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Binturong facts for kids

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Binturong
Binturong in Overloon.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Family:
Subfamily:
Paradoxurinae
Genus:
Arctictis

Temminck, 1824
Species:
A. binturong
Binomial name
Arctictis binturong
(Raffles, 1821)

A binturong (Arctictis binturong) is a large, rare mammal that lives in trees in the dense forests of southeast Asia. The binturong is also often called a bearcat because it looks like both a bear and a cat.

Description

Binturongs have thick, black fur, a long, muscular tail, and long, stiff, white whiskers. They use their prehensile tail almost like another hand; young binturongs can even hang by their tail. Binturongs grow to be up to about 5 feet (1.5 m) long. Like other civets, the binturongs use scent marks to communicate with other binturongs. In captivity, binturongs live for about 30 years.

Diet

Binturongs eat fruit and small animals that they find using their sense of smell to find food. They hunt for food at night - they are nocturnal.

Related pages

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Arctictis binturong para niños

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