Tree Kangaroo

Facts about Tree kangaroo. "Scientific name for Tree kangaroo is Dendrolagus matschiei". Tree kangaroos are marsupials belonging to the genus Dendrolagus. They inhabit tropical rain forests and can be found in areas such as northeastern Queensland, New Guinea and in some islands around Australia. The Tree kangaroos are considered a threatened species because of habitat destruction and hunting. This is the only true arboreal member in the entire kangaroo family.


Habitat and Distribution of Tree kangaroos

Tree kangaroos are commonly found in mountainous areas but also do inhabit low lands. Because of their lifestyle that involves climbing and jumping from tree to tree, they have developed an interesting mode of locomotion. The Tree kangaroo live in tree tops as opposed to their terrestrial counterparts which live in the mainland. The Tree kangaroo are adapted to regions of high altitude. In Papua New Guinea and Australia, you can find about 15 sub-species of the tree kangaroo. The most unfortunate thing with their habitats is that they expose them to predators such as amethystine pythons which climb to the top of trees.

Physical Description of Tree kangaroos

Tree kangaroos have broader and shorter hind feet which has long and curved nails. They have a sponge-like grip on the soles of their feet and their paws. The Tree kangaroo have a large and pendulous tail which gives them balance as they move from one tree to the next. Just like their terrestrial counterparts, tree kangaroos do not sweat but rather lick their forearms giving space for the moisture to evaporate. This is a behavioral and adaptive form of thermoregulation.
The average size for the tree kangaroo is 37 to 70 inches (94 to 179 cm) and the average weight for adults is 15 to 22 pounds (7 to 10 kg).

Diet of Tree kangaroos

Tree kangaroos feed on leaves and fruits that they gather from trees. From time to time, they move on the ground in search of grains, eggs, flour, tree barks and young birds.

Breeding of Tree kangaroos

Data gathered from the captive tree kangaroos revealed that they reach sexual maturity at 2 years 4 months to 4 years 6 months for female and male respectively. The female Tree kangaroos have a fertile period that is about 2 months and they have very long marsupial offspring maturation periods. The young ones have a pouch life of 246 to 275 days.

Dendroglagus means tree hare.