Tree kangaroo

Tree kangaroo

“Tree kangaroo, a kangaroo that lives almost entirely in the trees!

It can be found in the forests of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia. Tree kangaroo and the kangaroos we associate with Australia both fall under the umbrella of Macropods – the family of plant-eating marsupials that includes kangaroos and wallabies. Macropods all used to dwell in trees but millions of years ago they came down to live on the ground. Ancestors of tree kangaroos eventually went back up the trees, becoming the largest tree-dwelling mammals in Australia.

Its arms and legs are around the same length as its close cousin and it has much stronger fore-limbs to help in climbing trees. It eats mostly leaves and fruits.

Like their land-based brethren, they are also incredible leapers. They have been recorded jumping from the trees to the ground from as high as 60 feet or 18 meters without being hurt.