Binturong

Binturongs look more like a mishmash of creatures combined together to create one whole creature than anything else. They have a cat's face, a bear's body, and a monkey's tail. Despite this, the binturong is none of these things; it is related to civets and fossas. Binturongs, also known as bearcats, live in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, and are rarely seen in the wild. Bearcats have long, shaggy black fur, a prehensile tail as long as their bodies, big ear tufts, reddish brown eyes, and stiff white whiskers on their faces. Another strange aspect about binturongs is that they smell like buttered popcorn. Binturongs are the only Old World mammal to have a prehensile tail, and it and the kinkajou are the only two carnivores in the world with a prehensile tail.

Binturongs are nocturnal, and sleep during the day in the forest canopy, basking in the sun. They often are mistaken for sloths as they move slowly though the trees, using their reversible paws and prehensile tails to help them get around. Though they are classed as carnivores, binturongs mostly eat fruit. They also eat carrion, fish, birds, invertebrates, eggs, leaves, and the shoots of plants.

Bearcats primarily live alone. The popcorn smell, which exudes from a scent gland on its tail, warns other bearcats to keep out of it's territory. This also alerts male binturongs as to when females are available for mating. Besides their scent glands, bearcats also use noise to communicate. They make chuckling sounds when happy and wail loudly when they are bothered. They also howl, grunt, and hiss.

Female binturongs are one of only a few mammals that can do delayed implantation. This allows her to time when her babies will be born, insuring that they will have the best possible chance at survival. A male will sometimes stay with the female after mating and the birth, but generally takes little part in helping to raise the babies. Usually one to two young are born, though there can be up to six (San Diego Zoo).

It is not certain what the word 'binturong' means, as the local language that used it is extinct. However, there is no uncertainty about what part the binturong play in its habitat. Bearcats help spread seeds from the fruit they eat, as well as help with pest control. Unfortunately, they are no longer common creatures. In some areas, they are listed as vulnerable, and in other areas they are endangered. For the most part, this is due to habitat destruction. They are poached for perceived medicinal benefits, their fur, and even their meat in some areas. This strange creature is in danger, but so far it has managed to survive. With a bit of help, it will continue to do so for many years to come.

San Diego Zoo: http://www.sdzoo.com/animalbytes/t-binturong.html