Residents of Australia and New Guinea, tree kangaroos are both a little-studied and very interesting species. Unlike other related species, true to their name, tree kangaroos spend most of their lives in the canopy of trees, where they can do everything from eat to sleep. For this herbivorous species, there are many subspecies according to their habitat regions and some features of appearance. Some of them are now under threat of extinction and require protection, especially from human activity.
The body length of the tree kangaroo ranges from 1.3 to 1.8 m, of which the body and head are 50-80 cm, and the tail is approximately the same in length - 50-90 cm. The weight of adult individuals reaches 5-18 kg . The tree kangaroo's body is black or gray-brown above, and predominantly white below.
The tree kangaroo differs from its terrestrial relatives by its short hind legs with wide soles. In addition, its paws end in long curved claws, with which the animal clings to tree trunks. The ears of this species are rounded, the muzzle is shortened, especially in comparison with. The tail is pubescent and serves as a balancer and rudder during jumping. When moving, the tree kangaroo does not hold its body vertically, like its terrestrial relative, but horizontally.
Tree kangaroo feeds on a variety of food, which it finds both on the surface of the earth and in trees. Its diet includes leaves. But like food with low nutritional value and low calorie content, it requires very large volumes. The tree kangaroo eats foliage, attracting branches to itself and gnawing them; it acts very skillfully: with its paws the animal is able to make movements in the wrists, bend the fingers and tear off individual leaves with their tips. The favorite food of this species of kangaroo is ferns, berries and fruits.
The tree kangaroo lives in tropical forests on the island of New Guinea (Chendrawasih Peninsula, in the Indonesian province of Western New Guinea and the rain forests of Papua New Guinea), in the northeast of the Australian state of Queensland (Cape York Peninsula) and on the islands that are nearby. Most species prefer mountainous areas to live, although some are also found in flat areas.
Common types of tree kangaroo
The genus of tree kangaroos is represented by the following species:
- Bennett's kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus) - lives in north-east Queensland.
- Doria kangaroo (Dendrolagus dorianus) is widespread in New Guinea, where it lives at altitudes from 600 to 3600 m. One of the most large species.
- Goodfellow's kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) is a resident of central and southeastern New Guinea. Endangered.
- The gray-haired tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus inustus) is an inhabitant of the north and west of the island of New Guinea, and the islands that are located nearby. A species that has been little studied to date.
- Lumholtzi's Kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) - Found in north-east Queensland.
- Matches' kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is common on the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea.
- Dendrolagus mbais is a resident of the highland regions of western New Guinea.
- Dendrolagus pulcherrimus - found in the Torricelli Mountains of Papua New Guinea, in the Foggia Mountains in Western New Guinea.
- The Papuan tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus scottae) is an inhabitant of the Torricelli Mountains. Endangered.
- Plains tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus spadix) - common in western New Guinea.
- Dendrolagus stellarum - range includes highlands in western New Guinea.
- The bear kangaroo (Dendrolagus ursinus) is an inhabitant of the Chendravasih Peninsula.
In this species, sexual dimorphism is not expressed and differences in the appearance of males and females are not observed.
The tree kangaroo lives in New Guinea and northeastern Australia (Queensland). Its favorite habitats are mountain tropical forests, which are located at altitudes up to 3000 m above sea level. Such regions are usually difficult to reach for scientists and their observations of animals, so this is very in an interesting way Not much information is known today.
True to its name, the tree kangaroo spends most of its life in trees. Conveniently located in the forks of the branches, the animals rest, chew food and sleep. Kangaroos go in search of food at night, one at a time or in small groups (3-4 individuals). They are distinguished from other kangaroos by their body structure, in which everything is aimed at making life easier in the trees. The hind legs are short and have long claws. The tree kangaroo does not jump on the surface of the earth, but runs. The pelvis is formed so that the hind legs move independently of each other - ground kangaroos do not have such capabilities. Climbing out into the trees, the tree kangaroo firmly clings to the bark with the claws of its front paws, and then pulls up its hind paws in turn.
In the rainforests of Australia, the tree kangaroo can easily find its home throughout the year. required amount plant food, therefore the mating season has no restrictions and mating occurs all year round. The male kangaroo of this species, when he meets a female, begins to make sounds that are similar to a chicken clucking and slaps her on the head. If the female turns away, he strokes her tail. After a series of such courtships, mating occurs. If several males are interested in a female at once, then fights often take place between them, which are similar to real boxing. But kangaroos, unlike human athletes, do not observe proper ethics and are capable, for example, of attacking from behind without warning. Pregnancy lasts only one month and ends with the birth of one baby. The newborn climbs into the mother's pouch and sucks very tightly to the nipple. After milk feeding ends, the baby spends some more time with the female and hides in her pouch from danger.
