Tree+Kangaroo+--+An+Endangered+Relative

=The Tree Kangaroo = =-- An Endangered Cousin of the Red Kangaroo =



As mentioned on our home page, there is now a **new "baby" kangaroo** at the zoo, a Tree Kangaroo named **Roger Paul**, who emerged from its mother's pouch just this month: July 2008.

According to Heather, one the zoo-keepers, Rodger Paul was mostly likely born in January or February, and it was not until sometime in June that he was finally noticed in his mother's pouch by some of the zoo's staff.

The particular species of Tree Kangaroo at the Milwaukee County Zoo is the [|Matschie's Tree Kangaroo], which is currently housed in indoor enclosures directly behind the outdoor Red Kangaroo area.

Matschie's Tree Kangaroos ( //Dendrolagas matschiei// )
Different from their ground-dwelling cousins, __They have__: + bigger & stronger forelimbs for tree climbing + pads on their feet for gripping trees + long, cylindrical tails for balancing in the trees __They live__: in the rainforests of the Huon Peninsula of northeastern New Guinea. __They are__: marsupials, like the Red Kangaroos, and have "joeys". __They eat__: leaves, fruits, flowers. (At the Milwaukee zoo, they are fed monkey chow, alphalfa flakes and more frequent offerings of fruits and vegetables, than what the Red Kangaroos are given, but not onions.) __They weigh__: about 15-17 pounds. __Their life span is__: In the **wild--about 8 years**, In **captivity--about 14 years**. __Are they endangered__? Yes, their species is __**not** stable__--instead it's on the list of endangered species. This probably explains why the Milwaukee zoo houses both a male and a female, (the parents of Roger Paul).

Habitat of Tree Kangaroos
+ Tree kangaroos live mainly in Papua New Guinea and near by islands -- they are diminishing in Australia. + They live mainly in the forest regions. + Tropical rain forests in the mountains are the preferred habitat for tree kangaroos. + Check out their habitat in Papua New Guinea map. Click on the markers, "ThumbTacks" and borders to learn more.



= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =**Thanks for Visiting our Wiki!**=

====We hope you enjoyed visiting our Kangaroo Wikispace and that you can take some time to visit the Australian kangaroo exhibits in person at the [|Milwaukee County Zoo], as well.====

__Photo credits__: All of the photos on this page were taken by our teammate, Marcia, in the Matschie's Tree Kangaroo exhibit at the Milwaukee County Zoo.