Snapping Turtle
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| Common Snapping Turtle |
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| Alligator Snapping Turtle |
- Kingdom :Animalia
- Phylum :Chordata
- Class :Reptilia
- Order :Testudines
- Suborder :Cryptodira
- Family :Chelydridae
- Genus :Chelydra
- Scientific Name :Chelydra serpentina (Common Snapping Turtle)
- :Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle)
Snapping turtles are large aquatic freshwater reptiles that only live in North America. There are only two species of snapping turtle that still exist, which are the Common Snapping Turtle and the Alligator Snapping Turtle. The Common Snapping Turtle tends to live at higher latitudes than the Alligator.
Snapping turtles enjoy a wide variety of food and are often considered the top predator in their environment. The alligator snapping turtle's diet consists mainly of fish, which they lure using a pink worm-like appendage on the end of their tongue. Common snapping turtles are more active hunters and will eat just about anything.
Snapping turtles do not make good pets, usually, as they will never stop growing. The largest snapping turtles on record have weight records of around 600 lbs. Alligator snapping turtles have been known to grow even larger.
The Snapping turtle's main defence mechanism is their powerful snapping jaws, which enable them to make short work of attackers and small prey. They also have monstrous, thick claws on their front and back legs which they use to tear apart food and to climb hills each year where they lay their eggs (in a similar way to sea turtles).
The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America, where it is generally found in the more southern waters of the United States. The smaller and more aggressive common snapping turtle inhabits lakes and streams from South America to Canada.
Snapping turtles spend nearly all of their lives in water, with typically only nesting females actually venturing onto open land. Snapping turtles can remain submerged underwater for up to three hours at a time.
Alligator snapping turtles and common snapping turtles have a very different looking appearances. The alligator snapping turtle has a long head and almost spiky shell, where the common snapping turtle has a more rounded head and a smoother shell. They are also easily distinguished by size as the common snapping turtle is smaller than the alligator snapping turtle.
Snapping turtle mating takes place once a year generally in the spring time. The female snapping turtle can lay anywhere from 10 to 50 eggs which take 3 or 4 months to hatch. It is thought that snapping turtles are capable of living until they are 150 years old but they typically live until they are between 20 and 50 years old in captivity.
Leopard Tortoise
- Kingdom :Animalia
- Phylum :Chordata
- Class :Reptilia
- Order :Testudines
- Family :Testudinidae
- Genus :Geochelone
- Scientific Name :Geochelone Pardalis
The leopard tortoise is a large species of tortoise found throughout the African savannas. The leopard tortoise is the forth largest species of tortoise in the world, and is also the most widely distributed tortoise species in Southern Africa.
The leopard tortoise has a wide distribution in sub-Saharan Africa from Sudan to the Cape. As a grazing species of tortoise, the leopard tortoise is most commonly found in semi-arid areas including shrub land and grasslands.
The leopard tortoise is one of the world's largest tortoise species as they can grow to 70 cm in length and weigh about as much as a small person. As with other tortoise species, the leopard tortoise has a large shell which protects it's softer body. The limbs of the leopard tortoise are able to retract back into the leopard tortoise's shell so that no body part is left vulnerable.
The leopard tortoise is a generally solitary animal that spends the majority of it's time grazing on plants, which it can do effectively using it's sharp beak-like mouth. As with other tortoise species, the leopard tortoise is a long-lived animal species, often reaching 100 years old or even more.
The leopard tortoise is a herbivorous animal meaning that it only eats plants and plant material in order to sustain itself. The leopard tortoise primarily grazes on grasses, leaves, berries and flowers along with fruits such as the prickly pear.
Due to it's fairly large size, the leopard tortoise has few natural predators within it's African habitats as many simply cannot penetrate the leopard tortoise's high-domed shell. Humans are the primary predators of the leopard tortoise along with the occasional wild cats and dogs.
Leopard tortoises are not able to reproduce until they are at least 10 years old (known as reaching sexual maturity). As with other tortoise and even reptile species, the female leopard tortoise lays her clutch of up to 18 eggs into a burrow in the ground, which is quickly covered to protect her young from hungry passers-by.
Although there are thriving populations of leopard tortoises in more remote areas, when they are close to humans, the leopard tortoise populations are generally suffering, something which is primarily due to over-hunting by humans.
