Tree kangaroo Facts
Tree kangaroo Facts
|
| Interesting Tree kangaroo Facts: |
|---|
| Tree kangaroo can reach 37 to 70 inches in length and 15 to 22 pounds of weight. Males are slightly larger than females. |
| Tree kangaroo has reddish-brown coat with light-colored bands on the back. It has pale-colored belly, whitish-yellow face and reddish ears and feet. |
| Tree kangaroo licks fur on the forearms to lower its body temperature during the warm periods of year (evaporation of moisture creates cooling effect). |
| Tree kangaroo looks like a blend of kangaroo and lemur. It has short, muscular forelimbs and wide feet equipped with rubbery soles and large, curved claws. Its tail is long and narrow. |
| Tree kangaroo spends its life on the trees (arboreal animal). It moves in the treetops with ease thanks to long tail which provides balance. |
| Tree kangaroo can leap distance of 30 feet between the trees and safely land on the solid ground from a height of 60 feet. |
| Tree kangaroo is agile and flexible on the trees, but slow and clumsy on the solid ground (it slowly jumps with erect tail). |
| Tree kangaroo is diurnal animal (active during the day). |
| Diet of tree kangaroo is based on leaves, flowers, shoots, bark, eggs and small birds. |
| Natural enemies of tree kangaroos are pythons and wild dogs. |
| Tree kangaroos are solitary and territorial animals. Males occupy large territories that usually overlap with territories of several nearby females. |
| Tree kangaroos mate during the monsoon season. Males mate with couple of females, but do not form harems. |
| Pregnancy in females lasts 39 to 46 days and ends with poorly developed baby, called joey. Baby crawls toward the pouch on the mother's belly where it needs to find a nipple (source of milk) to continue its development. |
| 8 months-old joey is ready to jump out of the pouch. It returns to the pouch to sleep and eat until it becomes too big (at the age of 10 months). Young tree kangaroo depends on the mother's milk until the age of 13 months. At the age of 18 months, tree kangaroo is ready for the independent life. Tree kangaroos reach sexual maturity at the age of 2.5 (females) to 4.6 (males) years. |
| Tree kangaroo can survive up to 20 years in the captivity. |
|
Related Links: Facts Animal Facts Animals Facts |