View source for Tree-kangaroo

{{Short description|Genus of marsupials}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date = July 2015}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Tree-kangaroo
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Pliocene|Recent}}
| image = Matschies tree kangaroo Dendrolagus matschiei at Bronx Zoo 1 cropped.jpg
| image_caption = [[Matschie's tree-kangaroo]] (''Dendrolagus matschiei'')
| taxon = Dendrolagus
| authority = [[Salomon Müller|S. Müller]], 1840
| type_species = ''[[Ursine tree-kangaroo|Dendrolagus ursinus]]''
| type_species_authority = [[Salomon Müller|S. Müller]], 1840
| subdivision_ranks = [[Species]]
| subdivision = About 12; see text
}}

'''Tree-kangaroos''' are [[marsupial]]s of the [[genus]] '''''Dendrolagus''''', adapted for [[arboreal locomotion]]. They inhabit the [[tropical rainforest]]s of [[New Guinea]] and far northeastern  [[Queensland]], [[Australia]] along with some of the islands in the region. All tree-kangaroos are considered [[Threatened species|threatened]] due to hunting and [[habitat destruction]]. They are the only true arboreal [[Macropodidae|macropods]].<ref name="Procter-Gray">{{cite journal|author1=Procter-Gray, E.  |author2=Gansiosser, U. |name-list-style=amp |title=The individual behaviors of Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo: Repertoire and taxonomic iTree-kangaroosmplications|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|year=1987|volume=67|issue=2|pages=343–352|doi=10.2307/1380888|jstor=1380888 }}</ref>

==Evolutionary history==
The evolutionary history of tree-kangaroos possibly begins with a rainforest floor-dwelling [[Balbaridae|pademelon-like ancestor]].<ref name="Martin" /> This ancestor possibly evolved from an arboreal [[Phalangeriformes|possum-like ancestor]] as is suspected of all macropodid marsupials in Australia and New Guinea. During the late [[Eocene]], the Australian/New Guinean continent began a period of drying that caused a retreat in the area of rainforest,<ref name=Archer91>{{cite book|last=Archer|first=Mike|title=Riversleigh: The Story of Animals in Ancient Rainforest of Inland Australia|year=1991|publisher=Reed Books |location=Bangowlah, NSW}}</ref> which forced the ancestral [[pademelons]] to begin living in a drier, rockier environment. After some generations of adaptation to the new environment, the pademelons may have evolved into [[rock-wallaby|rock-wallabies]] (''Petrogale'' spp.),<ref name="Martin" /> which developed a generalist feeding strategy due to their dependence on a diverse assortment of vegetation refuges.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Tuft|first=KD|author2=Crowther, M.S. |author3=McArthur, C. |title=Multiple scales of diet selection of brush-tailed rock-wallabies (''Petrogale penicillata'')|journal=Australian Mammalogy|year=2011|volume=33|issue=2|pages=169–180|doi=10.1071/am10041}}</ref> This generalist strategy allowed the rock-wallabies to easily adapt to [[Malesia]]n rainforest types that were introduced to Australia from Asia during the mid-Miocene.<ref name="Martin"/><ref name=Archer91/> The rock-wallabies that migrated into these introduced forests adapted to spend more time climbing trees. One species in particular, the [[Proserpine rock-wallaby]] (''Petrogale persephone''), displays equal preference for climbing trees as for living in rocky outcrops.<ref name="Martin" /> During the Late Miocene, the semi-arboreal rock-wallabies could have evolved into the now extinct tree-kangaroo genus ''[[Bohra (mammal)|Bohra]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Flannery|first1=Timothy |first2=Roger |last2=Martin |first3=Alexandra |last3=Szalay |title=Tree-kangaroos: A Curious Natural History|publisher=Reed Books|location=Melbourne VIC|pages=68–72 |isbn=978-0-7301-0492-6 |year=1996}}</ref> Global cooling during the Pleistocene caused continent-wide drying and rainforest retractions in Australia and New Guinea.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hopkins|first=M. S.|author2=J. Ash |author3=A. W. Graham |author4=J. Head |author5=R. K. Hewitt |title=Charcoal evidence of the spatial extent of the Eucalyptus woodland expansions and rainforest contractions in North Queensland during the late Pleistocene|journal=Journal of Biogeography|year=1993|volume=20|issue=4|pages=357–372|doi=10.2307/2845585|jstor=2845585|bibcode=1993JBiog..20..357H }}</ref>

