Quick facts. Instead, they’re most closely related to civets, which are lean, cat-like mammals. I’ve had a binturong walk across my lap at a animal reserve kind of place. The binturong has a unique scent that smells like buttered popcorn. Special glands on the rumps of binturongs, or bearcats, excrete a chemical that smells like popcorn. The Answer: The animal you are thinking of is called a binturong or "Asian bear cat" as it is sometimes called. Binturong - Photo: Rudmer Zwerver/Shutterstock . Conservation status Vulnerable. It forms a distinct genus, with nine described subspecies which vary little in appearance. Aggressive as it is, the binturong smells like popcorn. The real meaning of the binturongs name is not known because the language that its name came from is now extinct. 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. Their hair coloration can vary from black to brown with white, silver, or rust on the tips, which gives these animals a grizzled appearance. Notably, his smell. Binturong - Photo: WeStudio/Shutterstock . This same black fur is known to cast a smell that is similar to 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. According to the scientists, male binturongs secrete more 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline than females. Wandering through the forests of south-east Asia and you might suddenly wonder if there’s a movie theatre nearby. Found in the densest rain forests of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the binturong is nocturnal, grows to be about six feet long, and is covered in long black fur.. Females are around 20 percent larger than males. Using a technique called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the team identified 29 chemical compounds in the animals’ urine. Like other members of the Viverridae family, the binturong has scent glands, which are located just under its tail. Why Binturongs' Pee Smells Like Buttery Popcorn. They mark their territory with their smell. Why Binturong Smells Like Buttered Popcorn . 4. Binturongs smell like popcorn. The binturong is a mammal that lives in South and Southeast Asia. Apparently, it's a chemical in their urine. Diy. 2 The Binturong Smells Like Buttered Popcorn. As with many other members of its genus and family, the Binturong has scent glands it uses to mark trees and foliage. They have been known to eat carrion, small invertebrates, eggs, leaves, and plant shoots, too. 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. What the heck is a Binturong? Apparently, it's a chemical in their urine. 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. If you were to make this compound, you would have to use temperatures above what most animals can achieve physiologically,” Prof. Drea said. 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! Photo credit: Wikimedia. Its nickname is the bearcat because it has the face of a cat and the body of a small bear, but it is related to the civet. “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. Conservation . “The question was: how do they do it? We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. 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. Binturongs pee in a squatting position, soaking their feet and bushy tails in the process. The Binturong or Asian Bearcat: The Only Mammal that Smells Like Popcorn The bearcat. They've also figured out that the smell is not coming from the scent glands under their tails as previously thought. Binturongs are classed as carnivores but eat most anything that suits their fancy: mainly fruits, but also vegetables, birds, small mammals, and fish. Weird & Wacky, Copyright © 2020 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. Their life span in a protected environment is about 10-20 years. The binturong is a viverrid. A 40-pound mammal creeps along a tree branch in a steamy forest. They are able to turn their ankles backwards so that their claws can still grip the trees when they are climbing down headfirst. Binturong Urine Smells Like Hot Buttered Popcorn. The binturong smells like buttery, delicious popcorn because of a chemical in its urine. Binturong have been described as having a distinct smell similar to that of popcorn or corn chips. No joke. When frightened, they spray their musk, which smells like buttered popcorn. Records from outside this range include a 1928 record from Guangxi, China, a record from Calauit Island, Philippines, and several from Cambodia. Reproductive endocrine patterns and volatile urinary compounds of Arctictis binturong: discovering why bearcats smell like popcorn. A binturong is a Southeast Asian Animal with a specific smell that makes a lot of people think of hot, buttered popcorn. Image credit: Carolina Tiger Rescue. “How does this animal make a cooking smell, but without cooking? The binturong. The estimated average weight for the species ranges from 9 to 20 kg. And for good reason — the chemical compound that … The urine of these unusual Southeast Asian mammals smells uncannily like this favorite movie theater treat. It drags its tail as it moves around, leaving a popcorn-like smell to mark its territories. Posted on April 14, 2016. That's actually the animal's pee, which shares the chemical compound that gives popcorn its savory scent. The binturong (Arctictis binturong). The binturong’s an inquisitive animal, and appears something similar to a mix from a raccoon along with a stuffed animal. The body length is 24 to 38 inches (60 to 96 cm). Boogle is the most gentle soul you could hope to meet and he can’t wait to make new friends. Binturong smells of popcorn This video is managed by Newsflare. What’s even weirder is the creature's smell: It gives off the scent of buttered popcorn! https://www.thedodo.com/binturong-animal-smells-popcorn-1808008048.html 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. We couldn’t play with it like this guy in the video. Let's find out more. The Binturong or Asian Bearcat: The Only Mammal that Smells Like Popcorn. If you love going to the movies this is the encounter for you, since our Binturong smells of popcorn! You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. 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