Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo

species of mammal

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi), or the ornate tree kangaroo, is a marsupial in the biological family Macropodidae.

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Dendrolagus
Species:
D. goodfellowi
Binomial name
Dendrolagus goodfellowi
Thomas, 1908[3]
Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo range

The family includes kangaroos, wallabies and their relatives,[4] and the genus Dendrolagus, with eleven species.[1]

The species live in the rainforests of New Guinea.[5]

In the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos are listed as endangered.[2] This is a result of too much hunting of them, and humans living too close to their habitat.[6]

Description

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Like most tree-kangaroos, Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos look very different from terrestrial (land) kangaroo species.[7]

Unlike land-living kangaroos, their legs are not long compared to their forelimbs (arms). They are strong and end in hooked claws for grasping tree branches.[7] Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos have long tails for balance.[7] These physical traits help them with a mostly tree-living life.[7] They have short, woolly fur,[7] usually reddish-brown in color, a gray-brown face, yellow-colored cheeks and feet; pale stomachs,[8] long, golden-brown tails, and two golden stripes on their backsides.[9] They weigh about seven kilograms (about 15 pounds).[5]

Behaviour

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Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo looking to the side

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos are slow and clumsy on the ground.[9] They move at about the speed a human walks and do not hop well (hopping is something that, by contrast, terrestrial kangaroos are famed for).[9]

However, in trees, Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos are fearless and agile.[9] They climb by wrapping their arms around the trunk of a tree and hopping with their strong back legs.[9] This allows their arms to slide. They have very good jumping ability and can jump from trees to the ground from thirty feet up without hurting themselves.[9]

 
A Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo, eating

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos feed mostly on the leaves of the silkwood tree (Flindersia pimenteliana).[10] Other foods are part of their diet when available, including different kinds of fruit, cereals, flowers and grasses.[8]

They have large stomachs rather like fermentation vats. They use a two-stage process like cows and related herbivores digest food.[11] First the food is softened in one part of their stomach, and then by passing the material back up and chewing it again, they can return it to a second part of their stomach.[12] This is where bacteria in the stomach's various chambers, breaks down the tough fibers of leaves and grasses.[11]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Groves, Colin (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 59–60. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Leary, T.; Seri, L.; Wright, D.; Hamilton, S.; Helgen, K.; Singadan, R.; Menzies, J.; Allison, A.; James, R.; Dickman, C.; et al. (2008). "Dendrolagus goodfellowi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2008. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as endangered.
  3. Thomas, Oldfield (1908). "A new Tree-Kangaroo from British New Guinea". The Annals and Magazine of Natural History. Ser. 8. 2 (11): 452–453. doi:10.1080/00222930808692512.
  4. Myers P. (2001). "Macropodidae". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Animal Info (1999-2005). Animal Info - Goodfellow's tree kangaroo. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
  6. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (2006). Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo - captive breeding program Archived 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Melbourne Zoo (2006). Animal Fact Sheet: Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo Archived 2006-08-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Discovery Communications Inc. (2006). Goodfellow's tree kangaroo. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 World Wildlife Fund (2006). Tree Kangaroos. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
  10. "Goodfellow's tree kangaroo". Funk & Wagnalls Wildlife Encyclopedia. Vol. 20. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. 1974. p. 2397.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Johnson, S. (1999). "Dendrolagus goodfellowi". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
  12. Van Loon, Dirk (1976). The family cow. Storey Publishing. pp. 95–97. ISBN 978-0-88266-066-0.