Doria's tree-kangaroo (''Dendrolagus dorianus'') is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in tropical mountain forests on the island of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

(in

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

). It is one of the largest tree-kangaroos (genus ''

Dendrolagus Tree-kangaroos are marsupials of the genus ''Dendrolagus'', adapted for arboreal locomotion. They inhabit the tropical rainforests of New Guinea and far northeastern Queensland, along with some of the islands in the region. All tree-kangaroos ...

''), living alone in trees and active at night to feed on leaves or fruit. It belongs to the macropod family (

Macropodidae Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and ar ...

) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. Threats include hunting and habitat loss.

Distribution

This

marsupial Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a ...

is found in

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial ...

s of southeastern

island, at elevations between . The species was named in 1883 by

Edward Pierson Ramsay Edward Pierson Ramsay FRSEFLS LLD (3 December 1842 – 16 December 1916) was an Australian zoologist who specialised in ornithology. Early life Ramsay was born in Dobroyd Estate, Long Cove, Sydney, and educated at St Mark's Collegiate School, Th ...

in honour of Italian zoologist

Giacomo Doria Marquis Giacomo Doria (1 November 1840 – 19 September 1913) was an Italian naturalist, botanist, herpetologist, and politician. He was the founder of the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Genoa in 1867, and director from then until his d ...

Description

Doria's tree-kangaroo is one of the largest tree-kangaroo species, and, on average, weighs between , its length is , with a long tail. It has long dense brown

fur Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily guard hair on top and thick underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as an insulating blanket t ...

with black ears and a pale brown or cream nonprehensile tail. It has large and powerful claws and a stocky build that gives it a bear-like appearance. It is mostly solitary and nocturnal. Its diet consists of various leaves, buds, flowers and fruits. The gestation period is about 30 days, after which, the single young remains in the mother's pouch for up to 10 months. Baby tree kangaroo on the chiefs wifes shoulder -Papua New Guinea-17Oct2008

Baby tree kangaroo on the chiefs wifes shoulder -Papua New Guinea-17Oct2008

;Conservation Doria's tree-kangaroo is an

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biol ...

Vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatening its survival and reproduction improve. Vulnera ...

. Its forest habitat is threatened by logging and forest clearance. Being large sized, it's also hunted for its meat.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q183489 Macropods Marsupials of New Guinea Endemic fauna of Papua New Guinea Mammals of Papua New Guinea Vulnerable fauna of Oceania Mammals described in 1883