Due to massive deforestation, the population size of certain species of tree kangaroo is noticeably declining. And species such as the Goodfellow and Doria kangaroos, inhabitants of New Guinea, are also objects of hunting. For these reasons, some of the tree kangaroo species currently require protection and conservation.
- In Australia, the tree kangaroo is called "bungaree".
- Residents of New Guinea hunt tree kangaroos for the purpose of obtaining its meat. Hunters climb trees and try to catch the animal by its tail.
- The tree kangaroo is capable of jumping from a height of up to 18 meters.
- The tree kangaroo does not jump on the surface of the earth, but runs. Short hind legs and long claws help the animal to deftly climb trees.
Tree kangaroos these are mammals with a very original appearance, somewhat reminiscent of a cross between the familiar Australian one and a bear. They belong to the order of marsupials of the kangaroo family.
Tree Kangaroo Length from the top of the head to the tip of the tail is approximately one and a half to two meters, while the tail alone makes up almost half of this measurement and is an excellent balancer when these animals make long and long jumps.
An adult weighs no more than 18 kg. Tree kangaroos are usually black or gray-brown on the back and light white on the belly. The fur is quite long and very thick, but in some species it is soft, like plush, while in others it is hard and dense, like bristles.
Tree kangaroos have short hind legs (compared to their terrestrial counterparts) with very wide soles with pads covered with tough skin and long, curved claws, with which they climb trees quite deftly.
However, both the front and hind limbs are equally well developed and strong. A somewhat shortened (again in comparison with others) muzzle and rounded ears, which you can notice on tree kangaroo photos, give the trees a resemblance to bear cubs. Tree kangaroos do not have a sweating system, so to maintain normal temperature bodies and avoid overheating; in the hot season, kangaroos simply lick themselves.
Features and habitat
Tree kangaroos are found on the island territories of New Guinea, which are considered their historical homeland, as well as in the northeast of the Australian state of Queensland, where they were introduced relatively recently.
Choosing tall trees as their shelters from terrestrial enemies, tree kangaroos often settle in mountainous areas (up to three thousand meters above sea level), in tropical forests and are much less common on the plains.
Depending on the habitat and some distinctive external features There are up to twelve species of tree kangaroos:
- Bennett's Kangaroo;
- Kangaroo Doria;
- Kangaroo Goodfellow;
- Grey-haired tree kangaroo;
- Lumholtz Kangaroo;
- Kangaroo Matches;
- Dendrolagus mbaiso;
- Dendrolagus pulcherrimus;
- Papuan tree kangaroo;
- Plains tree kangaroo;
- Dendrolagus stellarum;
- Bear kangaroo.
Goodfellow and Papuan tree kangaroo- two species are officially endangered, and gray tree kangaroo is the least studied species due to its small numbers and secretive, cautious lifestyle.
In the photo there is a gray-haired tree kangaroo
Character and lifestyle
Tree kangaroos prefer to lead an active lifestyle at night. During the day, these animals sleep, while in a state of sleep they are able to stay up to 15 hours in a row. They prefer to live either one individual at a time or in families containing a male, a female and their cubs.
Tree kangaroos spend almost their entire lives in trees, descending exclusively in search of food and water. At the same time, they move on the ground extremely awkwardly and relatively slowly, using short jumps, arching their tail upward for convenient balancing.
This type of kangaroo is capable of jumping up to 9 meters in length, covering distances between two trees. And they are able to jump down from a height of 18 meters without receiving any damage.
By choosing a lifestyle at a fairly high altitude, tree kangaroos protect themselves and their offspring from attacks by people and amethyst pythons, which pose a real threat to the life of these mammals.
Nutrition
In its natural tree kangaroo habitat eat the most different leaves, fruits, flowers and tree branches. In captivity, they eat fruits, vegetables, herbs, hard-boiled eggs, etc. without harm to their health.
Reproduction and lifespan
Due to living in favorable climatic conditions, tree kangaroos do not have a specific breeding season and breed all year round. When a male finds a suitable female, he sings a song to her that sounds like a chicken clucking.