Galapagos Tortoise
- Kingdom :Animalia
- Phylum :Chordata
- Class :Reptilia
- Order :Testudines
- Family :Testudinidae
- Genus :Geochelone
- Scientific Name :Geochelone Nigra
The Galapagos tortoise (giant Galapagos tortoise) was first documented by Charles Darwin last century when he went on his trip to the Galapagos islands.
The Galapagos Tortoise is the biggest species of tortoise in the modern world with some Galapagos tortoises reaching more than 4ft long! The Galapagos tortoise is also one the longest living species of tortoise with a number of Galapagos tortoises getting older than 150!
The Galapagos tortoise, like most other species of tortoise, is a herbivore spending its time grazing on grass and low trees. Today only 10 out of the 12 Galapagos tortoise species still exist on the Pacific islands due to the introduction of goats a few hundred years ago.
The domestic goat, stripped the islands of their good foliage meaning that the Galapagos tortoise found it hard to find food. Today the Galapagos tortoise is most well known for their long necks, which make them look slightly like a dinosaur!
The Galapagos tortoise is a very quiet, peaceful and lazy animal with the Galapagos tortoise waking up early in the morning to bask in the sun until the enormous body of the Galapagos tortoise has warmed up. The Galapagos tortoise then spends the rest of its day foraging for food before retiring back to bed in the early hours of the evening where the Galapagos tortoise spends the night in shrub land or submerged in water.
The Galapagos tortoise is a very slow moving animal with the Galapagos tortoise having a top speed of less than 1 mile an hour! During the mating season however, the male Galapagos tortoises have been known to move at a surprising speed with marked individual Galapagos tortoises having been known to travel 13 km in just two days, a phenomenal feet for the sheer size of the Galapagos tortoise.
Like other species of tortoise, the Galapagos tortoise is able to pull its head and legs into its shell to protect itself when the Galapagos tortoise feels under threat from potential predators. The scaly skin on the exposed legs and head of the Galapagos tortoise also acts a layer of armor to protect the Galapagos tortoise from incurring any damage when the Galapagos tortoise is moving around.
Indian Star Tortoise
The Indian star tortoise is a medium sized species of tortoise found in the dry and arid forests of both India and Sri Lanka. The Indian star tortoise is named for the star-like patterns on it's high-domed shell which are distinctive to both species of star tortoise (the other being the critically endangered Burmese star tortoise, found in the deciduous forests of Burma).
As it's name suggests the Indian star tortoise is found across the Indian sub-continent, more specifically, the Indian star tortoise is found in the central and Southern parts of India, in West Pakistan and in Sri Lanka. The Indian star tortoise is most commonly found in semi-arid scrub forest, along with thorny and grassland habitats, where there is plenty of vegetation both to hide in and munch on.
Due to the very distinctively marked, and highly rounded shell of the Indian star tortoise, this species of tortoise has become a popular pet in the world's exotic pet trade. Indian star tortoises are of a medium size, with the average adult rarely growing to more than 30 cm in length. The protective shell of the Indian star tortoise also acts in the same to the shells of other tortoise species, allowing the Indian star tortoise to draw it's vulnerable head and limbs into it's shell for protection.
The attractive star-like patterns on the shell of the Indian star tortoise actually help the tortoise to blend into it's surroundings more easily, as well as looking very pretty. The distinctively marked shell of the Indian star tortoise, actually breaks up the hard line of it's shell when it is grazing, making this reptile not so obvious to passing predators.
Like many other species of tortoise around the world, the Indian star tortoise is a herbivorous animal that has a purely vegetarian diet. The Indian star tortoise browses in the dry forests of the Indian sub-continent in search of a wide variety of plant life from leaves, to fruits and berries and numerous different species of flower that are found growing in such arid environments.
Despite it's hard and protective outer shell, the Indian star tortoise is successfully preyed upon by a number of other animals in their native habitats. Large birds of prey and other reptiles such as snakes are the most common predators of the Indian star tortoise along with humans that have both hunted the tortoise for food, as well capturing them for the exotic pet trade and moving in on their native habitats.
The Indian star tortoise begins its mating season with the coming of the monsoon, so the exact time is dependent on the area in which the individual lives. Female Indian star tortoise lay an average of 7 eggs per clutch although, this can be as many as 10. The Indian star tortoise is known to be difficult to be breed in captivity and so should only be attempted by experience breeders.
Today, the Indian star tortoise has been listed as Least concern which means that allow this species is not under immediate threat from extinction, population numbers are falling across much of the Indian star tortoise's native range thanks to habitat loss and the introduction of other predators to their natural habitats.
