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Day 11: Binturong


The binturong is an animal from Southeast Asia who smells like freshly baked popcorn. Yum! Binturongs use their aroma as a calling card to say “this is my turf” and find potential mates. Researchers discovered that the popcorn smell came from their pee. Binturongs pee in a squatting position, soaking their feet and bushy tails in the process. They also drag their tails as they move about in the trees, leaving a scent trail on the branches and leaves behind them. This is a technique called gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Researchers studied urine samples and identified 29 chemical compounds in the animals’ urine. The one compound that emanated from every sample was 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which is the same compound that gives popcorn its tantalizing scent.


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