After which the male begins to pat the female on the head. If the female is satisfied with everything, then she turns her back to the male, allowing him to stroke her tail. Immediately after such courtship, if it happened successfully, mating occurs. Sometimes quite serious fights occur between males fighting for the attention of one female.
Such fights are reminiscent of boxing sparring, only more brutal, without rules and restrictions. Often, a competing male will even allow himself to attack the dominant male from behind in order to increase his own chances of winning.
The female carries the fetus in her body for thirty-two days. Despite the fact that the female has four teats in her pouch, usually only one is born. baby tree kangaroo at a time, less often - two.
The baby lives in its mother's pouch without leaving for the entire first year of its life. All this year it is attached to the mother's nipple, from which it receives the necessary dose of food at certain intervals.
After spending a little over a year under the protection of the mother in her pouches, the baby gets out and begins to explore the world. It will become fully independent and sexually mature by the time it reaches two years of age. The average life expectancy of tree kangaroos is considered to be 20 years, but in their natural habitat they often do not live up to 18.
Baby tree kangaroo
On this moment The easiest way to meet a tree kangaroo is to visit any of the many reserves built in Australia and New Guinea to protect this species of mammal from complete extinction.
Some species of tree kangaroos are on the verge of extinction, but are still hunted and food for some local tribes in New Guinea. Hunters only need to climb a tree and grab a sleeping kangaroo by the tail - that is how defenseless they are against human attacks.
Tree kangaroos are a genus in the kangaroo family.
Among their branch-climbing cousins, Goodfellow's tree kangaroos are the cutest. This feature was also noticed by Australian biologist Tim Flannery, who studied tree kangaroos in New Guinea for many years. That is why Goodfellow Flannery gave the name Dendrolagus goodfellowi pulcherrimus to one of the subspecies of tree kangaroos, which means “the most beautiful” in Latin.
Habitat of Goodfellow's tree kangaroo
Goodfellow's tree kangaroos live in the forbidding cloud forests of southeastern New Guinea, hidden in the labyrinths of the Owen Stanley mountain range at an altitude of seven hundred to two and a half thousand meters above sea level.
Appearance of Goodfellow's tree kangaroos
Goodfellow's body length is from 55 to 75 cm, weight is from 6 to 8 kg. Tail length is from 65 to 80 cm. Females are smaller and lighter than males. The fur is short, soft, reddish-brown in color, with two light stripes running down either side of the spine to the base of the tail. The upper side of the tail is brownish in color with a subtle pattern of yellowish rings.
The arboreal lifestyle left its mark on their habits and manner of movement. Their hind legs are not as long as those of ordinary kangaroos, and their front legs, powerful with wide soles, are equipped with tenacious, downward-curved claws.
A strong fluffy tail helps to balance between branches and make almost ten-meter jumps.
Diet and lifestyle of Goodfellow's tree kangaroo
The tree kangaroo feeds on plant matter, leaves (which make up the majority of its diet), flowers, fruits, nuts, bark, bird eggs and chicks, and insects.
Goodfellow's stomach contains special bacteria that are involved in the digestion process and help cope with processing large quantity cellulose consumed overnight by eating plants.
Leads a solitary, nocturnal lifestyle. Good, but slowly climbs trees, jumps from one tree to another without any problems.
During the day, these animals sleep, while in a state of sleep they are able to stay up to 15 hours in a row.
Goodfellow's tree kangaroos are not only excellent climbers, but also hardy, strong animals with strong bones. To avoid their main enemy, the New Guinea harpy, they do not hesitate to jump from a height of 20 meters, remaining completely unharmed. Once on the ground, the animals turn into clumsy, helpless creatures. On the ground, they are able to make no more than two long jumps in a row, after which they are forced to move in small steps, jumping and stretching their torso forward in order to balance the heavy tail, which drags them back.
Tree kangaroos spend almost their entire lives in trees, descending exclusively in search of water.
Reproduction of Goodfellow's tree kangaroo
Due to living in favorable climatic conditions, tree kangaroos do not have a specific breeding season and breed all year round.
Puberty occurs at the age of 2 years. Pregnancy lasts 30-40 days, after which the female gives birth to 1-2 cubs 2 cm long and weighing 2 grams. The cubs remain in the pouch for 6 months; after another 2 months they leave it. At the age of 10-12 months they become independent and leave their mother.
Life expectancy can be up to 14 years. The maximum recorded lifespan for the species is over 21 years.