Aldabra Giant Tortoise
- Kingdom :Animalia
- Phylum :Chordata
- Class :Reptilia
- Order :Testudines
- Family :Testudinidae
- Genus :Geochelone
- Scientific Name :Geochelone gigantea
Aldabra Giant Tortoise Classification and Evolution:
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is a giant species of Tortoise native to the Aldabra Islands in the Indian ocean. The Aldabra giant tortoise is one of the largest species of Tortoise on the planet and is also one of the world's longest living animals, with one Aldabra Giant Tortoise individual reaching the grand old age of 255 years old. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is the only Indian ocean giant Tortoise species alive today as others have now become extinct with the arrival of Human settlers (including the Seychelles Giant Tortoise which is now thought to be extinct in the wild). The Aldabra Giant Tortoise and the Seychelles Giant Tortoise are so similar in both appearance and behaviour that they are actually thought by some to be the same species.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Anatomy and Appearance:
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise has an enormous dome-shaped shell which acts as protective armour to the soft, vulnerable body of the Aldabra Giant Tortoise underneath. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise also has an incredibly long neck which it uses to tear leaves from the branches higher up trees. The male Aldabra Giant Tortoise grows to an average size of 1.1 meters long, with females being slightly smaller at a length of 0.9 meters. The males, although not really that much bigger, are also known to weigh nearly 100kg more than their female counterparts. They are slow-moving animals with thick, short legs and round, almost flat feet that help them when they are walking on the sand.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Distribution and Habitat:
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is primarily found inhabiting grasslands and swamps on the islands of the Aldabra atoll (an island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely), which forms part of the Seychelles island chain in the Indian Ocean. They once shared these islands with a number of other giant Tortoise species, but many of these were hunted to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s. Although the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is usually found in areas of dense, low-lying vegetation, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is also known to wander into more sparse, rocky regions when food is in short supply. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise can also often be found resting in the shade, or in a very shallow pool of water to cool themselves down in the heat.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Behaviour and Lifestyle:
Aldabra Giant Tortoises are found both individually and in herds, which tend to gather mostly on open grasslands. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is generally most active in the mornings when they spend the most time browsing for food, before the temperature gets too high. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is also known to dig underground burrows or rest in swamps to keep cool during the heat of the day. Despite being slow and cautious animals, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is said to be uninterested in the presence of people, indicating that one of the reasons that they were so easy for Human settlers to hunt, was simply because these animals had no fear of them.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Reproduction and Life Cycles:
Female Aldabra Giant Tortoises lay up to 25 rubbery eggs between February and May, into a dry, shallow nest on the ground making them particularly vulnerable to being eaten by introduced predators. It is thought that female Aldabra Giant Tortoises are able to produce more than one clutch a year, which usually hatch after an 8 month incubation period. The baby Aldabra Giant Tortoises tend to all emerge during the same two week period which coincides with the arrival of the rainy season. They are very slow growing reptiles, and often do not reach sexual maturity until they are between 20 and 30 years old. Although some individuals have been known to live for more than 250 years, most live to be between 80 and 120 years old.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Diet and Prey:
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is a herbivorous animal, spending much of its time browsing for food in its surrounding well-vegetated environment. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise is known to be found in places that are commonly known as "Tortoise Turf", which is an area that contains more than 20 different grass and herb species. Aldabra Giant Tortoises also eat leaves, fruits and berries from the surrounding vegetation and are known to actually reach up on their hind legs to nibble on the treats slightly higher up. One of the biggest blows for the species with the introduction of domestic animals to the islands, was that they had competition for food that wasn't there before. Goats are known to graze very quickly, munching their way through vast areas of the Tortoise's native habitat.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Predators and Threats:
Due to its immense size and natural lack of mammalian predators, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise adults were thought to have no predators in the wild (the more vulnerable and smaller young are said to have been hunted by a giant species of Crab that lives in burrows on the atoll). However, with Human settlers came introduced predators in the form of domesticated animals like Dogs and Goats, that both preyed on the Aldabra Giant Tortoise and ate its food. Today, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is most threatened by habitat loss from growing Human settlements, with climate change becoming an increasingly bigger threat to the species in the future.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Interesting Facts and Features:
