Matschie's tree kangaroo in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Tree kangaroos (Marsupialia: Macropodidae, Dendrolagus) are some of the Australasian region's least known mammals. Basic questions concerning the population and conservation status of many species remain unanswered. However, there is sufficient anecdotal evidence of population decline and local extinctions to designate tree kangaroos as New Guinea's most endangered mammal group. Tree kangaroo dung was sampled at four sites in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Distance sampling andysis was used to estimate tree kangaroo dung pellet densities for two of these sites. Pooled results for three trials at these sites give estimates of 51.2 - 109.8 pellets/ha for Matschie's tree kangaroo {Dendrolagus matschiei). Captive defecation rates for D. matschiei and three other tree kangaroo species were determined. Using this rate as well as a measured average pellet alteration time of approximately three days gave animal density estimates of 0.6-1.4 animals/hectare for the three trials. The precision of the density estimates is affected by uncertainties in the identification of tree kangaroo dung, by the equivalency of captive versus wild pellet production rates, and in the rate and constancy of dung decomposition. Possible solutions for these problems are discussed. The results indicate that distance sampling analysis of dung pellet counts shows promise at colder, higher altitude sites in New Guinea but may not be appropriate for hotter, lower elevation areas with high coprophagous arthropod populations. Tree kangaroo food plants were documented. Food plants for Matschie's (D. matschiei). Dona's {Dendrolagus dorianus), and Goodfellow's {Dendrolagus goodfellowi) tree kangaroos were collected at two sites with the aid of landowners, and later identified by botanists in Papua New Guinea and Australia. The collections support Australian data that tree kangaroos are browsers, with the largest proportion of their diet coming from leaves and shoots from a wide variety of plants from at least 40 families for Matschie's, and 33 families for Goodfellow's and Doria's. Landowners from different areas of the country were in agreement that tree kangaroos favour eating leaves and stems of plants, with fruits and flowers comprising a relatively minor proportion of the animals' diets. Additional information on tree kangaroo biology and conservation status was obtained through the use of formal and informal landowner interviews. Interview methodology was insufficient to produce many quantifiable results, but did give novel insights into tree kangaroo natural history, distribution, conservation status, and human utilisation. The interviewee responses indicate that the conservation status of the Matschie's tree kangaroo, D. matschiei, is perceived to have declined in recent decades, but this decline is not uniform. The current economic downturn in PNG may be encouraging overhunting in some areas as villagers search for ways to supplement their incomes. However, in other areas tree kangaroo numbers may be stable or increasing due to sociocultural and economic changes that have led to a decline in hunting intensity.

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