Arctictis binturong

Geographic Range

Binturongs are found in Southeast Asia, specifically Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. They are also found more rarely on the Indonesian islands of Java, Sumatra, Nias, Raiu, and the Bangka islands.

• Biogeographic Regions
• oriental oriental
  • native native

Habitat

Binturongs are primarily arboreal and live in the canopies of tall, dense, tropical forests. In Lao, they inhabit extensive evergreen forests and in the Philippines they dwell in primary and secondary lowland forests with grasslands (Widmann et al., 2008). They spend most of their time climbing in trees and they even sleep in the branches (San Diego Zoo, 2012).

• Habitat Regions
• tropical tropical
• terrestrial terrestrial

• Terrestrial Biomes
• forest forest
• rainforest rainforest

Physical Description

Binturonga are the largest species in the Viverridae family , weighing 9 to 20 kg (Cosson et al., 2007). Their body length is 61 to 96 cm with an almost equal tail length of 56 to 89 cm (Nowak, 1999). Females are 20% larger than males (San Diego Zoo, 2012). Long, coarse, black fur covers their bodies and sometimes has gray tips. Their faces have slightly lighter fur and white whiskers. Long ear tufts protrude from small rounded ears. Their eyes are small and reddish brown. Binturongs are one of two carnivorous species that have a prehensile tail. Their third and fourth digits are syndactylous (Wemmer and Murtaugh, 1981).

• Other Physical Features
• endothermic endothermic
• homoiothermic
• bilateral symmetry bilateral symmetry

• Sexual Dimorphism
• female larger

Reproduction

Little research has been done regarding the mating systems of binturongs. Michael Zwirn reported in 2011 that the father of a mated pair remained with the mother and young after birth, so a monogamous system is most likely. However, the male doesn't always stay and help the female raise the young. Groups of binturongs usually only include the mother with immature females (Grassman Jr. et al., 2005). Binturongs are generally solitary unless females are in estrus, in which case they make a call that attracts males (Wemmer and Murtaugh, 1981). Males often act defensively towards females unless they are in estrus.

• Mating System
• monogamous monogamous

There doesn't seem to be a reproductive season for binturongs, because they mate throughout the year. There is, however, an increase in births from January to March, which could be a result of delayed implantation (Wemmer and Murtaugh, 1981). Gestation lasts 91 days and the typical litter size is 2, but there can be up to 6 (Carnivore Preservation Trust, 2009). Females reach sexual maturity at about 30 months and males reach sexual maturity at about 28 months (Wemmer and Murtaugh, 1981).

• Key Reproductive Features
• iteroparous iteroparous
• year-round breeding year-round breeding
• gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
• sexual sexual
• fertilization fertilization
• viviparous viviparous
• delayed implantation delayed implantation
• embryonic diapause embryonic diapause

Binturongs are born altritially with an average weight of 142 g and their eyes sealed (San Diego Zoo, 2012). The young remain hidden in their mother’s fur for the first few days and are weaned at about 6 to 8 weeks (San Diego Zoo, 2012). Males do not always provide parental care, but they sometimes do until the young are independent. Females will always provide care until the young are independent, and sometimes continue to live in a group with the offspring even after they are independent (Grassman Jr. et al., 2005).

• Parental Investment
• altricial altricial
• male parental care male parental care
• female parental care female parental care
• pre-weaning/fledging
  • provisioning
    • male
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female
• pre-independence
  • provisioning
    • male
    • female
  • protecting
    • male
    • female
• post-independence association with parents

Lifespan/Longevity

Binturongs can live up to 18 years in the wild and can live over 25 years in captivity.

Behavior

Binturongs are mostly solitary and tend to evade each other, but aren't strictly territorial. They spend the majority of their time climbing, but also have a high level of ground activity as they are too large to jump from tree to tree (Widmann et al., 2008). Binturongs have also been documented swimming and diving in order to obtain food (Cosson et al., 2007). Their prehensile tail acts as another limb as they climb slowly and carefully. Their hind legs can rotate backwards to enhance their back claws’ ability to grasp as they climb trunks. When do they walk, they amble with flat feet (San Diego Zoo, 2012). Binturongs are largely thought to be nocturnal, but they have also been described as crepuscular, and occasionally diurnal. Their activity peaks between 4:01 to 6:00 and 20:00 to 22:00 according to Grassman et al. (2005) who also described reduced activity from midday to late afternoon.

• Key Behaviors
• arboreal arboreal
• scansorial
• nocturnal nocturnal
• crepuscular crepuscular
• motile motile
• solitary solitary

Home Range

Binturongs have a mean annual range size of 6.2 square kilometers with a mean overlap of 35% (Grassman Jr., Tewes, and Silvy, 2005). The overlap of ranges provides support that binturongs aren't territorial, but just avoid each other.

