Binturong: an unusual beast, with the fifth paw Bashny.Net

Binturong (lat. Arctictis binturong) was previously considered to be varieties of the raccoon family, but then found out that he is a representative species of viverrids. This predator with a kind of clumsy, has a tough and long coat. Details that set it apart from other animals, called remarkable long whiskers white color and tassels ears, quite large in length. The binturong can miss items its own tail, which is not surprising, given that the increase in the 60-90 cm length of the tail is the same number of inches. And these animals only weigh 9-14 pounds, in very rare cases, up to 20 pounds.





The binturong is not all day, their time of the day or night. They live in the trees thanks to the prehensile abilities of his tail. But they don't jump like squirrels, their movements calm and slow. Despite life at the height of the binturong also thrive in water — they swim well and even dive. Most often, the binturong live in solitude, rarely in small family, which usually consists of males, females and cubs.

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And a leader in the family is female. The range of food in their case chno wide. In their diet includes fruit, insects, and birds of small size. However, the binturong can eat and carrion. Since most of the life they spend in the trees, often their victims are bird nests that they regularly ruin. The ability to dive and swim gives "on the table" binturong and fish.

The binturong pregnancy lasts about 90 days and they give birth to no more than two times in a year. The number of offspring varies from two to six cubs. The average female gives birth two or three cubs. Unlike their counterparts on family binturong females allow "dad" to stay close and after childbirth. The rejection of milk comes after 6-8 weeks. The sexual maturity at binturong occurs in 2.5 years. The longest life recorded in captivity is around 25 years.





Though the binturong predators, but they are fairly easy to tame. They are very trusting by nature. Thanks to these qualities, the binturong is often kept by people in the form of Pets. The only "but" that causes you to abandon binturong as a domestic animal, their uncontrolled and quite copious. The binturong is not listed in the Red book, because the breed well and their number is not reduced.

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