---
title: "What the sources say about the Binturong | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "72 claims from the Binturong profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Binturong (*Arctictis binturong*)

> 72 claims from the Binturong profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Binturong](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/binturong/)

## Arctictis binturong (binturong). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Arctictis_binturong/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| climbing through tropical forest canopies | Binturongs are primarily arboreal and live in the canopies of tall, dense, tropical forests. |
| Tall tropical forest canopies across South and Southeast Asia | Binturongs are primarily arboreal and live in the canopies of tall, dense, tropical forests. |
| including wild figs | They eat fruits such as those of the strangler fig tree |
| carrion and eggs | As opportunistic feeders, binturongs will also eat carrion, eggs, tree shoots, and leaves. |
| a prehensile tail that works as a fifth limb | Their prehensile tail acts as another limb as they climb slowly and carefully. |
| Tigers and dholes are known predators | Two species of known predators are tigers and dholes. |
| for a climber that moves slowly and carefully | Their prehensile tail acts as another limb as they climb slowly and carefully. (note: vibe.reason: the pairing now rests on the binturong's climbing gait, not on its popcorn smell) |

## Binturong. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| thick prehensile tail | A binturong's tail is very thick and muscular at the base, and the last third is prehensile |
| Mainly fruit | mainly fruits, but also vegetables, birds, small mammals, and fish |
| small mammals, birds, fish | birds, small mammals, and fish |
| Binturongs grow 60 to 90 centimeters long | Body length: 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 centimeters) |
| and weigh 13 to 22 kilograms | Weight: 30 to 50 pounds (13 to 22 kilograms) (note: current zoo page over ADW's older 9 to 20 kg (Cosson 2007). Smithsonian gives 24 to 79 pounds (11 to 36 kg) on a page that also misconverts 3 feet as 0.09 m, so SDZ's range, inside the Smithsonian's, is used) |
| The tail is thick and muscular at the base and prehensile along its last third | A binturong's tail is very thick and muscular at the base, and the last third is prehensile |
| a leathery patch at the tip helps it grip branches | A leathery patch at the tip helps the tail grip the branches a binturong climbs through. |
| Binturongs can also turn their ankles 180 degrees, so their claws can still grip when they climb down a trunk headfirst. | binturongs can turn their ankles 180 degrees so their claws can still grip when climbing down a tree headfirst. |
| The binturong is one of only two carnivores in the world with a prehensile tail; the other is the kinkajou. | one of only two carnivores found anywhere in the world with a prehensile tail (the other is a kinkajou) |
| The binturong is one of only two carnivores anywhere in the world with a prehensile tail; the other is the kinkajou. | one of only two carnivores found anywhere in the world with a prehensile tail (the other is a kinkajou) |
| Youngsters have been seen hanging upside down, supported by the tail alone, but adults are a bit too heavy to do it without a paw or two for extra grip. | Binturong youngsters have been seen hanging upside down while completely supported by their tail, but adults are a bit too heavy to do this without using a paw or two for extra grip. |
| Not nearly as acrobatic as monkeys, binturongs usually have to climb down to get from one tree to the next. | they usually have to climb down to get from tree to tree, since they are not nearly as acrobatic as monkeys |
| but as tree-dwellers binturongs are rarely threatened by other predators | As arboreal predators, binturongs are rarely threatened by other predators. |
| it is poached for traditional Asian medicine | they are currently threatened by habitat destruction, poaching for traditional Asian medicines, and the fur and pet trade. |
| The last third of the tail can grasp, and a leathery patch at the tip helps it grip branches. | the last third is prehensile, meaning it can grasp like an extra hand. A leathery patch at the tip helps the tail grip the branches a binturong climbs through. |
| Youngsters have been seen hanging upside down supported by the tail alone, but adults are a bit too heavy to do it without a paw or two for extra grip. | Binturong youngsters have been seen hanging upside down while completely supported by their tail, but adults are a bit too heavy to do this without using a paw or two for extra grip. |
| the grasping last third of its tail as a fifth limb | the last third is prehensile, meaning it can grasp like an extra hand. (note: vibe.reason; 'fifth limb' is ADW's 'acts as another limb', claimed for the superpower line) |
| turning its ankles 180 degrees to climb down trunks headfirst | binturongs can turn their ankles 180 degrees so their claws can still grip when climbing down a tree headfirst. (note: vibe.reason) |

## Binturong. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/binturong

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| plus a tail nearly as long | long with a tail nearly the length of its body |
| In the wild they live about 16 to 18 years, and up to 25 in human care. | In the wild, binturongs live about 16 to 18 years. In human care, they can live to be 25 years old. |
| Despite the nickname "bearcat," a binturong is not closely related to bears or cats. | Binturongs are also called bearcats but are not closely related to bears or cats. |
| It belongs to the civet family, Viverridae. | They are in the family Viverridae with other small cat-like mammals, including civets and fossas. (note: fossas dropped from the page: the fossa is in Eupleridae, so the Smithsonian's side remark about it is not used) |
| It lives in tropical forests from India and Nepal to Indonesia and the Philippines. | tropical forests of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines, and Indonesia |
| Deforestation removes both its habitat and its main foods | Deforestation is especially problematic as it removes both their habitat and their main food sources. |
| in some areas it is hunted for meat and for the pet trade | In some areas, binturongs are also hunted for meat and for the pet trade. |
| Neither. Despite the nickname bearcat, a binturong is not closely related to bears or cats. | Binturongs are also called bearcats but are not closely related to bears or cats. |

## Lambert et al. (2014). Binturong (Arctictis binturong) and Kinkajou (Potos flavus) Digestive Strategy: Implications for Interpreting Frugivory in Carnivora and Primates. PLoS ONE.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0105415

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In captive binturongs, food passes through the gut in about 6.5 hours | We conducted feeding trials to determine mean digestive retention times (MRT) on captive animals ... A. binturong MRT = 6.5 hrs (0.3) |
| fast for a mammal that eats mostly plants | both carnivoran species have rapid digestive passage for mammals that consume a predominantly plant-based diet |

## Nakabayashi et al. (2019). Limited directed seed dispersal in the canopy as one of the determinants of the low hemi-epiphytic figs' recruitments in Bornean rainforests. PLOS ONE.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0217590

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In Borneo, figs make up nearly 90 percent of a binturong's diet. | Binturongs are the largest arboreal frugivorous carnivorans on Borneo. ... fig fruits constitute nearly 90% of their diet (note: the paper's ref [29] is the authors' own Bornean binturong study: it is also cited for 'the Ficus species that binturongs feed on in Bornean rainforests' and for radio-tracking 'in the study areas') |
| Binturongs digest fruit inefficiently, and their watery droppings stick easily to tree bark. | Binturongs have difficulty in digesting fruits efficiently because of their morpho-physiological constraints ... their feces are watery, making it easier to stick to tree bark. |
| A 2019 study in Sabah, Borneo | We conducted this study at Danum Valley Conservation Area (Danum) and Maliau Basin Conservation Area (Maliau) in Sabah, north-eastern Borneo (note: 2019 is the paper's publication year (reference metadata); fieldwork ran 2013 to 2018) |
| found them defecating mainly on tree forks and branches, rarely on the forest floor | Binturongs disproportionally defecated in the canopy: tree forks (47.2%), branches (30.6%), epiphytic mats (19.4%), and forest floor (2.8%). |
| Seeds of two of the three fig species tested | We planted fig seeds of three species collected from binturong feces (note: the three species were F. forstenii, F. stupenda and F. punctata; only F. stupenda showed no significant difference) |
| germinated at higher rates after passing through a binturong | The germination rates of all species except F. stupenda were significantly higher after being defecated by binturongs |
| than seeds taken straight from the fruit | We extracted 100 seeds from the feces or figs |
| Against Mueller's gibbons and helmeted hornbills, binturongs scored by far the highest seed dispersal effectiveness for hemi-epiphytic figs | We evaluated the SDE of hemi-epiphytic figs using qualitative and quantitative components by three relatively large-sized (> 3 kg) arboreal and volant animals in Bornean rainforests that largely depend on fig fruits in their diets: binturongs Arctictis binturong, Mueller's gibbons Hylobates muelleri, and helmeted hornbills Rhinoplax vigil. The SDE values of binturongs was by far the highest among the three study animals. |
| which sprout high on host trees | Hemi-epiphytic figs germinate in the canopies of host trees as epiphytes |
| Figs make up nearly 90 percent of a binturong's diet in Borneo | Binturongs are the largest arboreal frugivorous carnivorans on Borneo. ... fig fruits constitute nearly 90% of their diet |
| its watery droppings stick easily to tree bark | their feces are watery, making it easier to stick to tree bark |
| seeds of two of the three fig species tested | We planted fig seeds of three species collected from binturong feces (note: the three species were F. forstenii, F. stupenda and F. punctata; only F. stupenda showed no significant difference) |
| germinated at higher rates after passing through a binturong | The germination rates of all species except F. stupenda were significantly higher after being defecated by binturongs |
| than seeds taken straight from the fruit | We extracted 100 seeds from the feces or figs |
| Of the three fig-eaters it compared, binturongs scored by far the highest seed dispersal effectiveness for hemi-epiphytic figs, which sprout in the canopies of host trees. | three relatively large-sized (> 3 kg) arboreal and volant animals in Bornean rainforests that largely depend on fig fruits in their diets ... The SDE values of binturongs was by far the highest among the three study animals. ... Hemi-epiphytic figs germinate in the canopies of host trees as epiphytes |

