'" CARD 331 I TREE KANGAROO ,, ________________________________ G_R_O_U_P_l_: _M_A_M_M __ A_lS __ ~ ... ORDER ... FAMILY ... GENUS ~ Marsupia/ia ~ Macropodidae ~ Oendro/agus Tree kangaroos live high in the tree canopy, where they feed on the abundant supplies of fruit and foliage. These animals have remarkably long tails, which help them balance in the trees. KEY FACTS SIZES Length: Body, 1 ~ - 2 ~ ft. Tail, 1 ~ - 3 ft . Weight: 9-31 lb. BREEDING Sexual maturity: Probably 18 months. Mating: Year-round. Gestation: Probably 1 month. No. of young: 1. Time in pouch: 13 months. LIFESTYLE Habit: Night-active. Lives alone or in groups of up to 4. Diet: Leaves and fruit. Call : Loud alarm growl. RELATED SPECIES The 6 species of tree kangaroo in the genus Oendro/agus include the black tree kangaroo, Lumholtz's tree kangaroo, and the rare Mat- schie's tree kangaroo. Range of tree kangaroos. DISTRIBUTION Found in highland and adjacent lowland forest in New Guinea and in rainforest in Cape York Peninsula, northeast Australia. CONSERVATION Several species have declined in number recently because of forest clearance. In New Guinea, Goodfellow's tree kangaroo and Doria's tree kangaroo are threatened by hunting. FEATURES OF TREE KANGAROOS Fur: Mottled blackish brown; cream- colored underparts. Fur parts on the back or on the neck, and hairs above the part grow forward. TWO OF THE SIX SPECIES Bennett's tree kangaroo: Predominantly light brown with dark brown feet and 0160200991 PACKET 99 There are six species of tree kangaroo. Fossil evidence suggests that the ancestors of these animals developed in Australia. Toda}/t howeve" four of the species live in New Guinea. All tree kangaroos are specially adapted for life in the trees. They are strikingly different in build from their cousins, the ground-dwelling kangaroos and wallabies. ~ HABITS The six species of tree kangaroo inhabit tropical forests in New Guinea and northeastern Aus- tralia. They are difficult to study since they often live in moun- tainous terrain-in New Guinea, at heights of up to 10,000 feet. A tree kangaroo rests or sleeps in the day, crouched high on a branch. At night it feeds alone or in a group of up to four ani- mals. To suit this tree-dwelling lifestyle, its body is very different from the bodies of other kanga- roos. The structure of a tree kan- garoo's hip allows the animal to move its hind legs independent- ly of each other-something no other kangaroo can do. As a result, a tree kangaroo prefers to walk instead of hopping like its ground-dwelling relatives. When this kangaroo climbs a tree, it grips the trunk with its forefeet and pushes itself up us- ing alternate strides of its hind legs. When descending, it backs down, moving its forelegs alter- nately while its hind feet slide against the bark. This agile ani- mal moves rapidly among the trees, leaping up to 30 feet be- tween branches. Right: A tree kangaroo spends a great deal more time in the pouch than its ground-dwelling relatives. ~ FOOD & FEEDING Tree kangaroos feed both in the trees and on the ground. They eat some fruit but feed primari- lyon leaves. Since leaves are not highly nutritious, a tree kanga- roo must consume a great num- ber. Its stomach can hold and Left: Goodfellow's tree kangaroo is one of the most brightly colored of all marsupials. DID YOU KNOW? • In Australia tree kangaroos are also known by the Aborig- inal name boongarry. • A tree kangaroo can jump to the ground from a height of more than 60 feet. digest large quantities at a time. A tree kangaroo bites off fo- liage by pulling a small branch toward its mouth. This very dex- terous animal can also bend its forepaw at the wrist and grasp stems between its fingers. Right: A tree kangaroo employs its long tail as a balancing pole while climbing in the trees. • Tree kangaroos are hunted for their flesh in New Guinea. Hunters climb trees and catch the kangaroos by their tails or scare them to the ground- where dogs are waiting. Left: Lumholtz's tree kangaroo is a common animal in Aus- tralia's coastal rainforests. It feeds at night on leaves and fruit. Food is plentiful all year in the tropical forests, so tree kanga- roos do not have a set breeding season. Courtship and mating may occur at any time. In Lumholtz's tree kangaroo, a male courts a female by making a quiet clucking sound and gen- tly pawing at her head. When she turns away, he follows and paws her tail. The animals mate soon afterward. Rival males may fight savagely -wrestling, biting, and striking out with their forepaws. Often one male attacks another from behind without warning. The female gives birth to a sin- gle joey (young), which crawls into her pouch and attaches it- self to one of her teats. Once weaned, the joey continues to develop in the pouch for up to 13 months. Left: The rare Matschie's tree kan- garoo of New Guinea is a particu- larly good climber. CRABEATER SEAL ORDER Carnivora FAMILY Phocidae GROUP 1: MAMMALS GENUS & SPECIES Lobodon carcinophagus The crabeater seal is perfectly at home in the gloomy waters beneath the Antarctic pack ice-a world so forbidding and remote that scientists knew little about the seal ~ habits until recently. ~ KEY FACTS I i " ~ 1 SIZES ~ Length: 6 ~ - 8 ft. Female slightly larger than male. Weight: 440-660 lb. BREEDING Sexual maturity: 2-6 years. Breeding season: From Septem- ber to November (early summer in the Antarctic). Gestation: 11 months, including delayed implantation of 6 months. No. of young: 1. Weaning: 4 weeks. LIFESTYLE Habit: Lives alone or in groups of 3. Rarely comes ashore. Diet: Mainly krill. Also other crus- taceans, squid, and fish. Lifespan: Oldest known, at least 33 years. RELATED SPECIES One of the crabeater seal's closest relatives is the Weddell seal, Lep- tonychotes weddelli. Range of the crabeater seal. DISTRIBUTION The crabeater seal lives in Antarctic waters, generally south of the Antarctic Convergence. It occasionally appears as far north as South Africa. CONSERVATION The crabeater seal is easily the most abundant of all the seal species. Although some controlled hunting takes place, t he species is probably increasing in number. FEATURES OF THE CRABEATER SEAL Body: Slender, reaching up to 8 feet in length .. Weight of up to 660 pounds. Head: Relatively long compared with other seal species. As a "true" seal , this species lacks ex- ternal earflaps. Foreflippers: Have 5 digits. Cannot support the body weight , making the seal clumsy on land. Coat: Silvery gray-brown with blotches. Changes to creamy white as the seal ages.