The estimated average weight for the species ranges from 9 to 20 kg. The binturong is a mammal that lives in South and Southeast Asia. Weird & Wacky, Copyright © 2020 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. He's famously fragrant, often described as smelling like hot buttered popcorn. Many people who have met these creatures notice the same thing: they smell like hot buttered popcorn. In the case of the binturong, researchers think the compound may be produced when the animal's urine reacts with bacteria in the animal's gut, skin, or fur, … The binturong has very few predators. Binturongs are important ecologically as controllers of rodent populations and dispensers of seeds. They also drag their tails as they move about in the trees, leaving a scent trail on the branches and leaves behind them. Then again, the binturong is a mammal of many distinctions. Distribution of the Binturong They are primarily nocturnal. “The fact that the compound was in every binturong we studied, and at relatively high concentrations, means it could be a signal that says, ‘A binturong was here,’ and whether it was male or female,” said study first author Lydia Greene, a graduate student at Duke University. When frightened, they spray their musk, which smells like buttered popcorn. And for good reason -- the chemical compound that gives freshly made popcorn its mouthwatering smell is also the major aroma emitted by binturong pee, finds a new … Science of Nature 103: 37; doi: 10.1007/s00114-016-1361-4, © 2011-2020. What is a viverrid, you ask? Life span Approx 20 years. Boogle is the most gentle soul you could hope to meet and he can’t wait to make new friends. A binturong is a Southeast Asian Animal with a specific smell that makes a lot of people think of hot, buttered popcorn. Special glands on the rumps of binturongs, or bearcats, excrete a chemical that smells like popcorn. A binturong named Bok is pictured above. (I’m ashamed to admit. Records from outside this range include a 1928 record from Guangxi, China, a record from Calauit Island, Philippines, and several from Cambodia. Females are around 20 percent larger than males. Aggressive as it is, the binturong smells like popcorn. A binturong hangs upside down at the Singapore Zoo. It smells like buttered popcorn, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't taste like popcorn. 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. The compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline normally forms in popcorn during the popping process, when heat kicks off reactions between sugars and amino acids in the corn kernels. A 40-pound mammal creeps along a tree branch in a steamy forest. Whatever you call this shy, shaggy-haired creature from Southeast Asia, many people who have met one notice the same thing: it smells like a movie theater snack bar.Most describe it as hot buttered popcorn. The binturong, also known as bearcat, is a heavily built, robust civet with a fearsome appearance and is one of only two carnivores with a prehensile tail. They have been known to eat carrion, small invertebrates, eggs, leaves, and plant shoots, too. The binturong has a unique scent that smells like buttered popcorn. Posted on April 14, 2016. This allows them to create a scent trail whenever they move through the rainforests they call home, marking their territory and signaling their locations to other binturongs. As with many other members of its genus and family, the Binturong has scent glands it uses to mark trees and foliage. Why Binturongs' Pee Smells Like Buttery Popcorn. The binturong is a fierce, canopy-dwelling carnivore, with a prehensile tail, a sweet tooth for figs, and it smells like buttered popcorn; it is also threatened. “How does this animal make a cooking smell, but without cooking? Binturongs live in the canopies of tall, dense, tropical forests. Binturongs are widespread in south and Southeast Asia occurring in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China (Yunnan province), India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines (Palawan), Thailand, and Viet Nam. Habitat of the Binturong. 2016. The bearcat. In a paper appearing online in the journal Science of Nature, they analyzed urine samples collected during routine physical examinations of 33 binturongs at Carolina Tiger Rescue, a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary in Pittsboro, North Carolina. YOU CAN FIND ME AT W17. But if you walk past a binturong, that’s precisely the scent you’ll notice. It could be that binturong pee smells funny because of something they eat.”. I’ve had a binturong walk across my lap at a animal reserve kind of place. Over the past 30 years, the Binturong population has decreased by 30% due to deforestation and poaching. April 14, 2016. The binturong is a viverrid. They are classified as carnivores but eat most anything that suits their fancy: mainly fruits, but also vegetables, birds, small mammals, and fish. They advertise themselves as conservation & such but I am unsure/on the fence with how much or how they do so.) As with many other members of its genus and family, the Binturong has scent glands it uses to mark trees and foliage. Females live approximately 15 years and males about 18. The one compound that emanated from every sample was 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline — the same compound that gives popcorn its tantalizing scent. I guess it depends on your perspective. Meet the bearcat (also called the binturong), a small, shy, bushy-tailed mammal ... that also happens to smell exactly like buttered popcorn. Binturong smells of popcorn This video is managed by Newsflare. It drags its tail as it moves around, leaving a popcorn-like smell to mark its territories. 