Mountain Filander
| Mountain Filander | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Thylogale lanatus | ||||||||||||
| Thomas , 1922 |
The mountain filander ( Thylogale lanatus ) is a species of kangaroo from the genus Filander ( Thylogale ). Until recently, it was considered a subspecies of the New Guinea Filander .
The mountain filander is a small but stocky representative of the kangaroos. The hind legs are large and strong, the front legs, however, significantly shorter. Their fur is brown on the upper side, the underside is lighter.
These kangaroos are found exclusively on the Huon Peninsula in eastern New Guinea ( Morobe Province ). Their habitat are mountain forests and grasslands at an altitude of 3000 to 3800 meters. Little is known about their way of life, like all Filandans, they are mostly nocturnal and tend to be solitary. Their diet consists of grasses, herbs and leaves.
The mountain filander is an endangered species. The species occurs in two separate areas with a total area of less than 5000 km², the populations are still being decimated by hunting. The IUCN lists the species as "critically endangered" ( endangered ).
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- DE Wilson, DM Reeder: Mammal Species of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4
Web links
- Thylogale lanatus onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved May 19, 2009.