This remarkable species lives in forests of towering trees. Locals call it the “ghost of the forest,” because it’s so hard to find and moves so quickly.
This remarkable species lives in forests of towering trees. Locals call it the “ghost of the forest,” because it’s so hard to find and moves so quickly.
No one is exactly sure when this marsupial in the kangaroo family took to the trees, but it’s clearly well adapted for life on high — with long, bark-gripping claws, strong limbs for climbing, and a long tail for balance. These are good traits to have for an animal that spends most of its time 100 feet or more above the ground, nibbling ferns and orchids and looking out at dizzying views over the forest canopy.
Species Spotlight: Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo — an Elusive, Arboreal Marsupial • The Revelator
This remarkable species lives in forests of towering trees. Locals call it the “ghost of the forest,” because it’s so hard to find and moves so quickly.
No one is exactly sure when this marsupial in the kangaroo family took to the trees, but it’s clearly well adapted for life on high — with long, bark-gripping claws, strong limbs for climbing, and a long tail for balance. These are good traits to have for an animal that spends most of its time 100 feet or more above the ground, nibbling ferns and orchids and looking out at dizzying views over the forest canopy.
Species Spotlight: Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo — an Elusive, Arboreal Marsupial • The Revelator