Black tree kangaroo
| Black tree kangaroo | ||||||||||||
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| Dendrolagus scottae | ||||||||||||
| Flannery & Seri , 1990 |
The black tree kangaroo ( Dendrolagus scottae ), also known as the Scott tree kangaroo , is endemic to the Bewani and Torricelli Mountains in the north of the Sandaun province in northwest Papua New Guinea , making it one of the smallest ranges of all Melanesian mammals.
features
The black tree kangaroo is a relatively large, short-tailed tree kangaroo. Females reach a head trunk length of 56.5 to 72.5 cm, males are in most cases 72 to 75 cm larger. The tail is about the same length in the females (52 to 54 cm) and in the males (52 to 59 cm). The weight of the females is 6.8 to 9.5 kg, that of the males 9.5 to 11.5 kg. The fur is long and dense. The animals are blackish to dark sepia in color (the base of the hair is brown, the rest of the hair is black). The stomach is often a little lighter. The face and limbs are dark brown, the toes black. The ears are short and hairy. The tail is often lighter than the body with sprinkles of brownish-whitish hair. The base of the tail is whitish to orange-brown. Spots of the same color can also appear on the top of the tail and on the abdomen.
It differs from all other tree kangaroo species by its dark fur, its flat face, and the small masseter muscles in relation to the molars . Furthermore, it differs from all other tree kangaroos with the exception of the Doria tree kangaroo ( Dendrolagus dorianus ) by its size, the short tail and the large molar teeth. In contrast to the Doria tree kangaroo, the black tree kangaroo has less noticeable lower incisors and a wider third premolar. In contrast to the bear tree kangaroo ( Dendrolagus ursinus ), the black tree kangaroo has a dark throat and a dark belly.
Habitat and way of life
The black tree kangaroo lives in tropical mountain rainforests at heights of 800 to 2000 meters above sea level. It feeds mainly on the leaves of trees, climbing plants and ferns. It eats both in the trees and on the ground, where it lingers for a longer period of time compared to other tree kangaroos. Little is known about reproduction. Females have a single cub per year. The sexual dimorphism in terms of size suggests that the males are in intense competition for the females. Black tree kangaroos usually live individually. In areas with low hunting pressure, small groups of up to 6 individuals have also been observed.
Mainly because of its small distribution area, the black tree kangaroo is classified by the IUCN as critically endangered.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Mark Eldridge & Graeme Coulson: Family Macropodidae (Kangaroos and Wallabies). Page 705 in Don E. Wilson , Russell A. Mittermeier : Handbook of the Mammals of the World - Volume 5. Monotremes and Marsupials. Lynx Editions, 2015, ISBN 978-84-96553-99-6
- ↑ Tim Flannery & Lester Seri: Dendrolagus scottae n.sp. (Marsupialia: Macropodidae): a New Tree-kangaroo from Papua New Guinea. Records of the Australian Museum 42 (3): 237-245. [November 16, 1990]. doi: 10.3853 / j.0067-1975.42.1990.117
- ↑ Dendrolagus scottae in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Leary, T. Wright, D., Hamilton, S., slipway, K., Singadan, R., Aplin, K. Dickman, C. , Salas, L., Flannery, T., Martin, R. & Seri, L., 2008. Retrieved March 20, 2018.