A civet (Arctictis binturong) of southeast Asia with a long prehensile tail. Also called bearcat.
[Malay benturong, binturong.]
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A civet (Arctictis binturong) of southeast Asia with a long prehensile tail. Also called bearcat.
[Malay benturong, binturong.]
Arctictis binturong
SUBFAMILY
Paradoxurinae
TAXONOMY
Viverra binturong (Raffles, 1821), "Malacca."
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Bear cat; French: Binturong; German: Binturong.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body length 24–38 in (61–97 cm), tail 22–35 in (56–89 cm), weight 20–30 lb (9–14 kg). The body is compact and the feet are short with naked soles. The hair is rough and loose, with a blackish color. The binturong is the only viverrid with a prehensile tail.
DISTRIBUTION
India, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indochina.
HABITAT
Dense forests.
BEHAVIOR
Nocturnal and mostly arboreal, the binturong runs like a bear when it is on the ground, putting the entire sole of the foot down. The slinking motion that is normally characteristic of viverrids is not found in the binturong.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Fruits, leaves, birds, carrion, and fish.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Most births occur from January to March, gestation 84–99 days, litter size one to six. Both parents care for the young. Mating system is not known.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
May be domesticated and kept as pets. Common as a zoo animal.
The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
arboreal civet of Asia having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair
Synonyms: bearcat, Arctictis bintourong
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| Arctictis binturong (Raffles, 1821) |
The Binturong (Arctictis binturong), also known as the Asian Bearcat, the Palawan Bearcat, or simply the Bearcat, is a species of the family Viverridae, which includes the civets and genets. It is neither a bear nor a cat, and the real meaning of the original name is lost, as the local language that gave it is extinct. Its natural habitat is in trees of forest canopy in rainforest of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Palawan Island.
It is nocturnal and sleeps on branches. It eats primarily fruit, but also has been known to eat eggs, shoots and leaves, and small animals, including rodents and birds. Deforestation has greatly reduced its numbers. When cornered, the Binturong can be vicious. The Binturong can make chuckling sounds when it seems to be happy and utter a high-pitched wail if annoyed. The Binturong can live over 20 years in captivity; one is recorded to have lived almost 26 years.
Its bushy tail is fully prehensile, and acts as a fifth hand. Being burly and omnivorous, the Binturong is sometimes compared to a bear, but is closer in size to a smallish dog. Its average length ranges 60–96 cm (24–38 in), and average weight ranges between 9-14 kg (20–31 lb), although some exceptional individuals have been known to weigh 22 kg (50 lb) or more. The tail is nearly as long as the body with size ranging from 55–90 cm (22–36 in). The ears are small and rounded, and it has small eyes. It has coarse and thick black fur.
The estrus period of the Binturong is 81 days, with a gestation of 91 days. The Binturong is one of approximately 100 species of mammal believed by many husbandry experts to be capable of embryonic diapause, or delayed implantation, which allows the female of the species to time parturition to coincide with favorable environmental conditions. Typical birthing is of two offspring, but up to six may occur.
The Binturong climbs trees and leaps from branch to branch, using its tail and claws to cling while searching for food. It can rotate its hind legs backwards so that its claws still have a grip when climbing down a tree head first. The Binturong also uses its tail to communicate, through the scent gland located under it. The scent of Binturong musk is often compared to that of warm popcorn and cornbread.[3] The Binturong brushes its tail against trees and howls to announce its presence to other Binturongs.
The Orang Asli of Malaysia keep Binturong as pets.
Six subspecies are recognized (A. b. albifrons, A. b. binturong, A. b. kerkhoveni, A. b.
memglaensis, A. b. penicillatus, and A. b. whitei).[1] The Palawan Binturong (A. b. whitei) of the
Philippines is
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![]() | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more | |
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