Tenkile

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Tenkile [1]
Dendrolagus scottae2.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Dendrolagus
Species:
D. scottae
Binomial name
Dendrolagus scottae
Flannery & Seri, 1990
Tenkile area.png
Tenkile range

The tenkile (Dendrolagus scottae), also known as Scott's tree-kangaroo, is a species of tree-kangaroo in the family Macropodidae. It is endemic to a very small area of the Torricelli Mountains of Papua New Guinea. [3] Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss and by hunting. [2] The tenkile is listed as endangered due to hunting and logging activities in Papua New Guinea. The tenkile is hunted for its meat, and has been a main protein source for the local tribespeople. The local human population has increased in recent years, increasing demand for tenkile meat. Additionally, tenkiles are poached for their fur and are captured and sold as a part of the illegal pet trade. [4] Domesticated dogs also hunt tenkiles. [5] Deforestation in Papua New Guinea affects all tree-kangaroos, and industrial logging that occurs in the Torricelli Mountain Range decreases the species' already restricted habitat. The Torricelli Mountain Range faces additional deforestation due to the timber industry, and the production of coffee, rice and wheat. [4]

Contents

Description

The tenkile is a close relative of Doria's tree-kangaroo. It weighs 9 to 11 kilograms (20 to 24 lb), with males being larger than females. It is predominantly black with some chocolate-brown on its limbs and long tail, and whorls of hair on the shoulders. It has a powerful and persistent odour. [3] [6] Tenkiles have a noticeably long snout, and are able to both hop and walk bipedally. They are also able to raise their arms above their head, which most kangaroo species cannot. It is believed that this species breeds year round, with one offspring born each year. The young become independent after two years. The tenkile is believed to be the most intelligent of all tree-kangaroo species. [7]

Habitat

Tenkiles have a very limited habitat. They are found at about 900–1,700 metres (3,000–5,600 ft) above sea level in the Torricelli Mountain Range. Their total habitat does not exceed 125 square kilometres (48 sq mi). [8] The tenkile inhabits mid-montane rain-forests predominated by Podocarpus , Libocedrus , Araucaria and Rapanea .

Diet

Unlike other tree-kangaroos, which are partially frugivorous, they are mainly herbivores; their known diet comprises epiphytic ferns, green leafy material and vines including Scaevola and Tetracera . [6] However, focussed studies have not been conducted on the species' diet. Currently, research is being compiled from the knowledge of the local people and a collection of the animal's specific diet is being prepared. [8] Tenkiles have been known to look for their food either in the treetops or on the ground. [5]

Reproduction

The exact nature of reproduction is still being studied, however it is currently believed that they reproduce year round. [9] This would imply that there is no breeding season and females are free to mate as they please. Reproduction is thought to occur slowly with a single new offspring thought to be born once a year. [10] A young tree kangaroo is referred to as a joey, as is the case with all kangaroos. The gestation period for this extract species is currently unknown, but other tree kangaroos have a period of approximately 30 days; therefore, a similar period is expected for the tenkile. [11] Parental care is carried out by the females though the exact involvement of the males is unknown. Groups of a male, female, and young have been observed but so have groups of only female and young. [12] Newborns are carried in the mother pouch until they are old enough to leave, which can last up to a year. After being born the young will spend two years with its mother before becoming independent. [9]

The species' slow reproduction rate may increase its extinction risk. It was thought that the tenkile population could have been as low as 100 individuals in 2001. The low number of individuals meant a lower number of individuals to choose from when mating. The slow reproduction rate would also mean that it simply takes longer to replace lost individuals or increase the population.

Social interaction

Most accounts of tenkile social interaction in the wild has been recorded by locals in Papua New Guinea. When the tenkile was first discovered, most locals recount seeing the tenkile travelling in packs of four, comprising a male, female and offspring, but now most sightings of tenkiles in the wild are individual. [4] This is most likely the result of the decline in population over recent years. Not much is known about their options for communications, but it is believed that they use all available senses to communicate with each other. These senses include: vision, hearing, chemical cues and touch. [4] Tenkiles have not been known to be hostile to humans and usually stay away from human activity while they are up in the trees.