2 The Binturong Smells Like Buttered Popcorn. Using a technique called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the team identified 29 chemical compounds in the animals’ urine. Many people who have met these creatures notice the same thing: they smell like hot buttered popcorn. The binturong. MikeLane45 via Getty Images Scientists say they've solved why bearcats, or bintorongs, smell like hot popcorn. People who've spent … Isaac Hayes's "Hot Buttered Soul" is actually about the urine of this bearcat. This is likely due to an odor they emit from their scent or musk glands. What a Strange Name! To use this video for broadcast or in a commercial player please email newsdesk@newsflare.com or call +44 … They mark their territory with their smell. As they travel, binturongs rub a pungent substance produced in their scent glands onto branches and foliage. If this animal isn’t cool enough already, it also has a unique scent that smells like buttered popcorn, coming from glands near its tail. “A more likely explanation is that 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline is produced when binturong urine comes in contact with bacteria and other microorganisms that live on the animal’s skin or fur or in its gut,” the scientists said. A team of scientists led by Prof. Christine Drea of Duke University has identified a chemical compound that gives binturongs (Arctictis binturong) their characteristic scent. A binturong is a Southeast Asian Animal with a specific smell that makes a lot of people think of hot, buttered popcorn. Reproductive endocrine patterns and volatile urinary compounds of Arctictis binturong: discovering why bearcats smell like popcorn. Whatever you call this shy, shaggy-haired creature from Southeast Asia, many people who have met one notice the same thing: it smells like a movie theater snack bar.Most describe it as hot buttered popcorn. Step 2 : Answer to the question "The bearcat or binturong has a distinctive scent that smells like ...\u00a0" Popcorn: Please let us know as comment, if the answer is not correct! Sci-News.com. These glands are located under its tail and secrete a musk that is said to smell like popcorn. And for good reason -- the chemical compound that gives freshly made popcorn its mouthwatering smell is also the major aroma emitted by Download The Map Additional Facts. What the heck is a Binturong? “Bacteria make smelly compounds as they break down sweat in our armpits in much the same way.”, “The time-release action of the microbes could help the binturongs’ urine smell-o-grams last long after the animals move on, an essential mode of communication for solitary animals that rarely encounter each other.”, Lydia K. Greene et al. The Binturong or Asian Bearcat: The Only Mammal that Smells Like Popcorn During the day they generally sleep high in the forest canopy and love to bask in the Sun. They are able to turn their ankles backwards so that their claws can still grip the trees when they are climbing down headfirst. The Binturong or Asian Bearcat: The Only Mammal that Smells Like Popcorn. These glands are located under its tail and secrete a musk that is said to smell like popcorn. The body length is 24 to 38 inches (60 to 96 cm). Conservation status Vulnerable. Yum? When binturongs pee, they squat, and the urine soaks their feet and tails. Tarongas binturong baby smells popcorn Taronga’s new Binturong cub is starting to explore its exhibit and keen-eyed visitors, with the help of their noses, may spot the cub exploring its lush home at Wild Asia. Tapir: The Ancient Fruitarian With the Tiny Trunk, Bobcats Are Back From the Brink (and Possibly in Your Backyard), Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. The Answer: The animal you are thinking of is called a binturong or "Asian bear cat" as it is sometimes called. Tweet; Binturongs are a shaggy-haired creature from Southeast Asia. Photo credit: Wikimedia. Binturongs have a very unique smell, which is like popcorn. The Binturong or Asian Bearcat: The Only Mammal that Smells Like Popcorn. Longevity. And for good reason — the chemical compound that gives freshly made popcorn its mouthwatering smell is also the major aroma emitted by binturong pee, according to Prof. Drea and co-authors. Two animals which may prey on them are the dhole or the tiger. Their hair coloration can vary from black to brown with white, silver, or rust on the tips, which gives these animals a grizzled appearance. The binturong is a mammal native to the rain forests of Southeast Asia. Binturong have been described as having a distinct smell similar to that of popcorn or corn chips. Scientists have determined that this scent comes from a compound in binturong pee. If you were to make this compound, you would have to use temperatures above what most animals can achieve physiologically,” Prof. Drea said. The animal looks like a cross between a cat and a bear. Only one of their most striking features is exactly what it has the aroma of – people frequently express it evokes recollections of hot, buttered popcorn. Quick facts. Unfortunately, the origin of the name is unknown because people no longer speak the indigenous language and there is … Please note: We cannot get walkers or wheelchairs into this exhibit. Tarongas binturong baby smells popcorn; Taronga’s new Binturong cub is starting to explore its exhibit and keen-eyed visitors, with the help of their noses, may spot the cub exploring its lush home at Wild Asia. They require thick vegetation, both in the trees and on the ground. Their life span in a protected environment is about 10-20 years. Apparently scent isn’t always the best guide of what to eat - after all, bearcat pee smells like hot buttered popcorn. Binturongs are also known as Asian bear cats and Malay civet cats. 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