Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo

About the Lumholtz's Tree-kangaroo

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) is a arboreal, long-tailed marsupial found in rainforests in northeastern Australia. Like most tree-kangaroos (genus Dendrolagus), it lives alone in trees and feeds on plant matter. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. It is threatened by climate change and diseases, and is found in the hilly, fertile Atherton Tableland near Cairns in north east Queensland.

The species name lumholtzi is after the Norwegian explorer Carl Sofus Lumholtz (1851–1922), who was the first European to record a specimen in 1883. The local indigenous Dyirbal and Yidiny language name may have been either "mabi" or "mapi".

It is the smallest of all tree-kangaroos, with males weighing an average of 7.2 kg (16 lbs) and females 5.9 kg (13 lbs). Its head and body length ranges 480–650 mm (19–26 in), and its tail, 600–740 mm (24–29 in). It has powerful limbs and has short, grizzled grey fur. Its muzzle, toes and tip of tail are black.

The Lumholtz's tree-kangaroos colonizes a variety of habitats, as long as they are flush with food and have stable... Wikipedia →