Fun Wondiwoi Tree Kangaroo Facts For Kids

One of the Critically Endangered species of marsupials belonging to the family of macropods is a tree-dwelling mammal, a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo.  This kangaroo species is extremely rare and was spotted almost after a century. These marsupials are exclusive to the Montana forest in the Wondiwoi mountain range in West Papua, New Guinea, and their scientific name is Dendrolagus mayri.

As per the famous marsupial biologist at the Australian Museum in Sydney Mark Eldridge, the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is the most poorly known mammal in the world. Here are some more interesting facts about the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo for your perusal. Afterwards, do check our other articles on red kangaroo facts and Matschie's tree kangaroo facts as well.

What type of animal is a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo?

Dendrolagus mayri or Wondiwoi tree kangaroo species is a marsupial and entirely depends on a herbivorous diet.  It was first photographed by a naturalist named Michael Smith in Wondiwoi ranges and is considered Critically Endangered.

What class of animal does a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo belong to?

A Wondiwoi tree kangaroo (scientific name Dendrolagus mayri) species of tree kangaroo is a tree-dwelling mammal and belongs to the phylum Chordata in kingdom Animalia. It further belongs to the genus Dendrolagus in the family Macropodidae, the family of kangaroos and wallabies in the order Diprotodontia.

How many Wondiwoi tree kangaroos are there in the world?

Global Wildlife Conservation states that Wondiwoi tree kangaroos are so rare and elusive that they were seen after a century of being considered extinct. For now, less than 50 individuals are present in the wilderness of their habitat.

Where does a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo live?

A Wondiwoi tree kangaroo lives in a Montana tropical forest in the Wondiwoi ranges of West Papua, New Guinea. They are found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.

What is a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo's habitat?

A Wondiwoi tree kangaroo's habitat is the foggy, cloudy regions of tropical Montane forests. There they spend most of their time living on trees. They do come on the ground to pick up fallen fruits to feed.

Who do Wondiwoi tree kangaroos live with?

A Wondiwoi tree kangaroo prefers staying in solitary. They are sometimes even found in pairs and also mothers are seen carrying their young ones in their pouches.

How long does a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo live?

More study is needed to cover the aspects of this genus such as longevity, but on average a Wondiwoi Tree Kangaroo lives for 15-20 years on average.

How do they reproduce?

After the mating process between the male and female is over, the female Wondiwoi tree kangaroo conceives and the young ones are born after a gestation period of 44 days. Most of the physical development of the young mammals of this subspecies takes place in their mother’s pouch. After seven months since birth, the young one leaves their mother’s pouch but it comes back to nurse till it reaches maturity.

What is their conservation status?

As per the IUCN, these animals are considered Critically Endangered with their numbers being less than 50 in the wild. These numbers come from Global Wildlife Conservation. According to Mark Eldridge, a famous biologist, very less is known about this species, due to the lack of any viable specimen.

What do Wondiwoi tree kangaroos look like?

A Wondiwoi tree kangaroo genus is nothing like the ones that are found in Australia as they have peculiar claws. They are comparatively shorter, less muscular, and more on the bulkier side with light color. They have arms and legs that are almost the same size and forearms are comparatively very strong and assists them in climbing trees. Besides, they have a pair of short ears and a long tail. Their entire body is covered in light brown hair which darkens around the corners of the mouth. Also, their ears are covered in comparatively darker hair than the rest of their body. Also, they have a pink nose and beady eyes.

*Please note that this is an image of a Matschie's tree kangaroo, not a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo. If you have an image of a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo, please let us know at [email protected]

How cute are they?

They are cute creatures. While climbing on the trees and feeding, holding food with their small forelimbs, their sighting may appear even cuter.

How do they communicate?

Just like any other wild animal, Wondiwoi tree kangaroos have a really good sense of vision and sighting. They are able to communicate via their vision, sense of smell, and touch. Besides, they also use certain chemical messengers to locate their partners and others in their vicinity.

How big is a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo?

The exact length of an adult Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is unknown. However, tree kangaroos can grow up to 16-30 in (41-77 cm) and their tails can grow between 15.7-34.2 in (40-87 cm) in length.

How fast can a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo run?

Since very limited studies have been carried out on these animals, there is no proper data on their speed. But generally, tree kangaroos can achieve a speed of 2 mph (4 kph) while climbing on trees.

How much does a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo weigh?

Even though Wondiwoi tree kangaroos are smaller in size than an actual kangaroo, they are bulky and stout animals. The exact weight of an adult Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is unknown, however, the only specimen (male) weighed 20.4 lb (9.25 kg). An adult tree kangaroo can weigh around 32 lb (14.5 kg) on average.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The male and female species do not really have separate names, they are known as males and females.

What would you call a baby Wondiwoi tree kangaroo?

A baby Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is referred to as joey. The young ones, after birth, crawl up to their mother’s pouch where they live, feed, and stay till they grow enough to fend on their own.

What do they eat?

A Wondiwoi tree kangaroo just like any other tree kangaroo primarily feeds on an omnivorous diet. They feed on a variety of tree leaves, barks, fern, eggs, small birds, and flowers such as orchids.

Are they dangerous?

Generally, tree kangaroos are not really dangerous, they are playful and prefer living in solitary. A Wondiwoi may get aggressive if another kangaroo enters its territory. Otherwise, they are not a threat to humans.

Would they make a good pet?

These kangaroos are Critically Endangered and they are now very rarely seen. Besides, they need trees to climb on and an environment that can hardly be provided in a domesticated household. But if an organization decides to mimic their habitat and look after them, then they can be kept in captivity and bred.

Did you know...

The first-ever photograph of a Wondiwoi tree kangaroo was taken in July 2018 by a British naturalist named Michael Smith while investigating Vireya rhododendrons in the obscure area of Wondiwoi mountain range. This discovery surprised even Tim Flannery, the famous author and zoologist.

The information available about this species is known only from one specimen of an adult male which was gathered in the year 1928 by Ernst Mayr in the Wondiwoi mountain range.

These marsupials can be found living in the trees of the montane forests of New Guinea.

Are tree kangaroos related to kangaroos?

Both ground kangaroos and tree kangaroos belong to the family Macropodidae,  the family of plant-eating marsupials (kangaroos and wallabies). Ancestors of these marsupials were entirely tree-dwelling mammals, but some came to the ground and evolved to become ground-dwelling beings.

What is the rarest type of kangaroo?

Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is the rarest type of tree kangaroo. These monkey-like kangaroos are so elusive and rare that they were assumed to have been Extinct for over a century. After that, they were spotted and photographed in the forest of Montana, New Guinea for the first time. In the meantime, there was no specimen available for this marsupial.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Chihuahua Terrier mix facts and Dunker dog facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable wondiwoi tree kangaroo coloring pages.