Dendrolagus ursinus (Temminck, 1836)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Macropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 630-735 : 704

19.

Vogelkop Tree Kangaroo

Dendrolagus ursinus

French: Dendrolague noir / German: Baren-Baumkanguru / Spanish: Canguro arboricola de Vogelkop

Other common names: Black Tree Kangaroo, Ursine Tree Kangaroo, Vogelkop Tree-kangaroo, White-throated Tree Kangaroo

Taxonomy. Hypsiprymnus wursinus Temminck, 1836 ,

Mount Lamantsjieri , near Triton Bay, Lobo District, Fakfak Division, West Papua, Indonesia.

Monotypic.

Distribution. Bird’s Head (= Vogelkop) and Bomberai (= Fakfak) peninsulas, NW New Guinea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 53-73 cm, tail 59-72 cm. No specific data are available for body weight. Medium-sized, dark tree kangaroo with tufted ears. Black dorsally, including limbs, paws, and feet; paler (brownish white) ventrally. Single-hair whorl on dorsal midline below shoulders. Face pale brown, with white or reddish cheeks. Ears long, black, and tufted at tips. Black, well-furred tail is of similar length to head and body; a white tail tip usually present. Diploid chromosome number is 12.

Habitat. Montane tropical rainforest, from 1000 m to 2500 m elevation. An historical sight record from lowland forest remains unverified.

Food and Feeding. Poorly known. Reported as consuming leaves and sometimes fruit of forest trees. Captive animals also consumed twigs, bark, flowers, rice, bread, vegetables, and meat.

Breeding. Poorly known. Females produce a single young and may breed throughout year.

Activity patterns. Poorly known. Diurnal in captivity.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. This is a rare species that has been eliminated from the more densely humanpopulated parts of its range. It appears to be continuing to decline, and is at risk from hunting by local people for food and from loss of habitat as forest is cleared for agriculture. It occurs in one protected area. Vogelkop Tree Kangaroos have occasionally been maintained in international zoos, but a self-sustaining captive population has not been established. Additional research on distribution, abundance, general ecology, and impact of threats is required.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995a), Flannery et al. (1996), Hayman (1989), Husson & Rappard (1958), Leary, Seri, Wright, Hamilton, Helgen, Singadan, Menzies, Allison, James, Dickman, Aplin, Salas et al. (2008a), Menzies (2011).

Figures

10. Rufous-bellied Pademelon (Thylogale billardieru), 11. Red-necked Pademelon (Thylogale thetis), 12. Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica), 13. New Guinea Pademelon (Thylogale browni), 14. Dusky Pademelon (Thylogale brunii), 15. Calaby’s Pademelon (Thylogale calabyi), 16. Bennett's Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus), 17. Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi), 18. Grizzled Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus inustus), 19. Vogelkop Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus ursinus), 20. Dingiso (Dendrolagus mbaiso), 21. Doria’s. 9 Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus (- dorianus), 22. Scott’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus scottae), 23. Goodfellow’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi), 24. Huon Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschie), 25. Lowland Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus spadix)

Distribution. Bird’s Head (= Vogelkop) and Bomberai (= Fakfak) peninsulas, NW New Guinea.