Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo
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| Image:Tree kangaroo2.jpg Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo
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| Dendrolagus goodfellowi Thomas, 1908 |
Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi), also called the Ornate Tree Kangaroo, belongs to the family Macropodidae, which includes kangaroos, wallabies and their relatives,<ref>The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors (1995-2006).Family Macropodidae. Retrieved August 5, 2006.</ref> and the genus Dendrolagus, with nine other species.<ref>The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors (1995-2006).Genus Dendrolagus. Retrieved August 5, 2006.</ref> The species is native to the rainforests of New Guinea, and the border of central Irian Jaya in Indonesia.<ref name="Animalinfo">Animal Info (1999-2005). Animal Info - Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo. Retrieved August 3, 2006.</ref>. Under the IUCN classification, the species is listed as Endangered.<ref>International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (2006). Dendrolagus goodfellowi. Retrieved August 3, 2006.</ref> which is a result of overhunting and human encroachment on their habitat.<ref>Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (2006). Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo - captive breeding program. Retrieved August 3, 2006.</ref>
They are slow and clumsy on the ground; they move at about walking pace and hop awkwardly, leaning their body far forward to balance the heavy tail. But in trees they are bold and agile. They climb by wrapping the forelimbs around the trunk of a tree and hopping with the powerful hind legs, allowing the forelimbs to slide. They have extraordinary jumping ability and have been known to jump to the ground from heights of 30 feet without ill effect. <ref name="WWF">World Wildlife Fund (2006). Tree Kangaroos. Retrieved August 3, 2006.</ref>
Although they feed mainly on the leaves of the Silkwood tree<ref> "Goodfellow's tree kangaroo". Funk & Wagnalls Wildlife Encyclopedia 20: pg 2397. (1974). New York, N.Y.: Funk and Wagnalls.</ref> (Flindersia pimenteliana) other morsels are accepted when available, including various fruits, cereals, flowers and grasses.<ref name="discovery">Discovery Communications Inc. (2006). Goodfellow's tree kangaroo. Retrieved August 3, 2006.</ref> They have large stomachs that function as fermentation vats, similar to the stomachs of cows and other ruminant herbivores, where bacteria break down fibrous leaves and grasses.<ref>The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors (1995-2006).Dendrolagus goodfellowi. Retrieved August 3, 2006.</ref>
Goodfellow's tree kangaroo, like other tree kangaroos, are quite different in appearance from terrestrial kangaroos. Unlike their land dwelling cousins, their legs are not disproportionately large compared to their forelimbs which are strong and end in hooked claws for grasping tree limbs, and they have long tails for balance. All of these features help them with a predominatly arboreal existence. Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroos have short, woolly fur,<ref>Melbourne Zoo (2006). Animal Fact Sheet: Goodfellow's Tree-Kangaroo. Retrieved August 3, 2006.</ref> usually Chestnut to red-brown in color, gray-brown faces, yellow-colored cheeks and feet; a pale belly,<ref name="discovery">discovery.</ref> long, golden brown tails, and two golden stripes on their backsides. <ref name="WWF">WWF</ref> They weigh approximately 7 kg (about 15 lb).<ref name="Animalinfo">Animalinfo</ref>