The rainforest contractions isolated populations of ''Bohra'' which resulted in the evolution of today's tree-kangaroos (''Dendrolagus'' spp.), as they adapted to lifestyles in geographically small and diverse rainforest fragments, and became further specialized for a canopy-dwelling lifestyle.<ref>{{cite book|last=Prideaux, G. J.|first=Warburton, N.M.|title=Macropods|year=2010|publisher=CSIRO|location=Collingwood, VIC|pages=137–151}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==

===Species===

[[File:Goodfellow's_tree-kangaroo_at_Currumbin_Wildlife_Sancturary,_Queensland,_Australia.jpg|thumb|Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Queensland, Australia]]

These species are assigned to the genus ''Dendrolagus'':<ref name=MSW3/>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Image !! Scientific name !!Distribution
|-
| [[File:Dendrolague.jpg|120px]]||[[Grizzled tree-kangaroo]] (''D. inustus'')||[[File:Grizzled Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo.jpg|120px]] ||[[Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo]] (''D. lumholtzi'')||[[File:Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:Bennett's Tree-kangaroo mother & baby.jpg|120px]] ||[[Bennett's tree-kangaroo]] (''D. bennettianus'')||[[File:Bennett's Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:Dendrolagus ursinus Gould.jpg|120px]]||[[Ursine tree-kangaroo]] (''D. ursinus'')||[[File:Ursine Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:WPZ - Matschie's Tree Kangaroo 03.jpg|120px]]  || [[Matschie's tree-kangaroo]] (''D. matschiei'')||[[File:Matschie's Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
| [[File:Macropodidae - Dendrolagus dorianus.JPG|120px]] || [[Doria's tree-kangaroo]] (''D. dorianus'')||[[File:Doria's Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:Dendrolagus notatus 249639440.jpg|120px]] ||[[Dendrolagus notatus|Ifola]] (''D. notatus'')||[[File:Ifola Tree-kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
| ||[[Seri's tree-kangaroo]] (''D. stellarum'')||[[File:Seri's Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:Dendrolagus goodfellowi -Melbourne Zoo, Australia-8a.jpg|120px]] ||[[Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo]] (''D. goodfellowi'')||[[File:Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
| ||[[Golden-mantled tree-kangaroo]] (''D. pulcherrimus'')||[[File:Golden-mantled Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
| || [[Lowlands tree-kangaroo]] (''D. spadix'')||[[File:Lowlands Tree Kangaroo area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:Dendrolagus mbaiso.jpg|120px]] || [[Dingiso]] (''D. mbaiso'')||[[File:Dingiso area.png|120px]]
|-
|[[File:Dendrolagus scottae2.jpg|120px]] ||[[Tenkile]] (''D. scottae'')||[[File:Tenkile area.png|120px]]
|-
||| [[Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo]] (''D. mayri'') (thought to be extinct until 2018)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Solly |first1=Meilan |title=Elusive Tree Kangaroo Spotted for First Time in 90 Years |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/elusive-tree-kangaroo-spotted-first-time-90-years-180970413/|access-date=2018-10-12|work=Smithsonian |date=2018-09-27 |language=en}}</ref>||[[File:Dendrolagus mayri map.png|120px]]
|-
|}

[[Seri's tree-kangaroo]] (''Dendrolagus stellarum'') has been described as a [[subspecies]] of [[Doria's tree-kangaroo]] (''D. dorianus stellarum''),<ref name=Flannery>{{cite book |author=Flannery, T. |title=Mammals of New Guinea |publisher=Reed Books |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-7301-0411-7 }}</ref><ref name=Walkers>{{cite book |editor=Nowak, R. |title=Walker's Mammals of the World |url=https://archive.org/details/walkersmammalsof0002nowa |url-access=registration |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8 |edition=6th}}</ref> but some recent authorities have treated it as a separate species based on its absolute diagnostability{{explanation needed|date=March 2021}}.<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Groves|pages=59–61}}</ref>

The Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Global Wildlife Conservation's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rewild.org/lost-species/wondiwoi-tree-kangaroo|title=The Search for Lost Species - Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo - Global Wildlife Conservation |website=Re:wild.org|access-date=2017-06-02}}</ref>

