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 The Question:
Someone at work told me there is an animal that smells, or has
an odor, like popcorn. But they couldn't remember what animal it was.
If this is true, would you know the name of the animal?
The Answer:
The animal you are thinking of is called a binturong or "Asian bear
cat" as it is sometimes called. 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.
This same black fur is known to cast a smell that is similar to
popcorn. The scent is believed to originate from a gland near the
animal's tail, and is probably there to help binturongs distinguish
between themselves.
Here is a link to more information about the binturong from the
San
Diego Zoo. And here is a picture of a
binturong named "Ben." Doesn't it look like he's smiling for
the camera?
—The Editors Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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