Population status and conservation of the Goodfellow's tree kangaroo
Goodfellows are in danger of extinction due to hunting by local people for meat, as well as habitat loss resulting from the use of local forests for timber and timber, and slash-and-burn agriculture and coffee plantations, fields of rice and wheat. Found in several protected areas.
Kangaroos are the most famous marsupial animals, which personify the entire order of Marsupials in general. Nevertheless, the vast family of kangaroos, numbering about 50 species, stands apart in this order and keeps many secrets.
Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus).
Externally, kangaroos do not resemble any animal: their head resembles that of a deer, the neck is of medium length, the body is slender in the front and widens in the back, the limbs are of different sizes - the front ones are relatively small, and the back ones are very long and powerful, the tail is thick and long. The front paws are five-fingered, have well-developed toes, and look more like a primate hand than a dog's paw. Nevertheless, the fingers end in rather large claws.
The front paw of a large gray or forest kangaroo (Macropus giganteus).
The hind feet have only four toes ( thumb reduced), with the second and third fingers fused. The kangaroo's body is covered with short, thick hair, which protects the animals well from heat and cold. The color of most species is protective - gray, red, brown, some species may have white stripes. The sizes of kangaroos vary widely: the largest red kangaroos reach a height of 1.5 m and weigh up to 85-90 kg, and the smallest species are only 30 cm long and weigh 1-1.5 kg! All types of kangaroos are conventionally divided into three groups by size: the three largest species are called gigantic kangaroos, the medium-sized kangaroos are called wallabies, and the smallest species are called rat kangaroos or kangaroo rats.
The brush-tailed kangaroo (Bettongia lesueur) is a representative of the small rat kangaroos. Due to its tiny size, it can easily be mistaken for a rodent in appearance.
The kangaroo's habitat covers Australia and the adjacent islands - Tasmania, New Guinea, and kangaroos are also acclimatized in New Zealand. Among kangaroos, there are both species with a wide range, living throughout the continent, and endemics, found only in a limited area (for example, in New Guinea). The habitat of these animals is very diverse: most species inhabit open forests, grassy and desert plains, but there are also those that live... in the mountains!
Mountain kangaroo, or wallaroo (Macropus robustus) among the rocks.
It turns out that kangaroos among the rocks are a common sight; for example, mountain wallabies can rise to the level of the snow.
A kangaroo in a snowdrift is not such a rare occurrence.
But the most unusual are tree kangaroos, which live in dense forests. They spend most of their lives on tree branches and very deftly climb in the crowns, and at times jump over trunks in short jumps. Considering that their tail and hind legs are not at all tenacious, then such balancing is amazing.
Goodfellow's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) with baby.
All types of kangaroos move on their hind legs; while grazing, they hold their body horizontally and can rest their front paws on the ground, while alternately pushing off with their hind and forelimbs. In all other cases, they hold the body in an upright position. Interestingly, kangaroos are not able to move their paws sequentially, as other two-legged animals (birds, primates) do and push off the ground with both paws at the same time. For this reason, they cannot move backwards. Actually walking is unknown to these animals; they move only by jumping, and this is a very energy-consuming method of movement! On the one hand, kangaroos have phenomenal jumping ability and are able to make jumps several times greater than their body length, on the other hand, they spend a lot of energy on such movement, so they are not very durable. Large species of kangaroo can maintain a good pace for no more than 10 minutes. However, this time is enough to hide from enemies, because the length of the jump of the largest red kangaroo can reach 9 and even 12 m, and the speed is 50 km/h! Red kangaroos can jump up to 2 m in height.
The jumps of the red kangaroo amaze with their power.
Other species have more modest achievements, but in any case, kangaroos are the fastest animals in their habitat. The secret of such jumping ability lies not so much in the powerful muscles of the paws, but in... the tail. The tail serves as a very effective balancer during jumping and as a fulcrum when sitting, leaning on the tail, these animals relieve the muscles of the hind limbs.
Kangaroos often rest lying on their sides in a sybaritic pose, comically scratching their sides.
Kangaroos are herd animals and live in groups of 10-30 individuals, with the exception of the smallest rat kangaroos and mountain wallabies, which live alone. Small species are active only at night, large ones can be active during the day, but still prefer to graze in the dark. There is no clear hierarchy in the kangaroo herd and in general their social connections are not developed. This behavior is due to the general primitiveness of marsupials and the weak development of the cerebral cortex. Their interaction is limited to monitoring their brothers - as soon as one animal gives an alarm signal, the rest take to their heels. The kangaroo's voice is similar to a hoarse cough, but their hearing is very sensitive, so they hear a relatively quiet cry from afar. Kangaroos do not have homes, with the exception of rat kangaroos, which live in burrows.
