The Matschie’s tree kangaroo has a very small home range—it’s endemic to the Huon Peninsula of New Guinea. (It’s also known as the Huon tree kangaroo.) Spending most of its time in trees, the Matschie’s tree kangaroo is arboreal, living in mid-montane to upper-montane cloud forests at elevations of up to 11,000 feet. On the ground, tree kangaroos are slow and uncoordinated, but in the trees they are bold and agile.
Despite their climbing and jumping abilities, tree kangaroos sleep 60 percent of the time, curling up in whatever tree they happen to be in. Matschie’s tree kangaroos are solitary, live-and-let-live sorts, basically ignoring one another even when sharing the same tree. Females do not share territories. Territory size of females averages 4.5 acres, while males claim overlapping territories of 11 acres. Larger territories increase breeding opportunities for males.
Matschie’s tree kangaroos are folivorous, eating leaves from a variety of forest trees, vines, ferns, orchids, shrubs, and herbs. They might supplement this diet with small amounts of fruit and flowers, tender grasses, and even tree bark!
It is estimated that there are fewer than 2,500 adult Matschie’s tree kangaroos left in their native habitat, and their population is dropping. They are hunted by humans for food and trade. Habitat loss due to expanding agriculture further threatens their population.
Credit : San Diego Zoo
Picture Credit : Google