Status

Tenkiles have declined greatly over the past 50 years, including an 80% decline in ten years. It is currently restricted to three remote areas along the summit of the Torricelli Range, the eastern Bewani Range, the Menawa Range, and the Torricelli Mountains in the Fatima area of Papua New Guinea where it is found at altitudes between 900 and 1,700 metres (3,000 and 5,600 ft) above sea level. [3] The animal is hunted by indigenous people for food and the sub-population in the Torricelli Mountains is believed to number fewer than 250 individuals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed the animal's status as being "critically endangered" and a moratorium on hunting has been arranged with the local community in the Swelpini area. [2]

Conservation

The main group concerned with the preservation of the tenkile in Papua New Guinea is the Tenkile Conservation Alliance (TCA), which is a group established as a part of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2001. [13] The group’s main aim is to protect the biodiversity in Papua New Guinea and make the Torricelli Mountain Range, in northwestern Papua New Guinea, a protected area. The TCA works with communities living in and around the tenkile’s habitat through community outreach which includes school visits to teach the younger children about the species. TCA have been able to get 50 villages to join the hunting moratorium that helps in the conservation efforts of not only the Tenkile but also the Weimang/ Golden Tree Kangaroo. [13] The culture of the residents of the Papua New Guinea towards the tenkile has changed, as TCA has been able to substitute the consumption of rabbits, fish and imported meat with the consumption of the tenkile. As stated above, the tenkile faces extinction due to hunting, mainly hunting for its meat. This change has led to a decrease in the hunting of the tenkile for over 10 years. [13] Another conservation program implemented in Papua New Guinea in 2000 is the WWF Forest Program (PNG or FoNG), which aims to increase the biodiversity through community outreach programs. [14] The program also plans on contacting the government and other non-governmental organisations to support various conservation efforts and create conservation models that can be implemented across Papua New Guinea.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree-kangaroo</span> Genus of marsupials

Tree-kangaroos are marsupials of the genus Dendrolagus, adapted for arboreal locomotion. They inhabit the tropical rainforests of New Guinea and far northeastern Queensland, along with some of the islands in the region. All tree-kangaroos are considered threatened due to hunting and habitat destruction. They are the only true arboreal macropods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macropodidae</span> Family of marsupial mammals

Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and are native to the Australian continent, New Guinea and nearby islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dingiso</span> Species of marsupial

The dingiso, also known as the bondegezou or bakaga, is an endangered, long-tailed marsupial found only in mountain forests on the west of the island of New Guinea. It is a species of tree-kangaroo, which are mammals native to Australia and New Guinea that feed on leaves or other plant matter. It belongs to the macropodid family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like most other marsupials. Though sacred to the local Moni people, it is still threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matschie's tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

Matschie's tree-kangaroo, also known as the Huon tree-kangaroo is a tree-kangaroo native to the Huon Peninsula of northeastern New Guinea island, within the nation of Papua New Guinea. Under the IUCN classification, Matschie's tree-kangaroo is an endangered species. The scientific name honours German biologist Paul Matschie. The indigenous population refers to it as a Boongarry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo, also called the ornate tree-kangaroo, is an endangered, long-tailed mammal native to rainforests of New Guinea. Like most tree-kangaroos, it lives in the treetops and feeds on leaves or other plant matter. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) along with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. Its main threats are habitat loss and hunting. There are two subspecies: D. g. goodfellowi and D. g. buergersi.

The Torricelli Mountains are a mountain range in Sandaun Province, north-western Papua New Guinea. The highest peak in the range is Mount Sulen at 1650 meters. The Bewani Mountains are located to the west, and the Prince Alexander Mountains are located to the east. To the north, the mountains slope down to the Pacific Ocean, and to the south lies the basin of the Sepik River. Named after the Italian physicist and mathematician Evangelista Torricelli during the German colonial period.

The Bewani Mountains form a mountain range in northwestern Papua New Guinea. Together with the Torricelli Mountains and Prince Alexander Mountains it forms the North Coastal Range of Papua New Guinea. The highest point of the mountains is at 1,960 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo is a rare, long-tailed marsupial found in rainforests in northeastern Australia. Like most tree-kangaroos, it lives alone in trees and feeds on plant matter. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. It is threatened by climate change and diseases, and is found in the hilly, fertile Atherton Tableland near Cairns in north east Queensland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-mantled tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

The golden-mantled tree-kangaroo is a critically endangered, furry, bear-like mammal found only in mountain rain forests on the island of New Guinea. Like other tree-kangaroos, it lives in trees and feeds on plant matter. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. The range is restricted to two small mountain areas in the north and it is threatened by hunting and habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doria's tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

Doria's tree-kangaroo is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in tropical mountain forests on the island of New Guinea. It is one of the largest tree-kangaroos, living alone in trees and active at night to feed on leaves or fruit. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. Threats include hunting and habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grizzled tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

