The Binturong
Apr 1st, 2008 by Karthik
The Binturong Arctictis binturong belongs to the family of civets (Family Viveriidae). Being secretive and rare, the binturong is a little known creature. This arboreal (living on trees) creature occurs in northeastern states in India, while its range extends over a large part of Southeast Asia. This arboreal animal, unlike other members of the family, has a prehensile tail, which it uses like another limb. The tail is used very effectively when climbing and when moving about in the trees. Being omnivorous, they feed on fruits, insects, carrion and small animals like birds and rodents during their forays in the dense jungle they live in. The binturong has a keen sense of smell. Like other civets, binturongs use scent marking to communicate with other individuals. They also have good vision and hearing. These nocturnal (active during the night) animals spend the day sleeping in the trees.
Binturongs grow to about five feet long including the tail. Their colour varies from dark grey and black with grizzled fur on their face. They have a thick coat comprising of long hair, which, perhaps, has earned them the name ‘Bear Cat’.
Wow… amazing to know that the tail is being used as a limb. Beautiful post.
Is it from the wild Karthik ?
Hi Kalyan !
This image is of a captive individual.
Which forests are these found in?
Hello Amogh!
The Binturong is known to occur in the deciduous and evergreen forests of NE India. And as mentioned, its range extends into SE Asia.
Hi K,
That’s another excellent secret gem out of your basket of goodies. If you keep at this regularly, believe me, there is going to be a traffic jam. Rare species and rarer picture. Thanks for sharing it with us… Cheers, Anand (SPROUTS)
Hi Karthik,
I’m hearing about the binturong nearly 15 years after I first came across a mention of it in Gerald Durrell’s “Two in the Bush”. Thanks for putting this up.
Isn’t it another of those poor animals that is considered to have aphrodisiac qualities and is therefore hunted mercilessly?
Could you also give some details about when and where YOU saw it, Karthik? In fact, with each entry, if you give some details of your own sightings/interactions, that would be great, and add a personal touch to the entry.