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Some federal rules apply

Binturong

Arctictis binturong

Also known as Bearcat

Mammals › Cats, dogs and other carnivores (Carnivora) › Viverridae (Civets and genets)

The binturong (Arctictis binturong) (bin-TURE-ong, BIN-ture-ong), also known as the bearcat, is an arboreal viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia.

Pet trade

Experience: Advanced

Binturong — Photo: Tassilo Rau, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Tassilo Rau, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

FamilyCivets and genets

Record lifespan27.2 years

Adult weight27.9 lb

Kept byPet trade

Care guide

Group care guide

Civets, genets and binturongs

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Forests. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Tall, secure enclosures with climbing branches and dens.

Sources 138 139

Diet

Omnivore diets; binturongs eat mostly fruit.

Sources 138 139

Health watch

CDC bans importing civets.

Sources 138 139

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It is the only species in the genus Arctictis, and it is divided into nine subspecies. It has long, thick hair, and is primarily dark in appearance, but can also have a whitish speckled pelage.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Binturong” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Uses tall tropical forests in South and Southeast Asia, including evergreen forest and primary or secondary lowland forest. Spends much of its time in the canopy and sleeps on branches.
Ground it lives on	Mostly arboreal; also travels on the forest floor between trees.
Climate	Tropical forest; reliable wild temperature and humidity ranges were unavailable.
Active	Mostly nocturnal and crepuscular, sometimes diurnal; field activity peaks around dawn and evening.
Social life	Mostly solitary, with overlapping space use; not strictly territorial.
Wild diet	Primarily fruit, especially figs, plus insects, birds, rodents, eggs and occasional fish or carrion.
Behavior to plan for	Climbs slowly using a prehensile tail and reversible hind feet. Descends to the ground rather than leaping across large gaps.

What this means for care

Provide connected, load-bearing branches and platforms.
Allow safe ground routes between climbing structures.
Use fruit-centered omnivore foraging rather than a meat-only approach.
Provide separate resting sites and monitor social introductions.

Animal Diversity Web: Arctictis binturong

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 87°F (up to 93°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 69°F (down to 21°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	50–80°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	74–82% on average (driest month about 78%)
Rainfall	about 2257 mm a year

Measured at 9 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The binturong (Arctictis binturong), also known as the bearcat, is an arboreal viverrid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only species in the genus Arctictis, and it is divided into nine subspecies. It has long, thick hair, and is primarily dark in appearance, but can also have a whitish speckled pelage. It is unique in morphology with its popcorn-scented musk glands, and its long, bushy, prehensile tail. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Binturongs are primarily arboreal and live in the canopies of tall, dense, tropical forests. — Animal Diversity Web
Social life and communication	Binturongs communicate primarily through olfactory means. — Animal Diversity Web
Wild diet	Binturongs are in the order Carnivora, but are primarily frugivorous. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	Binturongs are mostly solitary and tend to evade each other, but aren't strictly territorial. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	Little research has been done regarding the mating systems of binturongs. — Animal Diversity Web
Lifespan	Binturongs can live up to 18 years in the wild and can live over 25 years in captivity. — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	Binturonga are the largest species in the Viverridae family, weighing 9 to 20 kg (Cosson et al., 2007). — Animal Diversity Web
History and naming	The scientific name Arctictis means 'bear-weasel', from the Greek arkt- "bear" and iktis "weasel". The name "binturong" is derived from the words běnturong and těnturun in Malay language. In the Western Malayo-Polynesian languages, the name can be attributed to two words, kitan meaning squirrel, and ma-tuRun meaning the one who descends. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

Researched care notes

Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.

Binturong (species)

Provide tall, usable arboreal structure and access to dry conditions.¹
Compatibility depends on upbringing and introductions. Successful pairs do not justify unrestricted grouping. Confidence: LOW.¹
Viverrid nutrient targets partly extrapolate from other carnivores because species-specific requirements are poorly established. Evidence gap; confidence LOW.¹

Viverrids

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Maximum recorded lifespan

Highest reported27.2years

AnAge 16227

Myhrvold et al. 16327.2

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources27.9lb

AnAge 16227

Myhrvold et al. 16328.7

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Litter size

Average of sources2.2young

AnAge 1622

Myhrvold et al. 1632.5

Average per litter or clutch.

Gestation

Average of sources92days

AnAge 16292

Myhrvold et al. 16392

Female maturity

Average of sources2.5years

AnAge 1622.5

Myhrvold et al. 1632.5

Veterinary & husbandry research

MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF BINTURONGS (ARCTICTIS BINTURONG) IN UNITED STATES ZOOLOGICAL INSTITUTIONS (1986-2019) McFarland A et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2023
Sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma in a binturong (Arctictis binturong) Childs-Sanford SE et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2005
Reproductive endocrine patterns and volatile urinary compounds of Arctictis binturong: discovering why bearcats smell like popcorn Greene LK et al., Die Naturwissenschaften 2016
Fecal microbial diversity and putative function in captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) and binturongs (Arctictis binturong) McKenney EA et al., Integrative zoology 2014

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 7 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Some federal rules apply

CITES Appendix III. Appendix III: international trade from the listing country needs CITES paperwork. No effect on buying captive-bred animals within the U.S. 173 186
CDC civet import ban. CDC prohibits importing civets and related animals (a SARS precaution). Animals already bred in the U.S. aren't affected by this import rule. 188
USDA Animal Welfare Act. Keeping a pet for yourself doesn't need a federal license. Dealers (including many breeders who sell wholesale or sight-unseen) and exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) generally need a USDA license and inspections; some small-scale breeders and retail sellers are exempt. 184

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Animal Welfare Act standards

Warm-blooded animals not covered elsewhere (Subpart F). Applies to USDA-licensed or registered dealers, exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) and research facilities. Private pet owners are not covered. These are legal minimums, not best care; the species care on this page goes further.

Facilities must be structurally sound and strong enough for the species, with reliable power and water, protected food storage and proper waste disposal. §3.125
Indoors: temperature regulated to protect from extremes, adequate ventilation without drafts, and lighting suited to the species that protects animals from excessive light. §3.126
Outdoors: shade from overheating sun, shelter suited to the local climate, and drainage. Animals must be acclimated before facing climate extremes. §3.127
Outdoor facilities need a perimeter fence at least 8 ft high for potentially dangerous animals (large cats, bears, wolves, rhinoceros, elephants) and 6 ft for others, at least 3 ft from the enclosure, unless USDA approves otherwise. §3.127
Space must allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Poor condition, stress or abnormal behavior can show the space is inadequate. §3.128
Food must be wholesome, palatable and of enough quantity and nutritive value for the species, age and condition, fed at least once a day except during hibernation, normal fasts or veterinary treatment. §3.129
Water must be available as often as needed for health and comfort, in clean receptacles. §3.130
Animals sharing an enclosure must be compatible, and must not be housed near animals that interfere with their health or cause them discomfort. §3.133
There is no general enrichment rule for this subpart; enrichment requirements apply to primates, birds and (exercise) dogs. §3.128

Source: 9 CFR Part 3, current eCFR text (USDA APHIS Animal Care).

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
383 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
CDC: Bringing an animal into the United States Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal rules on importing animals that can carry human disease.
9 CFR 2.1: Animal Welfare Act licensing (USDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryWho needs a USDA license to breed, sell or exhibit animals.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of zoo animals Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutrition: exotic and zoo animals Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.