Information on Australian Tree Kangaroos Tree kangaroos are an interesting group of Australian animals - they are macropods that have returned to live up in trees. Good on them – in Australia, it’s a niche relatively free from competitors, and tree-kangaroo-sized predators. Adaptations include longer arms and shorter hind feet than kangaroos, and a long skinny tail which helps balancing. Here are some facts such as where do tree kangaroos live and what they eat, and facts about Lumholtz Tree Kangaroo and other species found in Australia.
What Do Tree Kangaroos Eat? Tree kangaroos eat fruit and leaves, and move around foraging in tree canopies during the night. During the day, they rest up in trees on larger branches. They are usually solitary, but can sometimes be seen feeding in groups. They are territorial and males are very defensive about their territories.
Where Do Tree Kangaroos Live? Australia’s two species of tree kangaroos live only in the tropical rainforests of north Queensland. They are the last survivors of a group of tree kangaroos: fifty-thousand-years-old fossils have been found of a tree kangaroo as large as today’s red kangaroo!
Bennett’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus bennettianus) is almost a metre long, and weighing up to 13kg, it is Australia’s largest tree-dwelling animal. It has got orange-brown fur, grey face and black feet. It breeds all year around. Male occupies a territory of 25 hectares which covers smaller territories of several females. Female gives birth to one young which is independent after nine months but stays with mother for two years. Its species status is secure. It lives in Daintree tropical rainforests in far north Queensland.
Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo (Dendrolagus lumholtzi) lives in southern tropical rainforests around the Cardwell range and Atherton Tablelands. It is smaller, about 700mm long and weighs up to 8kg. It has blackish brown to pale fur, and dark feet, face and tail. Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo mainly forages in rainforest trees, but sometimes snacks on crops near the forest edges.
Where to See Australian Tree Kangaroos Tree kangaroos are not easy to spot in the wild unless you go spotlighting night time. Most Australian animals can be seen in Australia's many animal sanctuaries and zoo parks, but tree kangaroos are not common there either. I've heard about one exception: David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast has Lumholtz’s tree kangaroos on display.
NOTE: This website is written in British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all correct in the language used in Australia.
