Wildlife in Australia stand out for what we find on other continents, with many species that is found only
here. One exampel is - no, not the kangaroo, most people know about that animal, but have you ever heard
about the tree-kangaroo? No? Neither had the zoologists sent out from the Zoological Museom of the University
in Oslo, Norway. When they saw kangaroos climbing in the trees, they had to pinch their arms, to see if they
were awake or just dreaming. .


photo by P. Chevalier ©

Bennett's Tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus bennettianus Bennett's Tree Kangaroo at Mt Poverty, Queensland, Australia, in October 2006 Photo: Sandra Lloyd, Bennett's Tree-kangaroo, or Dendrolagus bennettianus, is a large tree-kangaroo. Males can weigh from 11.5 kg up to almost 14 kg (25 to 31 lbs), while the females range between about 8 to 10.6 kg (17.6 to 23 lbs). They are very agile and are able to leap 9 metres (30 ft) down to another branch and have been known to drop as far as 18 metres (59 ft) to the ground without injury. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett's_Tree-kangaroo

Tree-kangaroos are macropods adapted for life in trees. They are found in the rainforests of New Guinea,
far northeastern Queensland, and nearby islands. Although most are found in mountainous areas, several
species also occur in lowlands, such as the aptly named Lowlands Tree-kangaroo. Most tree-kangaroos are
considered threatened due to hunting and habitat loss.

There are approximately 12 species of tree-kangaroos, though some uncertainty exists due to taxonomy.
Depending on species, there are significant variations in the colour of the pelage and size, with a head and body
length of 41 to 77 centimetres (16 to 30 in), a tail length of 40 to 87 centimetres (16 to 34 in), and a weight
of up to 14.5 kilograms (32 lb). Females are smaller than males.

Tree-kangaroos are slow and clumsy on the ground. They move at about walking pace and hop awkwardly,
leaning their body far forward to balance the heavy tail. But in trees they are bold and agile.
They climb by wrapping the forelimbs around the back of a tree and hopping with the powerful hind legs,
allowing the forelimbs to slide. They are expert leapers; 9 metres (30 ft) downward jumps from one tree
to another have been recorded, and they have the extraordinary ability to jump to the ground from 18 metres
(59 ft) or more without being hurt.

Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo, Dendrolagus goodfellowi Female Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo with joey in pouch. Photo: Tim Williams http://www.ozanimals.com/Mammal/Goodfellow's-Tree-kangaroo/Dendrolagus/goodfellowi.html Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroos, Dendrolagus goodfellowi, have short, woolly chestnut brown fur, with pale belly. Their neck, cheeks, and feet are yellow. The face is greyish-brown, with a double golden stripe running down their back. Tree-kangaroos have long, strong forelimbs and shortened, broad hind feet. They walk along branches or climb, using each of their limbs independently. The size is 60cm with tail about 1m long Other Names: Ornate Tree Kangaroo Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi BBC Natural History Unit http://www.arkive.org

Tree-kangaroos feed mostly on leaves and fruit, taken both in trees and on the ground, but other foods are
eaten when available, including grain, flowers, sap, bark, eggs and young birds.
Their teeth are adapted for tearing leaves rather than cutting grass. They have large stomachs that function
as fermentation vats in a manner similar to those of eutherian ruminant herbivores, in which bacteria break
down fibrous leaves and grasses. Although the arrangement of the stomach compartments in kangaroos is
quite different than eutherian ruminants, the end result is similar.
Most text above from Wikipedia


Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus lumholtzi
Photo: Maria Pesavento
http://www.tree-kangaroo.net