A tree-dwelling viverrid of South and Southeast Asia, also called the bearcat, with long, thick, mostly dark hair. It climbs with the help of a long, bushy prehensile tail, and is mainly active at night.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mainly nocturnal, and also active around dusk and dawn.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAsia
ColoursBlack, Grey
SizeMedium
Length71–84 cm, plus a 66–69 cm tail
Weight9–20 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for18–20 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- South and Southeast Asia.
- What it eats
- Mostly fruit, especially figs, plus small mammals, birds, insects and other small animals.
- Conservation
- Vulnerable (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
Smells distinctly of hot buttered popcorn, from a compound in its scent marking.
Its urine contains 2-AP, the same compound made when popcorn pops.
It spreads the seeds of strangler figs, which makes it a keystone species.
Often confused with
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