The extinct species ''[[Dendrolagus noibano|D. noibano]]'' from the [[Pleistocene]] of [[Chimbu Province]], Papua New Guinea is substantially larger than living species.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Flannery |first1=Tim F. |last2=Seri |first2=L. |date=1990-11-16 |title=Dendrolagus scottae n.sp. (Marsupialia: Macropodidae): a new tree-kangaroo from Papua New Guinea |journal=Records of the Australian Museum |volume=42 |issue=3 |pages=237–245 |doi=10.3853/j.0067-1975.42.1990.117 |issn=0067-1975|doi-access=free }}</ref> However, it has since been suggested to be a larger extinct form of Doria's tree-kangaroo.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Flannery|first1=Timothy |first2=Roger |last2=Martin |first3=Alexandra |last3=Szalay |title=Tree-kangaroos: A Curious Natural History|publisher=Reed Books|location=Melbourne, Victoria |isbn=978-0-7301-0492-6 |year=1996}}</ref>

The case for the [[golden-mantled tree-kangaroo]] (''D. pulcherrimus'') is comparable to that of ''D. stellarum''; it was first described as a subspecies of ''D. goodfellowi'',<ref name=Flannery/> though recent authorities have elevated it to species status based on its absolute diagnostability.<ref name=MSW3/> A population of the [[tenkile]] (Scott's tree-kangaroo) recently discovered from the [[Bewani Mountains]] may represent an undescribed subspecies.<ref name=Tenkile>[http://www.tenkile.com/tenkile_tree_kangaroo.html Tenkile Tree Kangaroo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225060902/http://www.tenkile.com/tenkile_tree_kangaroo.html |date=2014-02-25 }} Tenkile Conservation Alliance</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
Tree-kangaroos inhabit the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, far northeastern Australia, and some of the islands in the region, in particular, the [[Schouten Islands]] and the [[Raja Ampat Islands]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/matschies-tree-kangaroo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100207175609/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/matschies-tree-kangaroo/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 February 2010 |title=Matschie's Tree Kangaroos, Matschie's Tree Kangaroo Pictures, Matschie's Tree Kangaroo Facts - National Geographic |publisher=Animals.nationalgeographic.com |date=2013-10-23 |access-date=2013-11-13}}</ref> Although most species are found in mountainous areas, several also occur in lowlands, such as the aptly named [[lowlands tree-kangaroo]]. Most tree-kangaroos are considered threatened due to hunting and habitat destruction. Because much of their lifestyle involves climbing and jumping between trees, they have evolved an appropriate method of locomotion. Tree-kangaroos thrive in the treetops, as opposed to terrestrial kangaroos which survive on mainland Australia. Two species of tree-kangaroos are found in Australia, Bennett's (''D. bennetianus''), which is found north of the Daintree River and Lumholtz's (''D. lumholtzi''). Tree-kangaroos have adapted better to regions of high altitudes.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sullivan |first=R. |url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/12/13/2574979.htm |title=Treetop kangaroos|publisher=ABC.net.au |year=2007 |access-date=May 27, 2015}}</ref> Tree-kangaroos must find places comfortable and well-adapted for breeding, as they only give birth to one joey per year.  They are known to have one of the most relaxed and leisurely birthing seasons.  They breed cautiously in the treetops during the monsoon season. Their habitats are breeding grounds for danger, as they can easily fall prey to their natural predator, the [[amethystine python]], which also climbs and lives in the treetops. Tree-kangaroos are known to be able to live in both mountainous regions and lowland locations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioexpedition.com/tree-kangaroo/ |title=Tree Kangaroo - Animal Facts and Information.|date=11 April 2012 |publisher=Bioexpedition.com |access-date=2013-11-13}}</ref>

==Description==
[[Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo]] is the smallest of all tree-kangaroos. Its body and head length ranges about {{Convert|48–65|cm|abbr=on}}, and its tail, {{Convert|60-74|cm|abbr=on}}, with males weighing an average of 7.2&nbsp;kg (16&nbsp;lb) and females 5.9&nbsp;kg (13&nbsp;lb). The length of [[Doria's tree-kangaroo]] is {{Convert|51-78|cm|abbr=on}}, with a long {{Convert|44-66|cm|abbr=on}} tail, and weighs {{Convert|6.5-14.5|kg|abbr=on}}. [[Matschie's tree-kangaroo]] has a body and head length of 81&nbsp;cm (20 to 32 inches), adult males weigh 9–11&nbsp;kg (20-25&nbsp;lb) and adult females weigh 7–9&nbsp;kg (15-20&nbsp;lb). The [[grizzled tree-kangaroo]] grows to a length of 75–90&nbsp;cm (30 to 35 in), with males being considerably larger than females, and its weight is 8–15&nbsp;kg (18-33&nbsp;lb).