## Greene et al. (2016). Reproductive endocrine patterns and volatile urinary compounds of Arctictis binturong: discovering why bearcats smell like popcorn. The Science of Nature.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1361-4

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| the compound likely responsible for its popcorn smell | is likely to be responsible for the binturong's characteristic popcorn aroma |
| urine from 33 captive binturongs | Using a large (n = 33), captive population, we collected serum samples to measure circulating sex steroids via enzyme immunoassay and urine samples |
| yet 2-AP was the only compound found in every binturong tested | 2-AP, the only compound expressed by all of the subjects |

## Why Bearcats Smell Like Buttered Popcorn. Duke Today, Duke University.

https://today.duke.edu/2016/04/popcornscentedbinturong

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| smells like hot buttered movie popcorn | it smells like a movie theater snack bar. Most describe it as hot buttered popcorn. |
| Urine containing 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline | the researchers identified 29 chemical compounds in the animals' urine. The one compound that emanated from every sample was 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline |
| Many people who meet a Binturong (Arctictis binturong) notice its smell, and most describe it as hot buttered popcorn. | many people who have met one notice the same thing: it smells like a movie theater snack bar. Most describe it as hot buttered popcorn. |
| Earlier studies found nothing in its tail-gland secretions to explain the smell. | Previous studies searched for compounds in secretions from the scent glands under the binturong's tail that could explain its signature scent, but nothing turned up. |
| In 2016 | The Science of Nature – Naturwissenschaften, April 7, 2016 |
| a Duke University team analyzed urine | Christine Drea, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke who led the study |
| found 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, or 2-AP, the compound that gives popcorn its scent, in every sample | The one compound that emanated from every sample was 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, or 2-AP -- the same compound that gives popcorn its tantalizing scent. |
| with more in males than females | Males secrete more 2-AP than females. |
| The team found no 2-AP in the binturongs' kibble, the one cooked item they ate. | The team searched for 2-AP in the binturongs' kibble, the one cooked item in their diet, but they didn't detect any. |
| The researchers think it more likely that microbes on the skin or fur or in the gut make 2-AP from urine | A more likely explanation, the researchers say, is that 2-AP is produced when binturong urine comes in contact with bacteria and other microorganisms that live on the animal's skin or fur or in its gut. |
| as bacteria make smelly compounds from armpit sweat | Bacteria make smelly compounds as they break down sweat in our armpits in much the same way, Drea said. |
| Binturongs pee in a squat, soaking their feet and tails, and drag their tails through the trees, leaving a scent trail on the branches behind them. | Binturongs pee in a squatting position, soaking their feet and bushy tails in the process. They also drag their tails as they move about in the trees, leaving a scent trail on the branches and leaves behind them. |
| Popcorn gets its 2-AP from the heat of popping | The compound 2-AP normally forms in popcorn during the popping process, when heat kicks off reactions between sugars and amino acids in the corn kernels. |
| at temperatures above what most animals' bodies can reach | If you were to make this compound, you would have to use temperatures above what most animals can achieve physiologically |
| Its urine contains 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP), the same compound that gives popcorn its aroma, and it turned up in every binturong tested. | The one compound that emanated from every sample was 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, or 2-AP -- the same compound that gives popcorn its tantalizing scent. |
| Earlier studies searched the scent glands under its tail for a compound that could explain the smell and found nothing. | Previous studies searched for compounds in secretions from the scent glands under the binturong's tail that could explain its signature scent, but nothing turned up. |
| The researchers think it more likely that bacteria and other microbes on its skin or fur or in its gut make 2-AP from its urine. | A more likely explanation, the researchers say, is that 2-AP is produced when binturong urine comes in contact with bacteria and other microorganisms that live on the animal's skin or fur or in its gut. |

## Willcox et al. (2016). Arctictis binturong. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T41690A45217088.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2016-1.rlts.t41690a45217088.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Vulnerable | IUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU). (note: matches stats.conservationStatus in the frontmatter) |
| The IUCN lists the species as Vulnerable. | IUCN Red List category: Vulnerable (VU). |