Everything about Tree-kangaroo totally explained
Tree-kangaroos are
macropods adapted for life in trees. They are found in the
rainforests of
New Guinea, far northeastern
Queensland, and nearby islands, usually in mountainous areas. Although most are found in mountainous areas, several species also occur in lowlands, and one, the aptly named
Lowlands Tree-kangaroo, appears to be restricted to lowlands.
Evolution
It is understood that tree-kangaroos evolved from creatures similar to modern
kangaroos and
wallabies, as they retain many standard
macropod adaptations to life in the plains—notably the massive hind legs and long, narrow feet which allow orthodox macropods to travel fast and economically on the ground. Tree-kangaroos have developed exceptionally long tails for balance, and stronger forelimbs for climbing. The feet are shorter and wider, they've longer claws on all feet, and rubbery soles for better grip. Unlike orthodox macropods, who can only move by moving both feet at the same time, tree-kangaroos can move their legs independently.
The ancestors of all kangaroos are believed to have been small arboreal marsupials that looked like some of
Australia's present-day
possums. The earliest macropods diverged from this line when they descended to the ground and evolved bodies adapted for rapid motion over the earth and rocks. Why the ancestors of the tree-kangaroos returned to the trees isn't known.
Anatomy
Tree-kangaroos are slow and clumsy on the ground. They move at about walking pace and hop awkwardly, leaning their body far forward to balance the heavy tail. But in trees they're bold and agile. They climb by wrapping the forelimbs around the trunk of a tree and hopping with the powerful hind legs, allowing the forelimbs to slide. They are expert leapers; 9-metre (29.5 feet) downward jumps from one tree to another have been recorded, and they've the extraordinary ability to jump to the ground from 18 metres (59.0 feet) or more without being hurt.
Diet
Tree-kangaroos feed mostly on leaves and fruit, taken both in trees and on the ground, but other foods are eaten when available, including
grain, flowers,
sap,
bark,
eggs and young birds. Their teeth are adapted for tearing leaves rather than cutting grass. They have large stomachs that function as fermentation vats in a manner similar to those of
eutherian
ruminant herbivores, in which bacteria break down fibrous leaves and grasses. Although the arrangement of the stomach compartments in kangaroos is quite different than eutherian ruminants, the end result is similar.
Species
The following species are assigned to the genus
Dendrolagus: but some recent authorities have treated it as a species based on its absolute diagnostability. but as it's virtually unknown, most authorities have retained it as a subspecies of
D. dorianus.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Tree-kangaroo'.
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