Communication and Perception

Binturongs communicate primarily through olfactory means. Both sexes have sent glands on each side of their anuses and females have another pair of sent glands around their vulva (Cosson et al., 2007). These sent glands mark trees as they climb and let other binturongs know where they have been. The scent created is described as that of corn chips or popcorn. Binturongs also use vocal communication such as loud howls, low grunts, and hisses (San Diego Zoo, 2012). Females receptive to copulations make a purring sound (Wemmer and Murtaugh, 1981). Males and females produce a chuckling noise when they are happy and a high-pitched wail if they are upset (San Diego Zoo, 2012). Binturongs are also visually adapted to see in a wide range of light as they have elliptical pupils that adjust readily (Grassman Jr. et al., 2005).

• Communication Channels
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

• Other Communication Modes
• scent marks scent marks

• Perception Channels
• visual visual
• tactile tactile
• acoustic acoustic
• chemical chemical

Food Habits

Binturongs are in the order Carnivora, but are primarily frugivorous. They eat fruits such as those of the strangler fig tree ( Ficus altissima ). They are also good hunters and their prey consists of many small animals such as insects, birds, fish, and rodents. As opportunistic feeders, binturongs will also eat carrion, eggs, tree shoots, and leaves.

• Primary Diet
• herbivore herbivore
  • frugivore frugivore

• Animal Foods
• birds
• mammals
• fish
• eggs
• carrion carrion
• insects

• Plant Foods
• leaves
• fruit

Predation

Binturongs are very rarely prey items. As relatively large carnivores, there are few animals that can kill them. Two species of known predators are tigers and dholes . During a study conducted within binturong range, 172 dhole scats examined contained no evidence of binturongs (Grassman Jr. et al., 2005).

Ecosystem Roles

Binturongs are often described as a keystone species within their ecosystems. They are the only known disperser of strangler fig ( Ficus altissima ) seeds as they have the digestive enzymes required to soften its seed coat. This seed dispersal is very crucial for the persistence of these forest ecosystems. Also, as predators, they may influence the populations of their prey species.

• Ecosystem Impact
• disperses seeds
• keystone species keystone species

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Many zoos have or desire binturongs for education and static display. In the wild, binturongs prey on rodents and provide humans with rodent control. Binturongs can also be used by humans for their fur and meat, which is considered a delicacy in some countries. It is also reported that binturongs are relatively easily domesticated and sometimes kept as pets (Nowak, 1999).

• Positive Impacts
• pet trade pet trade
• food food
• body parts are source of valuable material
• research and education
• controls pest population

Conservation Status

Populations of binturongs have declined more than 30% over the last 30 years (Widmann et al., 2008). The main threats to binturongs include deforestation, wildlife trade, and hunting (Cosson et al., 2007). Deforestation and habitat degradation is most severe in the south of their range (Widmann et al., 2008). Pet trade, fur trade, human consumption, and non-specific hunting also cause decreases in population through poaching (San Diego Zoo, 2012). Binturongs are listed as Critically Endangered on the China Red List and are protected in Malaysia (Widmann et al., 2008). However, current protection of binturongs doesn't satisfy their needs. Better enforcement of laws against poaching and habitat degradation needs to be instated to protect the diminishing species (Cosson et al., 2007).

Additional Links

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Molly Schleif (author), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Christopher Yahnke (editor), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Laura Podzikowski (editor), Special Projects.

References

Carey, J., D. Judge. 2000. Longevity Records: Life Spans of Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Fish . Odense: Odense University Press.

Carnivore Preservation Trust, 2009. "Binturong" (On-line). Accessed August 14, 2012 at http://www.cptigers.org/animals/species.asp?speciesID=1 .

Cosson, L., L. Grassman Jr., A. Zubaid, S. Vellayan, A. Tillier, G. Veron. 2007. Genetic diversity of captive binturongs (Arctictis binturong, Viverridae, Carnivora): implications for conservation. Journal of Zoology , 271: 386–395. Accessed August 14, 2012 at http://www.aseanbiodiversity.info/Abstract/51011947.pdf .

Grassman Jr., L., M. Tewes, N. Silvy. 2005. Ranging, habitat use and activity patterns of binturong Arctictis binturong and yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula in north-central Thailand. Wildlife Biology , 11: 49-57.

Gupta, P., S. Dutt. 1980. Tetrapetalonema in a bear cat (Arcticus binturong). Indian Journal of Parasitology , 4: 165.

Le-Van-Hoa, 1969. A new ancylostomatid, Arthrostoma guilhoni n. sp., a nematode parasite of the carnivore Artictis binturong in South Vietnam. Bull Soc Pathol Exot Filiales , 62: 1101-1106.

Nowak, R. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World . Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press.

San Diego Zoo, 2012. "Mammal: Binturong" (On-line). Accessed August 14, 2012 at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-binturong.html .

Wemmer, C., J. Murtaugh. 1981. Copulatory behavior and reproduction in the binturong, Arctictis binturong. Journal of Mammalogy , 26: 342-352.

Widmann, P., J. De Leon, J. Duckworth. 2008. "Arctictis binturong" (On-line). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Accessed August 14, 2012 at http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/41690/0 .

Zwirn, M. 2011. "Wildlife rehabilitation and release - ensuring the health of animals after release" (On-line). Wildlife Alliance. Accessed August 23, 2012 at http://www.wildlifealliance.org/blog/2011/5/5/wildlife-rehabilitation-and-release-ensuring-the-health-of-a.html .