ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



CAPTIVE TREE KANGAROOS 

 In the Zoological Gardens at Melbourne, Australia. 



The Tree Wallaby 



These interesting animals are found in the 

 mountain ranges near the coast of northern 

 Queensland as well as in New Guinea. Two 

 varieties inhabit Australia, namely Lumholt's, 

 {Dendrolagus lumholtzi) and Bennett's, (D. 

 bennettianus) . The former which has long yel- 

 lowish-brown fur with a black chin and white 

 chest is found in the more southern districts 

 near Cardwellj and the latter which has long 

 dark brown fur. further north near Cooktown. 

 Like most of the other grazing Australian ani- 

 mals, they rest during the day and feed chiefly 

 at night. They live almost exclusively in trees 

 or on tops of granite boulders that are covered 

 with vegetation. I once saw one of these ani- 

 mals that I disturbed when in the latter situa- 

 tion, jump to a rock below, a distance of about 

 forty-five feet. It is wonderful the way they 

 are able to jump from bough to bough and rare- 

 ly make any miscalculation. Their long tail is 

 not prehensile and is used for balancing only, 

 and the soles of their hind feet are serrated and 

 that prevents them from slipping. 



The natives obtain them by going to the up- 

 per portions of the scrub-covered ranges in the 

 early morning with their dogs, and the latter 

 are frequently able to pick up the scent of a 

 kangaroo that has gone from one tree to another 

 or to track it to the tree in which it is feeding. 

 Some of the natives then climb any tree in prox- 

 imity to one that shelters the wallaby, to pre- 

 vent it escaping into it. while another of their 

 number climbs the tree that harbors the animal, 

 and either catches it by the tail or forces it to 

 jump to the ground in its endeavors to escape. 

 The other natives with the dogs are there on 

 the lookout for it and generally secure it. 



The tree wallabies frequently get from one 

 bough to another by going along towards the 

 end of a branch, and clinging to it with their 

 fore paws. As it bends they are enabled to get 

 a foothold on one at a lower level. They can 

 also jump a considerable distance from one 

 bough to another. As a rule, when the}' are on 

 the ground they lean well forward and keep 

 their tail clear of the soil. In ascending a tree 

 they do so by clinging with their fore paws 

 round a creeper and moving both hind feet up 

 at the same time; and they go up very quickly. 

 They cannot ascend an ordinary trunk of a tree, 

 but, as the forests in the districts where they 

 are found abound with creepers, practically 



BENNETT'S TREK KANGAROO 

 ey hoth elimh and nimbly jump from braneli to bran 



