Binturong
Arctictis binturong
Featured Binturongs
Disney
Description and Behavior
(Not very well studied animals.) They are covered with long, coarse black/grayish fur with tufted ears. Bints are arboreal animals (living most of their life in the trees). They have a prehensile tail to assist them with life in the trees. The tail is used as a fifth hand that will help them maneuver between branches. Bints are one of only two carnivores with a prehensile tail - the other is the kinkajou. They use scent to communicate with other binturongs. Scent glands near their tail allow them to mark the trees as they move around. The scent of a binturong smells like corn chips. They are close relatives of the mongoose (in the family Viverridae) and the skunks and weasels (family Mustelidae). There are arguments as to whether they are nocturnal or diurnal – probably active during both times. (note the elliptical pupils in eyes that offer wide range of adjustment to both bright and dim light).
Prey
They eat mostly fruit (frugivores), especially fruit of the Strangler Fig tree; but are really opportunistic feeders (omnivores) – will take small invertebrates, carrion, fish, birds, eggs, small rodents, and tree shoots.
Habitat
Dense tropical rainforest
Range
Southeast Asia – Northern India, Indo China, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo
Biology
| Weight | 35-45 lbs. |
| Reproductive Season | Not seasonal, but most common during wet season
|
| Gestation Period | 90-92 days
|
| Litter Size | 1-6 cubs
|
| Age at Independence | |
| Sexual Maturity | females - 30 months
|
| Longevity | Not known in wild, averages 19 years in captivity
|
| Social Structure | Solitary or small groups of adults with young, with the female being dominant.
|
Principal Threats
Rapid habitat loss, use as bush meat, use in Asian medicine, taken from the wild for the pet trade. Remember that binturongs come from economically depressed areas. That fact complicates people’s ability to conserve in that area.
Role in Environment
Only known animal with digestive enzymes capable of softening the seed coat of the Strangler Fig – which is very important in the canopy of the rainforest ecosystem. This makes the Binturong a uniquely critical animal (the rain forest depends upon the seed dispersal), as well as an example of a keystone species. Also help with rodent control.
|
