Binturong

The scientific name Arctictis means 'bear-weasel', from the Greek arkt- "bear" + iktis "weasel". The name "binturong" is derived from the words běnturong and těnturun in the dialect used by those living in Riau, Indonesia. In the Western Malayo-Polynesian languages spoken in Borneo, the name could be attributed to two words, kitan (meaning squirrel) and ma-tuRun (meaning the one who descends). ==Taxonomy and evolution==

Viverra binturong was the scientific name proposed by Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1822 for a specimen from Malacca, Malaysia. The generic name Arctictis was proposed by Coenraad Jacob Temminck in 1824. Arctictis is a monotypic taxon, with nine distinct subspecies proposed: • A. b. binturong (Raffles, 1821) occurs in Malaysia; • A. b. whitei (Allen, 1910) was a specimen from Palawan islands; • A. b. pageli (Schwarz, 1911) was collected in northern Borneo; • A. b. gairdneri (Thomas, 1916) was a specimen from northern Thailand; • A. b. niasensis (Lyon, 1916) was collected on Nias island; • A. b. penicillatus (Pocock, 1933) occurs in Java; • A. b. menglaensis (Wang & Li, 1937) was a specimen from Yunnan province. Paradoxurinae phylogenetic tree: It was hypothesized that during the Pleistocene, the binturong was able to disperse along a land bridge connecting the two now separated clade regions, and that the gene flow between the two clades was blocked due the rising of sea levels, leading to allopatric speciation. Three of the proposed subspecies are a part of the northern clade (A. b. albifrons, A. b. gairdneri, and A. b. menglaensis) while the other six are a part of the southern clade (A. b. binturong, A. b. whitei, A. b. pageli, A. b. niasensis, A. b. penicillatus, and A. b. kerkhoveni). ==Characteristics==

The binturong is highly adapted for an arboreal lifestyle with its long, heavy body and short, stout legs. Their limbs are plantigrade and bare soled, each sporting five, clawed digits. The binturong also has longer, coarser coat hairs when compared to other species. The anterior bursa flap of the ears is more widely and less deeply emarginate. The base of the tail is more muscular, and is commonly paler in colour than the body. The body hairs are typically dark in base colour, but with varying levels of white or buff specklage, sometimes resulting in a straw-coloured or grey binturong. The young are often paler than the adults, but the head is always closely speckled with grey or buff. The long vibrissae are conspicuously white, and there is a white rim on the summit of the otherwise black ear. The glandular area is whitish. Both sexes have scent glands; they are located on either side of the vulva in females, and between the scrotum and penis in males. The musk glands emit an odor reminiscent of popcorn or corn chips, likely due to the volatile compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in the urine, which is also produced in the Maillard reaction at high temperatures. ==Distribution and habitat==

The binturong is distributed across South and Southeast Asia including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It typically occurs in elevations of , with primary and secondary lowland forests being more common. In Laos, they have been observed in extensive evergreen forest. In Malaysia, they have been recorded in secondary forest surrounding a palm estate that was logged in the 1970s. In Palawan, the binturong inhabits primary and secondary lowland forest, including grassland–forest mosaic up to . ==Ecology and behavior==

The binturong is active during the day and at night. The binturong is likely have to descend to the ground relatively frequently when moving between trees. Five radio-collared binturongs in the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary exhibited an arrhythmic activity dominated by crepuscular and nocturnal tendencies with peaks in the early morning and late evening. Reduced activity periods occurred from midday to late afternoon. They moved between and daily in the dry season and increased their daily movement to in the wet season. Range size of males varied between . in England The binturong is essentially arboreal. Captive binturongs lay curled up with their heads tucked under their tails, seldom leaped, but climbed skillfully, albeit slowly, progressing with equal ease and confidence along the upper side of branches or upside down, beneath them, using the prehensile tail as a climbing and balance aid. It moves about gently, clinging to a branch, often coming to a stop, and using its tail to keep balance. It shows a pronounced comfort behaviour through shaking its hair, grooming its fur, and scratching its body. Diet '' The binturong is omnivorous, feeding on small mammals, rodents, birds, fish, earthworms, insects, and fruits. Figs are a major component of its diet. The binturong is considered to be a keystone species as they are very important dispersers of Ficus seeds, specifically strangler fig, because of their ability to scarify the seed's tough outer covering. Fish and earthworms are likely unimportant items in its diet, as it is neither aquatic nor fossorial, coming across such prey only when opportunities present themselves. Since it does not have the attributes of a predatory mammal, it is likely that most of the binturong's diet is vegetable matter. Binturongs have also been known to defecate or urinate on potential threats. As a last resort, binturongs may defend against predators with their sharp teeth and strong bite force. Reproduction As a vulnerable species, many reproductive behaviours in binturong have only been observed in captivity. Copulation typically takes place within the tree canopy, once male and female binturongs reach around 30.4 and 27.7 months old respectively. This helps binturongs maximize the likelihood of a successful reproduction. The pair can mate when the opportunity arises, and complete the cycle when environmental conditions are ideal, ensuring food availability and favourable temperatures. This is a particularly beneficial reproductive strategy, as it helps increase mating events in an otherwise isolated species without the risk of completing gestation under precarious environments. When implantation is successful, gestation occurs. Successful births observed in captivity results in litter sizes that vary from one to six young, with an average of two young per birth. The newborn babies (binlets), weighing between 280 and 340 g, are altricial, requiring maternal care until they are fully developed. ==Threats==

at Taman Negara, Malaysia The binturong faces several threats, the major one is forest degradation through logging and conversion into plantations. Habitat loss has been especially severe in the lowlands of the Sundaic part of its range, showing no signs of slowing down. In Southeast Asia, the binturong is threatened by hunting, illegal pet trade, and use in kopi luwak production. == Conservation ==

The binturong is listed under CITES Appendix III, which means that it is protected in at least one country, and requires collaboration from CITES countries to uphold regulations for international trade. Ex situ conservation aims to conserve genetic diversity by capturing binturong, breeding them, and releasing them back into the wild; however, major problem is the lack of information on genetic origin or mistakes in pedigree tracking, which can lead to accidental hybridization or inbreeding. In 2006, a study assessing captive-bred binturong populations found there to be low genetic diversity. In-situ conservation methods focus on conserving a species within their natural habitat and ecosystem. ABConservation is the only non-profit collaborative organization focused on binturong conservation and spear-headed an in-situ conservation project in 2016 called the Bearcat Study Program located on Palawan Island, where they monitored binturongs and used their findings to build on binturong research. ==References==