies are blind, deaf and helpless at birth. They depend on the mother's milk until the age of 2 months. Binturongs reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 to 3 years. |
| Binturong can survive 10 to 15 years in the wild and up to 26 years in the captivity. |
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