THE BINTURONG

Created By: C. Raven Anderson

WHAT IS A BINTURONG?

Also known as a Bear cat Classed as carnivores but eat mostly fruit. They are related to civets and fossas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Binturong_in_Overloon.jpg

Body: long and heavy, and low on the legs Fur: thick, of strong black hair Tail: bushy and prehensile tail is thick at the root, gradually diminishing in size to the extremity, where it curls inwards. Muzzle: short and pointed, somewhat turned up at the nose, and is covered with bristly hairs, brown at the points Eyes: large, black and prominent Ears: short, rounded, edged with white, and terminated by tufts of black hair Feet: five-toed, with large strong claws

CHARACTERISTICS

Tropical Rain Forests Can be found in m India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Yunnan in China, and from Sumatra, Kalimantan and Java in Indonesia to Palawan in the Philippines.

http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong

HABITAT

Experts believe the female binturong is one of only a few mammals that can experience delayed implantation, which allows the female to time the birth of her young with good environmental conditions. This means that mating can take place anytime of the year because the female can control when her babies are born, (San Diego Zoo, 2013). Baby binturongs: born with eyes sealed and remain hidden in the mother's thick fur for their first few days Baby binturongs: eat solid food at six to eight weeks Binturongs can live up to 20 years in the wild and 20+ years in captivity

http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/baby-binturongdebuts/2007/05/30/1180205320278.html

REPRODUCTION AND LIFE SPAN

Bear cats smell like buttered popcorn

that scent serves one purpose in the wild: to let other binturongs know they are trespassing on someone elses territory, (San Diego Zoo, 2013). scent is made by an oil gland under the tail; as a binturong drags its tail through the branches it climbs on, it leaves its scent behind, (San Diego Zoo, 2013).

One of only two carnivores with a prehensile tail.

FUN FACTS

http://youtu.be/DQvwjwg4gX4

JACK HANNA ON DAVID LETTERMAN

Wikipedia Staff. (November 2013). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binturong. http://youtu.be/DQvwjwg4gX4 San Diego Zoo. (2013). Retrieved from http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturon g. The Sydney Morning Herald Staff. (May 2007). Retrieved from http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/babybinturongdebuts/2007/05/30/1180205320278.html.

SOURCES