Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo (''Dendrolagus goodfellowi''), also called the ornate tree-kangaroo, is an endangered, long-tailed

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

native to rainforests of

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the List of islands by area, world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is ...

. Like most tree-kangaroos (genus '' Dendrolagus''), it lives in the treetops and feeds on leaves or other plant matter. It belongs to the macropod family ( Macropodidae) 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. There are two

subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...

of the Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo: * ''Dendrolagus goodfellowi goodfellowi'' * ''Dendrolagus goodfellowi buergersi'' – Buergers' tree-kangaroo

Description

Like other tree-kangaroos, Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo is quite different in appearance from terrestrial kangaroos. Unlike its land dwelling cousins, its legs are not disproportionately large in comparison to the forelimbs, which are strong and end in hooked claws for grasping tree limbs, and it has a long tail for balance. All of these features help the species with a predominantly arboreal existence. It has short, woolly fur, usually chestnut to red-brown in colour, a grey-brown face, yellow-coloured cheeks and feet; a pale belly, a long, golden brown tail, and two golden stripes on its rear. It weighs approximately .Animal Info (1999-2005).
Animal Info - Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo
'. Retrieved August 3, 2006.

Habitat

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo lives in dense tropical rainforests and deciduous forests over mountain ranges, ranging from the border of central

Irian Jaya New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Austral ...

in Indonesia to central and eastern Papua New Guinea.

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 without harm.World Wildlife Fund (2006).
Tree Kangaroos
. Retrieved August 3, 2006.

Diet

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo is a

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat ...

. Although they feed mainly on the leaves of the silkwood tree (''

Flindersia pimenteliana ''Flindersia pimenteliana'', commonly known as maple silkwood, red beech or rose silkwood, is a species of tree in the family Rutaceae and is Indigenous (ecology), native to New Guinea and Queensland. It has Pinnation, pinnate leaves with thre ...

''), 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 are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microb ...

herbivores, where bacteria break down fibrous leaves and grasses.

References