Binturong
Arctictis binturong
#261 of 341 
Jungle Agile Climber Vulnerable 
FightPhoto: Autharite · CC BY-SA 2.0
The binturong, or bearcat, is a shaggy 16 kg tree-dweller of Asian rainforests that smells like popcorn and climbs with a grasping tail. It has sharp teeth and claws but eats mostly figs, moves slowly and avoids fights, so it relies on the canopy and its grip rather than speed or aggression.
Attack32 
Defense30 
Agility55 
Stamina45 
Intelligence52 
Special65 Detailed ratings
Research-backed ratings on one 0–100 scale for all 341 animals (updated 2026-09-28). How ratings work
Special abilities
Ability 1Fifth-Limb TailThe last third of its thick, muscular tail is prehensile, with a leathery tip for grip. It can anchor itself to a branch, freeing its paws, and it is one of only two carnivorans (with the kinkajou) that have such a tail.
Ability 2Reverse-Ankle DescentIts ankles turn about 180 degrees, so the hind claws keep gripping when it climbs down a trunk head-first, letting it retreat or descend under control.
Unique traits
TraitPopcorn MuskIts urine contains 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, the compound that gives popcorn its smell. The compound was found in every animal tested, more in males, and its level rises with the hormone androstenedione.
TraitStrangler Fig GardenerFigs are a major food, and radio-tracked binturongs in Borneo were by far the most effective canopy dispersers of hemi-epiphytic fig seeds, depositing droppings on the branch sites where the seeds can grow.
How it fights
Weapons
- The binturong has the teeth and claws of a carnivore, with a long, sharp canine in each jaw quadrant and long claws, but it lives mostly on fruit, especially figs. It also takes birds, small mammals, eggs and occasionally fish when it finds them. Nothing in its anatomy or behavior marks it as a specialist killer, so its weapons are mainly defensive in practice.
Struggles vs
- Slow, rarely leaps, and must often descend to the ground to move between trees.
- Low stamina for intense activity.
- Not a practised fighter or predator.
- Vulnerable to tigers, dholes and other large predators on the ground.
- Weight
- 16 kg35 lb
- Height
- No reliable measurement
- Length
- 80 cm31.5 in
- Top speed
- No reliable measurement
- Bite force
- No reliable measurement
- Lifespan
- 16 years
- Home biome
- Jungle
- Lifestyle
- Mostly solitary, nocturnal
Rated specimen: Healthy mature adult female of about 16.0 kg, head-body about 80 cm, with a tail of similar length.
Fun facts
- It smells like hot buttered popcorn, thanks to the same chemical found in popcorn.
- It is one of only two carnivores with a prehensile tail, and the only one outside the Americas.
- Its ankles turn 180 degrees so it can climb down trees head-first.
- Females are about 20% bigger than males and are the boss.
- Young binturongs can hang by their tails alone.
- Its gut moves fruit through in about six and a half hours.
Closest rivals by power. Tap one for the full breakdown, or pick any opponent.
vs Flying SquirrelLoses · 50% · Toss-up 
L vs Arctic FoxWins · 50% · Toss-up 
W vs House CatLoses · 50% · Toss-up 
L vs WallabyWins · 50% · Toss-up 
W vs Sand CatWins · 51% · Toss-up 
W vs Maine CoonLoses · 51% · Toss-up 
L vs Fennec FoxLoses · 52% · Toss-up 
L vs Red PandaLoses · 52% · Toss-up 
L 
Pick any opponent Binturong battle analysis
The binturong looks like something assembled from spare parts: a cat-like face with stiff white whiskers, a bear-like body covered in long, shaggy black hair, and a thick tail as long as its body that can grip branches like a hand. A grown female weighs around 16 kg and is larger than the males and in charge of them.
Most of its life is spent slowly moving through the canopy of South and Southeast Asian forests, feeding on fruit, especially figs. It climbs along the tops of branches or hangs beneath them, turns its ankles around to climb down head-first, and wraps its tail around branches for security. It marks its path with scent, and its urine carries the same compound that makes popcorn smell the way it does.