Tree-kangaroos have several adaptations to an arboreal life-style. Compared to terrestrial kangaroos, tree-kangaroos have longer and broader hind feet with longer, curved nails. They also have a sponge-like grip on their paws and soles of their feet. Tree-kangaroos have a much larger and more pendulous tail than terrestrial kangaroos, giving them enhanced balance while moving about the trees. Locomotion on the ground is by hopping, as with true kangaroos. Like terrestrial kangaroos, tree-kangaroos do not sweat to cool their bodies, rather, they lick their forearms and allow the moisture to evaporate in an adaptive form of behavioural [[thermoregulation]].<ref name="panda1">{{cite web|url=https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/endangered_species/tree_kangaroo/ |title=WWF - Tree Kangaroo |publisher=Wwf.panda.org |access-date=2022-09-29}}</ref>

==Behaviour==

===Locomotion===
Tree-kangaroos 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. However, in trees, 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. They are expert leapers; {{convert|9|m|ft}} downward jumps from one tree to another have been recorded and they have the extraordinary ability to jump to the ground from {{convert|18|m|ft}} or more without being hurt.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

===Diet===
The main diet of the tree-kangaroo is leaves and fruit that it gathers from the trees, but occasionally scavenged from the ground. Tree-kangaroos will also eat grains, flowers, various nuts, sap and tree bark.<ref name="panda1"/> Some captive tree-kangaroos (perhaps limited to New Guinea species) eat protein foods such as eggs, birds and snakes, making them [[omnivore]]s.<ref name="Martin">{{cite book|title=Tree-kangaroos of Australia and New Guinea|editor=Roger Martin|publisher=CSIRO Publishing|year=2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A4SUo1QTn-sC&q=diet&pg=PR5|isbn=978-0-643-09072-9}}</ref>

===Reproduction===
Little is known about the reproduction of tree-kangaroos in the wild. The only published data are from captive individuals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tree-kangaroo.net/tkInfo.html |title=Tree-Kangaroo and Mammal Group - helping to conserve North Queensland's rich mammal fauna - TREE KANGAROO INFO |publisher=Tree-kangaroo.net |access-date=2013-11-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193638/http://www.tree-kangaroo.net/tkInfo.html |archive-date=2013-10-29 }}</ref> Female tree-kangaroos reach sexual maturity as early as 2.04 years of age and males at 4.6 years.  The female's fertile period is estimated to be approximately two months. They have one of the longest marsupial offspring development/maturation periods; pouch life for the young is 246–275 days long and weaning occurs 87–240 days later.<ref name="Johnson">{{cite journal|title=Reproduction of Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus lumholtzi (Marsupialia : Macropodidae) in captivity, with age estimation and development of the pouch young|author1=Johnson, P.M.  |author2=Delean, S. |name-list-style=amp |journal=Wildlife Research|volume=30|issue=5|pages=505–512|year=2003|doi=10.1071/wr02090|bibcode=2003WildR..30..505J }}</ref>

==Threats==
The two most significant threats to tree-kangaroos are habitat loss and hunting. Tree-kangaroo habitats are being destroyed or replaced by logging and timber production, along with coffee, rice and wheat production. This habitat loss can make tree-kangaroos more exposed to predators, such as [[Free-ranging dog|feral domestic dog]]s. Being hunted by local community members also contributes markedly to the declines in tree-kangaroo populations.<ref name="panda1"/> Research conducted on Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo, a species that dwells in the rain forests of northeastern Australia, determined the frequency of causes of death. This showed that of 27 deceased tree-kangaroos, 11 had been killed by vehicles, six by dogs, four by parasites and the remaining six died from other causes.<ref>{{cite web|author=Chambers, J. |url=http://rainforest-australia.com/lumholtz_tree_kangaroo.html|title=Lumholtz Tree-kangaroo|publisher=Rainforest-australia.com |access-date=September 29, 2022}}</ref>

