Conservation status: VULNERABLE
Common name: Matschie’s tree-kangaroo, Huon tree-kangaroo
Scientific name: Dendrolagus matschiei
Type: Mammal
Diet: Leaves, fruits, grains, flour, various nuts, sap and tree Bark
Length: 108 – 139 cm (Adult)
Weight: 7.2 kg (Adult: Male), 5.9 kg (Adult: Female)
When you hear the word “kangaroo”, you might imagine a marsupial boxer bouncing around in the Austrailian wilderness. However, these arboreal creatures are quite different compared to their Australian cousins.
They are slow and clumsy on the ground. They move at approximately human walking pace and hop awkwardly, leaning their body far forward to balance the heavy tail that is almost as long as their body.
In trees, however, they are bold and agile. They climb by wrapping their forelimbs around the trunk of a tree and, while allowing the forelimbs to slide, hop up the tree using their powerful hind legs.
Tree-kangaroos inhabit the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, far northeastern Queensland, and some of the islands in the region. Unfortunately, most tree-kangaroos are considered threatened due to hunting and ongoing habitat loss.
References:
- “Dendrolagus Matschiei (Huon Tree Kangaroo, Matschie’s Tree-Kangaroo)”. Iucnredlist.Org, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6433/0.
- “WWF – Tree Kangaroo”. Wwf.panda.org. Retrieved 2013-11-13.
Animals in South-East Asia 