The yellow-footed rock wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus), also called the ring-tailed or yellow-footed kangaroo, has taken a fancy to the rocks.
Kangaroos feed on plant foods, which they can chew twice, regurgitating part of the digested food and chewing it again, like ruminants. The kangaroo's stomach has a complex structure and is populated with bacteria that facilitate the digestion of food. Most species feed exclusively on grass, eating it in large quantities. Tree kangaroos feed on leaves and fruits of trees (including ferns and vines), and the smallest rat kangaroos can specialize in eating fruits, bulbs and even frozen plant sap, and they can also include insects in their diet. This brings them closer to other marsupials - possums. Kangaroos drink little and can go without water for a long time, being content with the moisture of plants.
Female kangaroo with baby in pouch.
Kangaroos do not have a specific breeding season, but their reproductive processes are very intense. In fact, the female’s body is a “factory” for the production of its own kind. Excited males engage in fights, during which they lock their front paws together and hit each other hard in the stomach with their hind paws. In such a fight, the tail plays an important role, on which the fighters literally rely on their fifth leg.
Male great gray kangaroos in a mating match.
Pregnancy in these animals is very short, for example, female gray giant kangaroos carry a baby for only 38-40 days; in small species this period is even shorter. In fact, kangaroos give birth to underdeveloped embryos 1-2 cm long (in the largest species). It is surprising that such a premature fetus has complex instincts that allow it to independently (!) reach the mother’s pouch. The female helps him by licking a path in the fur, but the embryo crawls without outside help! To appreciate the scale of this phenomenon, imagine if human children were born 1-2 months after conception and independently found their mother's breasts blindly. Having climbed into the mother's pouch, the baby kangaroo attaches itself to one of the nipples for a long time and spends the first 1-2 months in the pouch.
The tree kangaroo is a mammal that looks very similar to a bear. They live on the islands of New Guinea and some regions of Australia. Average duration The lifespan of such animals is 20 years.
Most tree kangaroos live in tropical forests. They can also be found in mountainous areas. Most Tree kangaroos spend their lives on tree branches. They descend from them only to eat and go to water. In this way they hide from their enemies. These include people and some predators (dingoes, pythons, etc.). Ordinary people They don't hunt kangaroos. The danger to tree kangaroos comes from various tribes that are not interested in the population of these animals. Kangaroos themselves do not pose a threat to any other animal species; they live peacefully among themselves. Tree kangaroos are nocturnal animals. During the daytime they prefer to sleep. In total, such kangaroos sleep about 15 hours a day.
Description of the tree kangaroo
As mentioned above, tree kangaroos are very similar to bears. But this is not all that can be said about these amazing animals. Their height can range from 1.3 to 1.8 m. The minimum tail length of such a kangaroo is 50 cm. As for the weight of the animal, a tree kangaroo can weigh from 5 to 18 kg.
The colors of these animals deserve special attention. In the upper part of the kangaroo, dark brown shades predominate. The lower part of the body is characterized by more light color. Tree kangaroos have very soft pads and strong claws on their feet. Thanks to them, they can freely move through the trees and jump from branch to branch.
The muzzles of such kangaroos are very different from those that we are used to seeing in ordinary kangaroos. They are not so elongated. Their ears are also very different, they are more rounded than those of other kangaroos. Externally, female tree kangaroos are practically no different from males.
Diet and lifestyle of tree kangaroos
Tree kangaroos live both in the wild and in nature reserves. The diet of individuals living in the wild is limited to various fruits and plants that can easily be found in their habitats. In general, such animals do not mind eating carrots, celery, apples, chicken eggs etc. They get additional vitamins from these foods.
Tree kangaroos can live alone or as part of a small group. As a rule, this is a female with a male and their offspring.
Tree kangaroos can breed at any time of the year. No specific conditions are required for this. The pregnancy of a female kangaroo lasts 32 days. A born baby lives in its mother's pouch for one year. During this entire period, the baby is attached to her nipple, from which it receives milk.
The number of kangaroos is becoming smaller and smaller every year. In order to preserve this species of animals, everyone is accepted possible measures, protected areas are being created. Tree kangaroos are among the rarest animals in the world.