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise has now had four scientific names to date, mainly due to the fact that there are ongoing arguments about their similarity to other large Indian Ocean Tortoise species including the possibly extinct Seychelles Giant Tortoise. Despite population numbers having dropped through hunting, habitat loss and the introduction of new predators, one of the biggest threats to the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is the rising sea level, caused by climate change. The islands that these Tortoise's live on are only a few meters above sea level and are therefore at great risk from these rising waters.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Relationship with Humans:
Before the 1700s, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise had no significant predators or competition for food, with all populations of the various giant Tortoise species thought to have been healthy. However, the people that arrived on the islands found both the Tortoises and their eggs, easy to catch and kill and somewhat good to eat, with mass hunting wiping out nearly all of them in less than 100 years. The Aldabra Giant Tortoise was also eaten by the domestic animals that arrived with people, with their ground-dwelling nests being particularly vulnerable. They have also now lost much of the natural habitat due to expanding Human settlements throughout the atoll.Aldabra Giant Tortoise Conservation Status and Life Today:
Today, the Aldabra Giant Tortoise is listed as an animal that is Vulnerable to extinction in the wild. However, the Aldabra atoll has now been protected from Human influence after having been declared a World Heritage Site, and is home to some 152,000 Aldabra Giant Tortoises, the world's largest population of the animal. Another isolated population of the Aldabra Giant Tortoise resides on the island of Zanzibar, and other captive populations exist in conservation parks in Mauritius and Rodrigues. The captive breeding programmes on these islands are to try and revive the species, and populations on them today appear to be thriving.Bison
Kingdom :Animalia
Phylum :Chordata
Class :Mammalia
Order :Artiodactyla
Family :Bovidae
Genus :Bison
Scientific Name :Bison Bison
The bison is also known as the American bison and the American buffalo, although the bison is only thought to be very distantly related to the buffalo and the water buffalo found in Africa and Asia respectively.
The bison is one of the largest types of cow in the world with adult bison commonly growing to 2 meters tall or more. The bison typically have long shaggy hair if they inhabit colder regions and the bison in the warmer climates have shorter hair.
The wild bison has been hunted by humans for meat, skins and trophy hunting. The bison has only a handful of predators in the wild mainly due to the sheer size of the bison. Wolves, bears and cougars are amongst those animals that hunt the bison in their natural habitat.
The bison is considered to be the largest land mammal still in existence in North America, where the natural habitat of the bison ranged from Canada to Mexico. Due to loss of the bisons habitat and hunting, the bison are now only found in large herds in very remote areas and farmland.
Before the settlers arrived in North America in the 1800s there were approximately 60 - 100 million bison inhabiting the area, the settlers hunted the bison population down to a mere 1,000 from which the species has still not fully recovered.
Yak
Kingdom :Animalia
Phylum :Chordata
Class :Mammalia
Order :Artiodactyla
Family :Bovidae
Genus :Bos
Scientific Name :Bos Grunniens
The yak is a herd animal found in the mountainous regions of central Asia. The yak tend to gather in herds from 10 yaks to 100 yaks, most of which are female. There are only a few male yaks per herd.
Although there is a large domestic population of yak, there are only a few wild yak remaining . The yak is still used in many parts of central Asia, for pulling heavy farm machines and transporting large loads through the mountain passes.
The average male yak can grow to about 2meters tall, with the female yak being about 1/3 the size of the male yak. All yak have very long hair to keep them warm.
The yak belongs to the same cow family as the Asian water buffalo, the African buffalo and the American bison. However, the yak is slightly more like the American bison in appearance as both the yak and the bison have long hair in order to withstand the colder climates, the bison of the North American winters and the yak of the mid-Asian mountains.
The yak breeds in the warmer months of September and after a gestation period of nine months the female yak gives birth to a single yak calf. A female yak will occasionally give birth to twins but it is very rare. Some female yak give birth to a calf almost every year but it depends on the environment in which the yak lives and the yak individual. Yak babies are completely independent by the time that they are a year old and they are fully grown when they are between 7 and 8 years old. The average lifespan of a yak is about 20 years in the wild and slightly longer when in captivity.
Like other species of cow, the yak is a herbivore and spends a great deal of time on grassy plains in the mountains grazing on grasses, herbs and wild flowers. In a similar way to other cow species the yak has more than one stomach which the yak uses to successfully get all of the nutrients out of the plants that it eats.
The yak has firm, dense horns which the yak uses to break through snow in order to get the plants that are buried beneath it and the yak will also use it's horns in defence. They have long shaggy hairthat covers their bodies that keep them warm and dry.
