#animal of the day

Dendrolagus matschiei

Dendrolagus translates into tree hare, while matschiei is in honor of biologist and ex-Berlin zoo curator Paul Matschie.

Family: Macropodidae (Kangaroo Family)

Fun Fact: “Tree kangaroos are very agile in trees and can travel rapidly from tree to tree, leaping as much as 9 meters down to an adjoining tree… They can jump down as much as 18 meters without injury“ (ADW)

Habitat: They are endemic to montane forests of Papua New Guinea, specifically on the Huon Peninsula.

Ecosystem Role: They are foliovores (leaf-eaters) that help pruning and regeneration of tree species. They have no known predators, besides humans, but likely larger birds of prey will hunt them.

Conservation Status: Endangered