Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo (''Dendrolagus goodfellowi''), also called the ornate tree-kangaroo, is an endangered, long-tailed, bear-like
mammal native to rainforests 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 ...
. Like most 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 ...
''), it lives in the treetops and feeds on leaves or other plant matter. 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 ...
) along with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other
marsupials. Its main threats are habitat loss and hunting. There are two subspecies: ''D. g. goodfellowi'' and ''D. g. buergersi'' (known as
Buergers' tree-kangaroo).
Name and taxonomy
The species name ''goodfellowi'' is in honour of British zoological collector
Walter Goodfellow
Walter Goodfellow (1866–1953) was a British zoological collector and ornithologist.
Career
Goodfellow began his career as a wildlife collector by collecting specimens for museums, but later concentrated on capturing live birds for private aviar ...
.
There are two
subspecies of the Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo:
[
* ''Dendrolagus goodfellowi goodfellowi''
* ''Dendrolagus goodfellowi buergersi'' – Buergers' tree-kangaroo
]
Description
Like other tree-kangaroos, Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos are quite different in appearance from terrestrial kangaroos. Unlike their land dwelling cousins, their legs are not disproportionately large in comparison to the forelimbs, which are strong and end in hooked claws for grasping tree limbs, and they have a long tail for balance. All of these features help the species with a predominantly arboreal existence. They have short, woolly fur, usually chestnut to red-brown in colour, grey-brown faces, yellow-coloured cheeks and feet; pale bellies,[Animal Info (1999-2005). ]
Animal Info - Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo
'. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
Behaviour
Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos are slow and clumsy on the ground, moving at about walking pace and hopping awkwardly, leaning their bodies far forward to balance the heavy tail. However, in trees they are bold and agile. They climb by wrapping the forelimbs around the trunk of a tree and hopping with the powerful hind legs, allowing their forelimbs to slide. They have extraordinary jumping ability and have been known to jump to the ground from heights of 30 feet without harm.[World Wildlife Fund (2006).]
Tree Kangaroos
. Retrieved August 3, 2006.
Diet
Although they feed mainly on the leaves of the Silkwood tree ('' Flindersia pimenteliana''), other food is eaten when available, including various fruits, cereals, flowers and grasses.[ Discovery Communications Inc. (2006).]
Goodfellow's tree kangaroo
Retrieved August 3, 2006. Goodfellow's tree-kangaroos have large stomachs that function as fermentation vats, similar to the stomachs of cattle and other ruminant
Ruminants (suborder Ruminantia) are hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The ...
herbivores, where bacteria break down fibrous leaves and grasses.
See also
*Fauna of New Guinea
The fauna of New Guinea comprises a large number of species of mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and amphibians.
As the world's largest and highest tropical island, New Guinea occupies less than 0.5% of world's land surface, yet suppor ...
*Fauna of Indonesia
The fauna of Indonesia is characterised by high levels of biodiversity and endemicity due to its distribution over a vast tropical archipelago. Indonesia divides into two ecological regions; western Indonesia which is more influenced by Asian f ...
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q209581
Macropods
Marsupials of New Guinea
Mammals of Papua New Guinea
Mammals of Western New Guinea
Endangered fauna of Oceania
Mammals described in 1908
Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas