Binturong
Slides in this set (5)
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- Caption: A.K.A. Asian bearcat, Malay civet cat
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- Poppy (female)
- Born @ ? Zoo, June 2016 (2 years old in 2018)
- Lifespan: 15-18 years
- Handling: You will not be touching this animal unless explicitly directed to by Beth.
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- Range: Palawan Island (Southeast Asia)
- Habitat: Tropical Forests, may prefer mature forests
- While arboreal, the adults have to climb down to the ground to switch trees
- Threats: Deforestation, pollution, humans (pet trade, food, fur trade, medicinal beliefs)
- Defensive mechanisms: Teeth, claws, vocalizations, gland expressions
- Status: Vulnerable (30% population loss over 18 yrs)
- Predators: Humans (hawks and large snakes may pick off small offspring)
- Diet: Birds, fish, mammals, invertebrates, eggs, insects, fruit, leaves, carrion
- Zoo diet: fruits, vegetables, dog food, mice, hard boiled eggs
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- Size: 20-45 lbs, 3.75'-6', Females are 20-30% larger than males
- Activity: Nocturnal (They have good eyesight, so they can be awake whenever they prefer-cathemeral)
- Social Structure: Females are dominant (~2.5sqmi range). Live alone or in small family groups of mother and young offspring, males sometimes stay with female after breeding.
- Reproduction: Copulation occurs in trees. Delayed implantation! 1-6 kittens in a litter; they hide in mother's fur for the first few days, domestic cat sized at 6-8 weeks old, sexually mature around 2.5 yrs
- Fun Facts:
- Only known disperser of strangler fig seeds (through digestion)
- Territorial/communicative scent smells like buttered popcorn
- One of two prehensile tailed carnivores (other is Kinkajou); their feet can also turn 180* to help them climb down trees face first
- A.K.A. Asian bearcat and Malay civet cat- they are not related to bears or cats, but to civets and fossa
- "Arctictus" (genus) stands for "Bear weasel"
- Good swimmers
- Popular collegiate mascot
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- http://www.chesterzoo.org/explore-the-zoo/animals/mammals/other-mammals/palawan-binturong
- http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/41690/0
- http://eol.org/pages/328085/details
- Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium education handbook
- Asian animal?
- opossum
- Prehensile Tailed Porcupine
- Kinkajou