In a fight the binturong is better armed than its gentle habits suggest, with long canines and sharp claws on a heavy body. But it is slow, rarely leaps and is not a practised predator, and on the ground it is vulnerable to tigers and dholes. It rates in the low range for Attack and Defense, with low Agility for a climber because of its slowness, and a solid Special score for its prehensile tail, rotating ankles and unusual scent chemistry.
Habitat & range
Tropical forest in South and Southeast Asia, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and the Philippines (Palawan). On Palawan it uses primary and secondary lowland forest and grassland–forest mosaic up to about 400 m. It is essentially arboreal and depends on forest canopy.
Diet & hunting
Mostly fruit, especially figs, plus leaves and shoots, eggs, birds, small mammals and occasional fish. It is an important seed disperser, especially of strangler figs, and its fast digestion is similar to that of highly fruit-eating monkeys. Because it moves seeds within the canopy, its loss may reduce fig recruitment.
Social life
Solitary or in small family groups of a female and her young. Females are about 20% larger than males and dominant. Both sexes scent mark with glands and urine; males produce a richer set of scent compounds.
Conservation
Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and listed on CITES Appendix III. ADW reports that populations have declined by more than 30% over about 30 years. The main threat is forest degradation through logging and conversion to plantations; it is also hunted for meat and skins used as food and in traditional medicine, and juveniles are captured for the pet trade and for kopi luwak coffee production. In zoos, cancers such as renal carcinoma are a leading cause of death.
Quick answers
How strong is a Binturong?
On the Animal Battle Stats scale, the Binturong has an attack rating of 32 and a power index of 41.7 out of 100, which ranks it #261 of 341 animals and puts it in D tier (Underdog). Its strongest stat is special (65).
How much does a Binturong weigh?
A typical adult Binturong weighs about 16 kg (35 lb). Rated specimen: healthy mature adult female of about 16.0 kg, head-body about 80 cm, with a tail of similar length.
How fast is a Binturong?
There is no reliable measured top speed for the Binturong, so we do not publish one. Its agility rating, which covers acceleration, reflexes and evasion, is 55 out of 100.
What does a Binturong eat?
Mostly fruit, especially figs, plus leaves and shoots, eggs, birds, small mammals and occasional fish. It is an important seed disperser, especially of strangler figs, and its fast digestion is similar to that of highly fruit-eating monkeys. Because it moves seeds within the canopy, its loss may reduce fig recruitment.
Is the Binturong endangered?
The Binturong's conservation status is Vulnerable. Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and listed on CITES Appendix III. ADW reports that populations have declined by more than 30% over about 30 years. The main threat is forest degradation through logging and conversion to plantations; it is also hunted for meat and skins used as food and in traditional medicine, and juveniles are captured for the pet trade and for kopi luwak coffee production. In zoo
What animals can beat a Binturong?
Among its closest rivals, the Flying Squirrel (50%), the House Cat (50%), the Maine Coon (51%), the Fennec Fox (52%), the Red Panda (52%) would be favored against the Binturong. It would be favored against the Arctic Fox, the Wallaby, the Sand Cat.
Researched 2026-09-28. Ratings are editorial judgments built from these sources; measurements describe a healthy adult female.
- Animal Diversity Web, Arctictis binturongmass, length, lifespan, dimorphism, ankles, predators
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Binturongmass, length, tail, ankles, vision, diet, dominance
- Smithsonian's National Zoo, Binturongmass, lifespan, tail, diapause
- Wikipedia, Binturongstatus, teeth, length, home range, locomotion, diet, range, threats, cornered behavior
- Greene et al. (2016), The Science of Naturepopcorn scent, dominance
- Nakabayashi et al. (2019), PLoS Oneseed dispersal
- Lambert et al. (2014), PLoS Onedigestion
- McFarland et al. (2023), Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicinezoo health
- Commons, Binturong in Overloonimage candidate
Photo: “Binturong 06.jpg” by Autharite, CC BY-SA 2.0, background removed and cropped. Original
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