Fun Golden-mantled Tree-kangaroo Facts For Kids
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The golden-mantled tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus pulcherrimus) was discovered as a new species of tree kangaroo in the Torricelli Mountains of Papua New Guinea in 1990.
Again in 2005, the second population of this marsupial species was seen on the Indonesian side of New Guinea. However, scientists believe that few of these animals and their population is continuously decreasing.
Due to heavy habitat loss, the golden-mantled tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus pulcherrimus) has been extinct from most of its historical range. Presently they are considered to be the most Critically Endangered species among all the tree kangaroos.
This species of the marsupial is native to the montane forests of Papua New Guinea. Their appearance has a close resemblance to the Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo, almost to the point where the golden-mantled kangaroo is sometimes regarded as a subspecies.
For more relatable content, check out these Matschie's tree kangaroo facts and tree kangaroo facts for kids.
Golden-Mantled Tree-Kangaroo Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo?
The golden-mantled tree-kangaroo is a species of tree kangaroo that belongs to the family of Macropodidae under the genus Dendrolagus.
What class of animal does a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo belong to?
The golden-mantled tree-kangaroo belongs to the Mammalia class of the Animalia kingdom.
How many golden-mantled tree-kangaroos are there in the world?
The estimated population size of mature individuals of the golden-mantled tree-kangaroo (Dendrolagus pulcherrimus) is 500.
Where does a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo live?
These tree kangaroos are primarily found in only two places, the Foja mountains of northeastern Papua province in western New Guinea of Indonesia and the Torricelli Mountains of northwestern New Guinea.
What is a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo's habitat?
In the mountains, tree kangaroos, mostly have their habitat high up in the cloud forests at elevations between 4,000-11,000 ft (1,219.2-3,352.8 m). They have adapted to their surroundings and prefer to spend most of their time among the trees.
This species of tree kangaroos can also survive a jump from a height of 60 ft (18.3 m) to the forest floor without a single scratch.
Who does a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo live with?
The golden-mantled tree kangaroos live most of their life in solitary, except their mating season. However, the mother kangaroos carry their babies and protect them until their babies are mature enough to be let out alone in the wild.
How long does a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo live?
The average life span of the golden-mantled tree-kangaroos is 15-20 years. They tend to survive longer than 20 years in captivity, and the oldest known tree-kangaroo lived up to 27 years in captivity.
How do they reproduce?
A female tree kangaroo attains her sexual maturity at the age of two years. During their estrous period, the female kangaroo comes down to the ground and searches for a male mate and approaches them.
The male displays some sexual actions like tongue licking, hissing, and swatting, after which they mount the female. The mating process lasts for about an hour.
The incubation period lasts for approximately 35-44 days, after which the tiny bean-sized joey comes out and crawls up into its mother's pouch. The joey then attaches itself to one of the mother's nipples to feed on her milk. The joey takes 10 months to attain maturity and crawl out of their mother's pouch permanently.
What is their conservation status?
The IUCN Red List had declared this species of tree kangaroos as Critically Endangered in the year 2008. However, the conservation status of this population is expected to shift up from Critically Endangered to Endangered soon, as the population in the Torricelli range is under the protection of the Tenkile Conservation Alliance.
Currently, the population trend of this species is stable, with 500 mature individuals under conservation in their popular habitat.
Golden-Mantled Tree-Kangaroo Fun Facts
What do golden-mantled tree-kangaroo look like?
The golden-mantled tree kangaroos have a similar appearance to other tree kangaroos. As they have almost the same habitat range and are mostly found in Papua New Guinea, their physical features are uncanny.
These tree-kangaroo species have a chestnut-brown coat, and the neck and feet have a yellow tinge. They have a pale belly with a double golden stripe that runs down their back. Their tail is long and thick with pale rings. They also have long hind legs, sharp long nails, and have a sponge-like grip on their feet and paws.
*We've been unable to source an image of a golden-mantled tree kangaroo and have used an image of tree kangaroo instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a golden-mantled tree kangaroo, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.How cute are they?
This tree-kangaroo species is considered extremely cute for its appealing appearance. These mammals are smaller than other tree kangaroos residing in Papua New Guinea and have a more adorable face than the rest.
How do they communicate?
This species of tree-kangaroos use their vision, smell, touch, and hearing to move around their surroundings and communicate through visual displays, vocalization capabilities, and chemical cues.
How big is a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo?
A golden-mantled tree-kangaroo is relatively smaller and is 16-30 in (40.6-76.2 cm) tall. An actual kangaroo is 24-110 in (61-279.4 cm), which is almost double the size.
However, compared to other tree-dwelling animals like the ring-tailed lemur, whose height stays within the range of 15-18 in (38.1-45.7 cm), a fully matured golden-mantled tree-kangaroo appears to be bigger.
How fast can a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo run?
The entire species of tree kangaroos are very fast-paced and hence very hard to find. They easily adapt to their surroundings and use their sharp claws, strong hind legs, and long tails to climb trees and travel faster.
How much does a golden-mantled tree-kangaroo weigh?
The average estimated weight of the golden-mantled tree-kangaroo is about 32 lb (14.5 kg). The average weight varies from species to species as the average weight of the Goodfellow's tree kangaroo is about 16 lb (7.3 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
Unfortunately, there has been no specific name given to identify this species separately as male or female.
What would you call a baby golden-mantled tree-kangaroo?
A baby golden-mantled tree-kangaroo is referred to as joey.
What do they eat?
This species though it lives in the wild, are herbivores. Their diet consists of buds, tree barks, specific kinds of flowers, ferns, and grass shoots.
Are they dangerous?
Though these tree-kangaroos are considered very calm, there are still slight possibilities for the male tree-kangaroo to get aggressive and attack humans.
Would they make a good pet?
These tree-kangaroos are smart and of a very calm nature and can definitely be kept as pets, but as they are considered Critically Endangered, it is currently illegal to have one of them as a pet.
Did you know...
Golden-mantled tree-kangaroos are terrestrial animals and prefer to stay up on trees, and much like a three-toed sloth, seldom comes down to the ground. They are only seen on the ground during mating when the female tree-kangaroo comes down to look for partners to mate.
Even though they stay up on trees, they are still excellent swimmers and can swim quickly when required.
Historically, one of the biggest threats to this species was humans hunting and trapping terrestrial animals.
Are tree kangaroos and kangaroos related?
Tree kangaroos are terrestrial animals belonging to the family of Macropodidae and have no relation to actual kangaroos. They are referred to as tree-kangaroos because they have certain similar physical features which resemble actual kangaroos.
Are tree kangaroos friendly?
Tree-kangaroos are generally very friendly until they are bothered or feel threatened, in which case they get very aggressive and might end up hurting others. This trait is prevalent among actual kangaroos, like the red kangaroo, which gets very aggressive in front of any incoming threats.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our Victorian bulldog fun facts and patas monkey fun facts for kids pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable tree kangaroo coloring pages.
*We've been unable to source an image of a golden-mantled tree kangaroo and have used an image of Buergers' tree kangaroo instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a golden-mantled tree kangaroo, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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