Gharial
- Kingdom :Animalia
- Phylum :Chordata
- Class :Reptilia
- Order :Crocodilia
- Family :Gavialidae
- Genus :Gavialis
- Scientific Name :Gavialis Gangeticus
The gharial is a large-sized reptile found in the murky waters of Northern India and the surrounding countries. The gharial is closely related to other large reptiles including caimans and alligators, although the salt-water crocodile is believed to be the gharial's closest relative.
The gharial is most commonly found in the calmer areas of the deep, fast-flowing rivers of the North Indian subcontinent. The gharial spends most of its time in the water as it is not well suited for a life on the land, due to its short legs.
The gharial (along with the larger adult salt-water crocodiles) is the longest of this group of large reptiles, with there having been reports of adult male gharials reaching more than six meters in length. The elongated snout of the gharial is ideal for catching fish in the water, and contains more than 50 sharp teeth.
The gharial is a generally solitary predator and does not have the same terrifying reputation for eating humans as crocodiles do. Although the gharial has been known to show aggressive behaviour towards humans at times, the shape of the gharial's snout makes it difficult for the gharial to consume anything too big.
The gharial is a carnivorous animal and a dominant predator within its environment. The only time that this isn't the case is when the gharial share its territory with a large salt-water crocodile. Fish is the primary food of the gharial along with insects and occasionally small animals.
Due to its large size, the gharial has no natural predators within its environment besides humans who hunt the gharial, often for leather or meat. The gharial has also been devastatingly affected by the increasingly levels of pollution in the water and is today considered to be critically endangered in the wild.
The female gharial makes their nests and lay their eggs during the dry season when the river shrinks exposing more the sand on the river banks. The female gharial lays between 30 and 50 eggs which are buried in a whole in the sand by her.
The baby gharial emerge from the underground nest after a few months and are protected in the water by their mother for a few days, until they are able to fend for themselves.
Binturong
- Kingdom :Animalia
- Phylum :Chordata
- Class :Mammalia
- Order :Carnivora
- Family :Viverridae
- Genus :Arctictis
- Scientific Name :Arctictis binturong
Binturong Classification and Evolution
The Binturong is a medium sized carnivore that is found inhabiting the dense forests of South-East Asia. They belong to the same family as other small carnivores including Civets, Genets, Mongooses and Fossa and share a number of characteristics with them including a long snout and having more teeth than most other carnivorous mammals. The Binturong is thought to be most closely related to the Palm Civet and is the largest member of this family. Also known as the Bearcat, the Asian Bearcat and the Asian Civet, the Binturong was once commonly found throughout much of its historical range but sadly, today they are a rare find in the thick jungles and very little is actually known about their behaviour in the wild. There are nine different subspecies of Binturong which vary little in appearance but tend to be most easily distinguished by their size and geographic location.Binturong Anatomy and Appearance
The Binturong is a large, heavy animal that can grow to more than a meter long from their snout to the tip of their tail, with females being up to 20% bigger and heavier than their male counterparts. They have very long, coarse and shaggy fur which varies from dark brown to black in colour and is tipped with grey, along with tufts of long and dark straight hair which protrude beyond the tops of their ears. The Binturong (along with the Kinkajou of South America) is also unique among carnivorous mammals as they possess a prehensile tip to their tails, which acts almost like another leg helping both with climbing, and gripping onto branches to give the Binturong more stability. The Binturong also has long, white whiskers that are thick and sensitive and are found both on their checks and above their brown eyes.Binturong Distribution and Habitat
The Binturong was once natively found throughout China, India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and on the island of Borneo, and although there are populations still found in a number of these countries, their numbers have been declining and the Binturong can now be extraordinarily hard to spot. Found in dense, moist jungles and in areas that are close to a slow-moving water source, the Binturong has been most affected by habitat loss particularly in the more southern parts of its natural range. Towards the north however where the rate of deforestation is not quite as ferocious, they have been more affected by hunting and capture as well as generally expanding Human populations. The Binturong relies heavily on dense, thick forest where there is plenty of cover both in the trees and on the ground and with a big decline in its native jungles, this mammal simply has fewer places to go.Binturong Behaviour and Lifestyle
