Pumpkin vs. Bearcat
Miscellaneous: The family Viverridae can be found in Madagascar, Africa, the East Indies, southern Asia, and southwestern Europe. The family comprises Civets, Genets, Linsangs, Mongooses, and Fossas and has 36 genera and 71 species.
A. Binturong is a single species, not a subspecies. Subspecies are not known to exist.
Appearance: The Binturong is known by the nickname Bear Cat because it resembles a hybrid between a bear and a cat. Their heads are long, and their muzzles are pointy. They are the biggest Viverrid species. Long and coarse, the fur is much longer on the tail than it is on the rest of the body. The hairs are glossy and black, frequently with a buff or gray tip. The edges of the ears and whiskers are white, and the head is beautifully spotted with gray and buff. The backs of the ears contain long hairs that extend past the tips and give them a fringed or tufted appearance. The tip of the tail is prehensile, and the tail is quite muscular. Each of their five feet has long, pointed claws that resemble bears. Binturongs emit a peculiar aroma that smells like popcorn. The Binturongs have a bear-like shuffle and walk on their soles with their heels touching the ground, unlike other Viverrids who walk on their toes. Despite having a fairly slow gait, they are capable of moving quickly when attacking.
Size: The Binturong has a head and body length of two to three feet, and its tail is another two to two and a half feet long. Average weight is between 20 and 30 pounds. A newborn only weighs 10 12 ounces.
Habitat: Although binturongs can be found in deep forests, they are not particularly common. It is primarily nocturnal and arboreal.
Distribution: This solitary species is found on the island of Burma, as well as perhaps in Nepal, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Bankga, Java, the Rhio Archipelago, and Palwan.
Reproduction: In captivity, binturongs typically breed all year long with no predictable seasons. Females can have up to two litters every year, with an average of two offspring in each litter. Upon reaching breeding maturity at 2 12 years for females and 2 years for males, babies are born after a 90-day gestation period, and they can continue to be fertile for at least 15 years. One of the roughly 100 species of mammals thought to be capable of embryonic diapause, or delayed implantation, is the binturong. This trait enables the species' female to time parturition to coincide with favourable environmental conditions.
Children: Babies are born blind and defenseless and covered with fur. Between the ages of 6 and 8 weeks, they start eating solid meals.
Social Organization: Binturongs, like the majority of Vivverids, live alone or in small groups of adults and their juvenile progeny.
Diet: Binturongs typically eat tiny vertebrates and invertebrates, with the exception of nuts, fruits, and vegetables. They have even been known to scavenge in some situations. The opportunistic eating habits of binturongs include diving and swimming for prey.
In captivity, Binturongs are quite loud, emitting high pitched whines and howls, rasping growls, and when very enthusiastic, a variety of grunts and hisses. Little is known about Binturongs in the wild, but they are vocal in captivity. In order to communicate with other binturongs, binturongs also create a perfume that, to humans, smells like sweet popcorn.
Condition: Threatened
How uncommon is this creature? 118 of the 252 species listed by the International Species Information Service are found in the United States.