🐙 Cell & Organismal Biology
Matschie's Tree-kangaroo
Matschie's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is a tree-dwelling kangaroo of the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea. It is listed as Endangered.
Matschie's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is a tree-dwelling kangaroo of the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea. It is listed as Endangered.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Matschie's Tree-kangaroo in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Mammals lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Kangaroos Back in the Trees
Tree-kangaroos descend from ground-dwelling ancestors that returned to the trees. They have strong forelimbs, rough paw pads and a long tail for balance and can leap down 15 meters or more without harm.
Hunted and Isolated
The species is hunted for food and its forests are cleared for farming. It is protected by community conservation programs in some areas.
Leaf Eaters
Like other kangaroos, it ferments plant food in a specialized stomach. See Red Kangaroo.
Matschie's Tree-kangaroo at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Dendrolagus matschiei |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Infraclass | Marsupialia |
| Order | Diprotodontia |
| Family | Macropodidae |
| Field Guide group | Mammals: Marsupialia (Metatherians) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Arboreal New Guinea cloud-forest dweller with mahogany-brown and golden fur, stocky forelimbs with curved claws for gripping mossy branches, and a thick cylindrical balancing tail. |
| IUCN Red List status | Endangered (EN), assessed 2016 |
| Range | Huon Peninsula, New Guinea |
See Also
- Red Kangaroo — a ground-living kangaroo
- Koala — another tree-living marsupial
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