Tree Kangaroo

Tree Kangaroo

The Goodfellow’s Tree-Kangaroo is mostly brown in colour with golden yellow limbs, a long mottled golden yellow and brown tail and two golden yellow dorsal stripes. It is found in Papua New Guinea from Alotau right through the Central Cordillera and into the West Papuan border.

Goodfellow’s Tree-Kangaroos are primarily browsing herbivores, but can be considered omnivores, occasionally consuming small birds and eggs. The two subspecies of Goodfellow’s Tree-kangaroos are all considered endangered.

In New Guinea there have been widespread declines of most species of tree kangaroos mainly due to habitat loss and over harvesting for food (bush meat).

Did you Know?

  • Tree kangaroos can leap to the ground from heights of up to 18m or even more, without injury
  • Tree kangaroos are only found in Papua New Guinea (six species), Irian Jaya (two species) and Australia (two species)
  • Tree kangaroos live mainly in mountainous rainforest areas
  • Dendrolagus, the name given to tree-kangaroo genus, is derived from two Greek words, dendron (tree) and lagos (hare)

Our Tree Kangaroos

  • Torea – Male, dob 29/04/97
  • Tapini – Female, dob 27/02/96
Class
Mammalia
Order

Diprotodonta

Family

macropodidae

Species Name

Dendrolagous goodfellowi buergersi