==Captivity==
{{expand section|date=September 2022}}
As of 2021 five of the species are held in captivity. These include populations of Goodfellow's (''D. goodfellowi'') and Matschie's (''D. matschiei''), with smaller numbers of Lumholtz's (''D. lumholtzi''), Grizzled (''D. inustus''), and Doria's (''D. dorianus'') tree kangaroos.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Blessington |first1=Jacque  |last2=Steenberg |first2=Judie  |last3=Schwartz |first3=Karin R |last4=Schürer |first4=Ulrich |last5=Smith |first5=Brett |last6=Richardson |first6=Megan |last7=Jaffar |first7=Razak |last8=Ford |first8=Claire |date=2021 |editor-last1=Dabek |editor-first1= Lisa  |editor-last2= Valentine|editor-first2=Peter   |editor-last3= Blessington|editor-first3=Jacque  |editor-last4=Schwartz |editor-first4= Karin R
|title=Tree Kangaroos Science and Conservation A volume in Biodiversity of World: Conservation from Genes to Landscapes  |publisher=Elsevier |pages=249–269
|chapter=Chapter 18 - Tree Kangaroo Populations in Managed Facilities|chapter-url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128146750000208#! |isbn=978-0-12-814675-0}}</ref> These are being kept in a variety of facilities across North America, Oceania, and Europe, with smaller holdings in Asia. The [[World Association of Zoos and Aquariums]] coordinates with regional zoological associations to ensure the coordination of breeding programs to maintain viable breeding populations and genetic diversity outside of the wild populations.

In November 2014 at the [[Adelaide Zoo]], an orphaned tree-kangaroo joey was transferred to the pouch of a yellow-footed rock-wallaby when his mother was killed by a falling branch. The joey survived, having been successfully reared by the surrogate mother rock-wallaby.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-30/adelaide-zoo-transfer-orphaned-joey-surrogate-wallaby-mother/6583042|title=Adelaide Zoo transfer orphaned joey surrogate wallaby mother|work=ABC News|date=30 June 2015}}</ref>

On April 29, 2022, the [[Bronx Zoo]] announced the birth of a Matschie's tree kangaroo joey, the first of its species born at the zoo since 2008. The joey was the size of a human thumbnail at birth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matschie's Tree Kangaroo Joey Is the Bronx Zoo's First Since 2008 |url=https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17492/Matschies-Tree-Kangaroo-Joey-Is-the-Bronx-Zoos-First-Since-2008.aspx |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=newsroom.wcs.org |language=en-US}}</ref> 

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
Image:Buergers' Tree-kangaroo back and tail.jpg|The back and tail of a [[Buergers' tree-kangaroo]]  (''Dendrolagus goodfellowi buergersi'')
File:Tree_kangaroo2.jpg|Two [[Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo]]s, (''Dendrolagus goodfellowi'')
File:Lumholtz's tree kangaroo-03.JPG|[[Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo]] (''Dendrolagus lumholtzii'')
File:Buergers' Tree-kangaroo, Dendrolagus goodfellowi redeye correction.jpg|[[Buergers' tree-kangaroo]] (''Dendrolagus goodfellowi buergersi'')
File:Tree kangaroo skeleton.jpg|A [[Matschie's tree-kangaroo]] (''Dendrolagus matschiei'') skeleton
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Fauna of Australia]]
*[[Fauna of New Guinea]]

==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{Wikispecies|Dendrolagus}}
{{Commons and category|Dendrolagus|Dendrolagus}}
* {{cite web |title=''Dendrolagus'' Müller & Schlegel, 1839 |publisher=Atlas of Living Australia |url=https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/187fdc55-bc69-421e-93f4-01c0aff24036}}
* {{EOL}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060509183845/http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Dendrolagus_goodfellowi/ Images of Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo (''Dendrolagus goodfellowi'')] – ARKive
* [http://www.zoo.org/treekangaroo Tree-Kangaroo Conservation Program at Woodland Park Zoo]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120124172216/http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/culture-places-news/mexico-human-reef-vin.html ''National Geographic'' coverage of tree-kangaroos]

{{Diprotodontia|M.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q325064}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Macropods]]
[[Category:Marsupials of Oceania]]
[[Category:Marsupials of New Guinea]]
[[Category:Mammals of Papua New Guinea]]
[[Category:Mammals of Queensland]]
[[Category:Mammals of Western New Guinea]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Salomon Müller]]
[[Category:Miocene marsupials]]<!--Bohra-->
[[Category:Pliocene marsupials]]<!--Bohra-->
[[Category:Pleistocene marsupials]]<!--Dendrolagus-->
[[Category:Extant Pleistocene first appearances]]<!--Dendrolagus-->