Native to tropical and subtropical forests in South and Southeast Asia, the binturong is also known as the bearcat. Its appearance is strangely reminiscent of both of those creatures—though it’s neither a bear nor a cat. Binturongs are viverrids, a classification of feliform, or cat-like, medium-sized mammals that includes genets, cyans, civets, and palm civets. However, the binturong is strikingly unique, even among its closest relatives, and is the only species in the genus Arctictis.
Solitary and primarily active at night, the binturong is notable for its coat of coarse black hair, bristly face, and long, bushy, prehensile tail. Binturongs spend most of their time in trees and often use their tails to help move across branches or even hang upside down. During the day, they are often spotted sleeping on tree branches.
One of the binturong’s most famous characteristics is undoubtedly the scent of its urine, which contains the volatile chemical compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline. This compound is also produced when popping popcorn or baking bread, which leads to the binturong’s odd association with these delicious cooking smells.
Binturongs use this scent to mark their territory by leaving traces on leaves and branches, thus communicating with other members of their species. Binturongs have a well-developed sense of smell that makes up for their poor daytime vision. Males are thought to produce a more concentrated aroma, perhaps in an effort to alert females to their presence and reproductive readiness and to deter potential rivals.
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