Tree-kangaroo

Abstract: Matschie's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei) are arboreal marsupials endemic to the Huon Peninsula in Papua New Guinea (PNG) Primarily because of an increase in hunting pressure and loss of habitat from agricultural expansion, D matschiei is currently listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature This paper reports the results of our study to compare the capabilities of Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT)-4 multispectral image data at discriminating dominant forest types at a remote research location in PNG Nearest-neighbour vegetation plots were established from July to August 2004 to obtain detailed information about the vegetative communities and guide class assignments Forests were separated into four distinct habitat types with Dacrydium nidulum dominant forests being the most widespread and the most accurately classified The comparative results indicated that Landsat-7 and Spot-4 had similar classification accuracies but the results were low because of the complex structure and heterogeneity of the forest communities and the limited spatial/spectral resolutions of the satellite data sources This research provides an improved result compared to past research and provides detailed information towards the future conservation of Matschie's tree kangaroo habitat in PNG

Abstract: Intense cyclones might be expected to adversely affect populations of arboreal mammals, either directly or as a consequence of the destruction of food resources and other key habitat elements. However, such impacts have rarely been quantified. The present study examined the response of five species of arboreal folivorous marsupials to severe cyclone Larry at nine sites in upland rainforests of the Atherton Tableland, north-east Australia. Sites were originally surveyed for folivores in 1995-7, and then resurveyed in 2006, six to eight months after cyclone Larry had traversed the region. All sites showed evidence of structural damage to vegetation, but overall damage levels (assessed in terms of canopy cover, damage to trees, basal area of dead trees and volume of woody debris) decreased from east to west across the study region. The detectability of rainforest possums increased after the cyclone. For the most commonly observed species, the proportion of individuals observed >5 m from survey transects was correlated with the amount of structural damage to vegetation. To avoid confounding changes in detectability with changes in abundance, only observations close (<5 m) to transects were used to estimate folivore abundance before and after the cyclone. On this basis, there were no significant differences between pre- and post-cyclone abundance estimates for any folivore species. Further, changes in folivore abundance after the cyclone were not correlated with damage to vegetation across sites. Cyclone Larry does not appear to have caused a catastrophic loss of key habitat resources for marsupial folivores at the sites surveyed. The high degree of folivory practiced by marsupial folivores may help make them resilient to cyclone impacts. These conclusions are more robust for three commonly observed folivore species (Hemibelideus lemuroides, Pseudochirulus herbertensis and Trichosurus vulpecula johnstonii) than for two less frequently encountered species (Pseudochirops archeri and Dendrolagus lumholtzi).

Abstract: Medical evaluations were performed on free-ranging and captive Matschie's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei) in Papua New Guinea. The health assessment included physical examination, morphometrics, cloacal swab; and blood, hair, and feces collection. Radio-collars were placed on free-ranging tree kangaroos to determine home range and forest habitat use. The free-ranging tree kangaroos were lightly anesthetized with tiletamine/zolazepam for the data collection. A total of nine free-ranging and seven captive tree kangaroos were evaluated; medical samples were collected from six and five animals, respectively. Results of physical examination, anesthetic monitoring, serum vitamin, mineral, trace nutrient, and electrolytes, whole blood heavy metal analysis, mycobacterial screening, and fecal examinations are presented. Free-ranging tree kangaroos had significantly lower values for beta carotene, copper, selenium, molybdenum, lead, and arsenic and significantly higher values for vitamin E than ca...

Abstract: Dendrolagus scottae n.sp. inhabits mossy forest above 1,200 m on the North Coast Range, Papua New Guinea. Its total known habitat area is estimated at about 25-40 km2• The species is gravely endangered, and its plight is symptomatic of that of many large mammals in Melanesia. Dendrolagus scottae differs from all other tree-kangaroos in its uniform blackish colouration, narrow but long dentary, shallow face, and wide P/3 with a large posterobuccal cusp. The combination of large cheekteeth but small masticatory muscles suggest that D. scottae n.sp. has a different feeding strategy to other tree-kangaroos. Dendrolagus scottae n.sp. and D. dorianus possess a number of features which are unique among near relatives. These include the presence of a greatly reduced superior lachrymal foramen, large cheekteeth, uniformly dark dorsal and ventral colouration, and a very short tail. These derived features indicate that these two species are each other's closest relatives. FLANNERY, T.F. & L. SERI, 1990. Dendrolagus scottae n.sp. (Marsupialia: Macropodidae): a new treekangaroo from Papua New Guinea. Records of the Australian Museum 42(3): 237-245. The tree-kangaroos (genus Dendrolagus) are the only arboreal members of the marsupial family Macropodidae, which also includes the more familiar terrestrial kangaroos and wallabies. Tree-kangaroos are restricted to the rainforests of both north-eastern Australia (two species) and New Guinea (seven species). The two Australian species and the New Guinean Dendrolagus inustus form a plesiomorphic group (Groves, 1982; Flannery & Szalay, 1982). Dendrolagus inustus is the only species previously reported from the North Coast Range. A group of specialised, highly arboreally-adapted species inhabits the New Guinean Central Cordillera and some outlying ranges (Groves, 1982) (Fig. 1). Dendrolagus dorianus is the most apomorphic member of this group. It is largely restricted to high-altitude mossy forests along the Central Cordillera, but one subspecies inhabits the Wondiwoi Peninsula of Irian Jaya. Dendrolagus dorianus, the largest previously-known species, is almost bear-like in its proportions, with foreand hindlimbs subequal in length, a domed forehead and a very short tail. In addition to the living species, a very large extinct species (Dendrolagus noibano) is known from Pleistocene fossil remains from Chimbu Province Papua New Guinea (Flannery, Mountain & Aplin, 1983). It is dentally and 237