Tree Kangaroo - description, habitat, lifestyle

Under the tree kangaroos means the inhabitants of New Guinea and Australia. These representatives differ from themselves not only in their habits, but also in their mode of existence. If the rest of the relatives spend most of their lives on earth, then the individuals in question are hiding in the crowns of the trees. Actually for this reason they got their name. Animals can live upstairs long enough, they eat, sleep and have fun there. The main enemy is human activity, this species is on the verge of extinction.

Description

1. The individuals of the family under discussion are rather unpredictable, differ from their relatives by their external data. In height of the hull, they grow to a maximum of 1.7 m. Although representatives of 1.3-1.5 m each are often found. The tail is given about 70 cm., The head and torso occupy another 0.5-0.8 m.As for the mass of the body, it fluctuates, and very much. Depending on the fatness of individuals indicators range from 5 to 17 kg.
2. In the upper section the body is pigmented with a gray-brown or black tone. In the lower part, preferably white areas. The lower limbs are shortened, which distinguishes these family members from terrestrial species. However, the sole of the feet is wide and large; there are sharp and long claws on the toes, which allow individuals to climb trees.
3. The ears are round in their format, the muzzle is short, especially when compared with similar relatives. The tail is lowered, it is necessary for balancing and maintaining balance during movements and jumps. When an animal moves, its body stands horizontally, and not vertically, like other members of the family.
4. Separately, it is necessary to touch on the topic of gender differences. Many people try to distinguish the male from the female in terms of dimensional features, but this is obviously a losing business. Sexual dimorphism is practically not expressed, as a result of which it is difficult to say for sure which individual of the sex is before your eyes.

Nutrition

1. The basis of the diet is food of plant origin. Individuals can extract it in the crowns of trees, where they spend most of their lives, or by land. The menu includes foliage, as well as small blades of grass and twigs. Due to the fact that food is not famous for its high energy value, this type of kangaroo is quite voracious.
2. When an animal is hungry, it pulls on a branch, thereby attracting the leaves to itself. The individual breaks and absorbs the foliage in huge portions. If the food is not digested, then the animal causes vomiting. Subsequently, it can become a meal. Due to the mobility of the hands of the upper limbs, many kangaroos wield their paws, bending and unbending their fingers, wanting to get food.

Behavior

1. Individuals of the species presented are more common throughout New Guinea and Australia. They prefer to live in tropical places, which are located 3 km. up above sea level. These are hard to reach places, which is why it is difficult to study behavior.
2. If you follow the already known data, animals spend most of their lives in the trees.They are located on thick branches, constantly chewing, sleeping and basking in the shade. When an animal is hungry, it can leave the refuge, at night going in search of food.
3. Unlike other animals, these kangaroos do not jump, but run. Their body is otherwise formed, as a result of which it is not possible to jump. In the hunt for food takes part a group of 3 individuals.

Breeding

1. These animals differ from themselves in that they can mate year-round. This is due to habitat features. In rainy terrain there is always food. Animals do not save energy, so they easily find a mate and build a family.
2. When an individual male sex meets a female, then publishes incomprehensible sounds. In this way, the male wants to attract the attention of the opposite sex. The sounds are similar to chicken clucking. If the female turns away, the man patiently waits and strokes her tail. After grooming, mating begins.
3. It often happens that several males may be interested in one female. In this case, quite serious fights begin to occur between individuals of the stronger sex. Such clashes strongly resemble classic boxing.
4. It is noteworthy that among the animals there are no specific rules, much less sports ethics. Therefore, individuals can easily attack even from the back. After the winner is revealed, he gets the female.
5. After mating, the female continues to bear the offspring for only 1 month. As a result, only one baby is born. The cub immediately climbs into the bag and continues to develop there. He does not stop to feed the mother's milk for a long time. In the bag the baby is completely safe.

The enemies

1. The problem mainly lies in the fact that due to the massive deforestation, some subspecies of the individuals in question are on the verge of extinction. Animals die out fast enough.
2. In some parts of the world, people for industrial purposes continue to hunt certain types of animals. Because of this feature, most species of kangaroo are protected. But as the mistress shows, it does not stop poachers.

Data

1. It is noteworthy that in Australia the specimens in question have been nicknamed “Boongar”.
2. Locals of New Guinea continue to hunt for these animals in order to extract meat. Love to constantly climb trees to catch an individual. Most often, hunters grab a kangaroo by the tail.
3. It is interesting that such an animal can jump from a height of up to 18 m. At the same time nothing will happen to the individual.
4. Discussed animals do not jump on the ground. In this area, they run fast enough. Due to long claws and short paws, such individuals excellently climb trees.

Status

1. It is curious that individuals belong to rather rare animals. The number of such animals is extremely low. This is due to the fact that they live in a limited area. Such individuals show excessive caution and try to behave imperceptibly.
2. They are constantly hiding in the trees. Because of this characteristic, animal biology has been little studied. Kangaroos have remote habitats. Most animals live in the humid tropics.
3. Moreover, such territories belong to the UNESCO World Heritage. Therefore, to reach the individuals is simply impossible. A plus can be considered the fact that in such areas animals are not influenced by human activity.
4. It is noteworthy that almost all subspecies of such individuals are protected. However, despite this, animals in some places are subject to potential danger. As mentioned earlier, people still prey on such animals.

Still, hunting practically does not affect the number of individuals, the main problem of extinction of animals is the deforestation. Due to the fact that the kangaroos slightly expanded their habitat, they descended from the highlands into the lying woodlands. It is in this area that cutting occurs. Animals perish en masse.

Video: tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus)