MATSCHIE'S TREE KANGAROO
Dendrolagus matschiei

Our pad: Matschie's Tree kangaroos are found in the mountain forests of central New Guinea.

We're not easy to get a hold of! Matschie's Tree Kangaroos live in thick, inaccessible rainforests.

Where we live: Tree kangaroos are browsers and 75-80% of their diet is leaves, buds and fruits. They will eat bird eggs and young birds.

Look at me, look at me! Tree kangaroos spend most of their lives in trees and often appear to be giant opossums. They descend from trees tail first.

Reproduction: Females give birth usually to one young, twins being rare. One female may produce 10-15 offspring during her lifetime, which is generally 14 years in captivity. The gestation period is 45 days, but the joey spends 8-10 months in the mother’s pouch.

We tread softly: Tree kangaroos seem to move unsteadily along branches and on the ground. They owe their agility on sloping and vertical surfaces to short, broad hind feet and long-clawed toes.

The skinny: The literal meaning of genus Dendrolagus is "tree hare." Long hind limbs typical of leaping kangaroos have been modified in tree kangaroos and are slightly shorter than their powerful forelegs. This gives tree kangaroos greater control and balance for climbing and moving through trees. They are extremely agile in trees, but not on the ground. If trapped up a tree, they will attempt to escape by leaping to the next tree. Unlike other kangaroos, tree kangaroos can move their hind legs independently of one another.

Matschie’s tree kangaroo is one of seven species of tree kangaroo. Five live in New Guinea; the other two are found in northeastern Australia.

Status: Vulnerable.

Special Feature: Learn about Roger Williams Park Zoo's contribution to the conservation of tree kangaroos - a 50,000 acre conservation area in Papua New Guinea!

*Roger Williams Park Zoo is a participant in the Species Survival Program, a cooperative effort by zoos to manage the population of rare and endangered animals. Read more.

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