The Binturong is a generally solitary and nocturnal animal that spends the majority of its time moving about slowly and cautiously amongst the trees. Due to their large size the Binturong cannot leap between one tree and another and so must climb down to the ground to go from tree to tree. They are excellent climbers and are well aided by their strong feet, agile bodies, semi-retractable claws and their prehensile tail. The Binturong is also known to both swim and dive well and often spends time in the water to simply cool down in the heat of the sun. Although they do tend to be mainly solitary, small groups of Binturong are not uncommon and usually consist of an adult pair and their young. As with the hierarchy in Mongoose society however, it is the female Binturong who remains the dominant adult. The Binturong is known to be a very vocal animal and makes a number of sounds to both communicate with other Binturongs and to warn off species that it sees to be a threat. They are known to make chuckling sounds when they seem to be happy and appear to utter a high-pitched wail if they become aggravated.Binturong Reproduction and Life Cycles
Although there is not thought to be a mating season as such, there are thought to be higher instances between February and April and then later in July and November. After a gestation period that lasts for around 3 months, the female Binturong climbs down to the ground to nest in thick vegetation that is sheltered both from the elements but is also out of sight of passing predators. Between 1 and 3 small cubs are born that measure about the size of a Human fist. Like a number of other mammalian young, BInturongs are born blind and cannot hear and rely solely on their mother to provide them with milk. They are usually weaned by the time they are 2 months old and reach their adult size after a year. The Binturong is thought to live for between 10 and 15 years in the wild but can happily reach older ages in captivity with one individual having died at the age of 26.Binturong Diet and Prey
Despite belonging to the carnivorous mammal group, the Binturong is mainly frugivorous meaning that it survives primarily on a diet that is comprised of fruit. Although they are also known to hunt insects, birds and rodents which they stalk in a cat-like manner amongst the branches, the Binturong has evolved well to eating in the trees with front feet that are not only designed to climb and dig, but they can also hold onto fruit and even open it with their agile toes. The Binturong primarily hunts for food under the cover of night but is also known to feed whilst resting in the trees in the heat of the day. Due to their ability to swim and dive well, the Binturong also hunts fish in the water when cooling down in the heat of the day.Binturong Predators and Threats
The Binturong is a relatively large and slow-moving animal, yet it is not really a main source of prey to the predators that also inhabit the dense, surrounding jungle. Larger animals such as Tigers and Snakes would pose the biggest threat to the Binturong adults, along with Birds of Prey and small carnivores that could easily target one of the young cubs. The biggest threat to the world's Binturong population though is people and in a number of ways. The Binturong has been caught for their meat, captured and sold into the pet trade, subjected to vast habitat loss (mainly in the form of deforestation), and is also trapped and caught to be sold into the Chinese medicine market, where a number of their body parts are used in traditional remedies.Binturong Interesting Facts and Features
Like other members of the Civet family, the Binturong has scent glands which are located just under its tail. These glands are used to mark trees and foliage to outline an individual's territory and is distributed whilst the Binturong is moving about. Oddly enough, the odour of this scent is said to smell like popcorn as are Binturong cubs when they are newborn. Until they became stronger and are more aware of their surroundings, young Binturong are incredibly vulnerable and are able to spray foul smelling liquid (like a Skunk) when they are really frightened. This is not a behaviour however that has been observed in individuals who are more than a couple of months old, because as they get bigger they are able to defend themselves more easily. When climbing, the Binturong is actually able to rotate its hind legs backwards so that their claws still have a good grip when climbing down a tree head first.Binturong Relationship with Humans
This tree-dwelling mammal is actually known to be startlingly passive towards people and has been easily domesticated and kept as an exotic pet all over the world. However, it is this industry that along with other factors, has aided in the rapid decline of Binturong population numbers throughout South-East Asia. Not only having been over-exploited as pets, zoo attractions, in medicines and for food, the Binturong is also subjected to devastating loss of vast areas of its natural habitat which has pushed the remaining populations into smaller and smaller pockets of their once large historical range. Both growing Human settlements and forest clearance for agriculture are the main culprits and seeing as the Binturong needs dense jungle to successfully survive, plantations provide no sanctuary in their dwindling homelands.Binturong Conservation Status and Life Today
Today, the Binturong is rarely seen in the wild with just a handful of sightings having been reported over the past decade. The Binturong is listed by the IUCN as a species that is Vulnerable from extinction in its natural environment in the near future. Human encroachment on their historical habitats has meant that numbers have declined drastically and along with their capture still in many parts, has led to a 30% decline in Binturong population numbers in the last 30 years.
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