The grizzled tree-kangaroo is a furry, long-tailed mammal native to tropical rainforests on the island of New Guinea. Like most tree-kangaroos, it lives in trees and eats leaves, fruit, and bark. It is a member of the macropod family Macropodidae and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. The tree-kangaroo is uncommon and threatened by hunting and habitat loss. It is found in foothill forests of northern and western New Guinea and is indigenous to some of the offshore islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowlands tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

The lowlands tree-kangaroo, also spelt "lowland," is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in lowland tropical rainforests on the island of New Guinea. It is a species of tree-kangaroo, which are tree-dwelling animals that feed on leaves or other plant matter. Tree-kangaroos are in the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and like other marsupials they carry their young in a pouch. The lowlands tree-kangaroo is threatened by habitat loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ursine tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

The ursine tree-kangaroo is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in tropical forests on the island of New Guinea. Slightly larger than a cat, it lives alone in trees and is active at night to feed on leaves and fruit. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. It has a small range in northwestern New Guinea and is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Other common names for this species include the black tree-kangaroo, the Vogelkop tree-kangaroo and the white-throated tree-kangaroo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small dorcopsis</span> Species of marsupial

The small dorcopsis or lesser forest wallaby is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is found in the mountainous interior of West Papua and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is less common than it used to be and the IUCN has assessed it as being "near threatened".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seri's tree-kangaroo</span> Species of mammal

Seri's tree-kangaroo is a species of tree-kangaroo native and endemic to montane forests of west-central New Guinea. Seri's tree-kangaroo was originally considered to be a subspecies of Dendrolagus dorianus, but was elevated to species in 2005 by Groves.

<i>Dendrolagus notatus</i> Species of marsupial mammal

Dendrolagus notatus, the ifola or ifola tree kangaroo, is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea where it is found in high elevations of the central mountains. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting for food with dogs by local people. The species is usually considered a subspecies of Dendrolagus dorianus but has recently been considered as a separate species by Helgen in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">YUS Conservation Area</span>

YUS Conservation Area is a protected area on the Huon Peninsula, Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. It was established in 2009 as Papua New Guinea's first conservation area, and named after the Yopno, Uruwa and Som rivers that flow through it. The 760 km2 area of tropical forests is stretching from coral reefs off the northern coast to the 4,000-metre peaks of the western Saruwaged Mountains. It is a critical habitat for the endangered endemic Matschie's tree-kangaroo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo</span> Species of marsupial

The Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo is a critically endangered, bear-like mammal native to tropical mountain forests on the island of New Guinea in Western Papua. Elusive and rare, it was considered extinct until rediscovery in 2018. It is a species of tree-kangaroo, a group of long-tailed, bear-like animals native to Australia and New Guinea that mostly live in trees and feed on plant matter. Tree-kangaroos belong to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carry their young in a pouch like most other marsupials. The Wondiwoi tree-kangaroo is likely threatened by hunting, and is known only from remote mountains on the Wondiwoi Peninsula in northwest New Guinea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern New Guinea montane rain forests</span> Ecoregion in New Guinea

The Northern New Guinea montane rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in northern New Guinea. The ecoregion covers several separate mountain ranges lying north of New Guinea's Central Range and south of the Pacific Ocean.

References

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  3. 1 2 3 Flannery, Tim: Mammals of New Guinea, Chatswood, 1995
  4. 1 2 3 4 Cosens, Lindsay. "Dendrolagus Scottae (tenkile Tree Kangaroo)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  5. 1 2 Unknown. "Tree Kangaroo WWF". WWF. WWF-World Wildlife Fund for Nature. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Tenkile: tree kangaroo". Tenkile Conservation Alliance. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
  7. Hance, Jeremy (3 May 2011). "Forgotten Species: The Endearing Tenkile Tree Kangaroo". Mongabay. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. 1 2 Tenkile Conservation Alliance. "Tenkile Tree Kangaroo". Tenkile. Tenkile Conservation Alliance. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Tree Kangaroos". www.tenkile.com. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  10. Flannery, Tim (1995). Mammals of New Guinea. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. ISBN   0801431492.
  11. Nowak, Ronald M. (1991). Walker's Mammals of the World (Fifth ed.). Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
  12. "Animal Info - Tenkile". www.animalinfo.org. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  13. 1 2 3 Tenkile Conservation Alliance. "About TCA". About Tenkile Conservation Alliance. Tenkile Conservation Alliance. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  14. Unknown. "Forest Programme PNG (FoNG)". WWF. WWF- World Wildlife Fund for Nature. Retrieved 26 October 2015.