Hobbies And Interests

What Does a Tree Kangaroo Eat?

Tree kangaroos have traditionally been food for the indigenous people of Australia; however tree kangaroos prefer to eat only vegetation themselves. Tree kangaroos are found in the forests of Papua New Guinea, Australia and Indonesia. They have suffered severe population decline because of loss of habitat and they are an endangered species. Tree kangaroos have large stomachs allowing them to consume bulky quantities of leaves, and teeth shaped to tear them apart. They have a varied diet, with further variations having been introduced in captivity.
  1. Browse

    • High fiber bulky foliage, called browse, is the main source of food for the tree kangaroo. When too little browse is available, their feces becomes an unhealthy consistency. Tree kangaroos consume species of trees such as willow, maple, alder, ficus and elm. They eat the leaves and buds first and then strip the bark. Bamboo is also a favorite of the tree kangaroo, though when bamboo is provided in captivity, the kangaroos are reluctant to eat it. Bamboo dries out very quickly and it is rejected in this state. The tree kangaroo prefers browse that is fresh and growing in the ground. In captivity, a test was performed where pre-cut browse was put on the ground for the kangaroos to eat. Only 50 percent was consumed. When the browse was planted in the ground, 65 to 75 percent was consumed.

    Maize and Tea

    • In the wild, tree kangaroos also consume plants which contribute to the rich coloring of their coats. If the kangaroos consume fresh maize, their coats turn a deep red and bright yellow color. They obtain maize from farms near the edge of the rainforest in which they live. The tannin in tea turns tree kangaroos' coats a deeper and brighter yellow than normal. It follows that in captivity, where these plants may be harder to obtain, the tree kangaroos' coats are not of the same color.

    Fruit

    • Tree kangaroos eat fresh fruits in the wild. Rainforest fruits are eaten from the ground so long as they are fresh, or picked straight from the trees. Tree kangaroos venture from their rainforest habitat to nearby farms to take fruits such as apples and plums.

    Diet in Captivity

    • In zoos, tree kangaroos are fed on common vegetables such as celery, carrot, corn on the cob, head lettuce, sweet potato and beet root. Fruits include apple, peeled banana, tomato, pineapple, orange and various stone fruits. Fresh tealeaves are also scattered on the ground in some zoos, to maintain the color of the tree kangaroos' coats. Zoo keepers know that they must feed the tree kangaroos on large amounts of browse to make up the bulk of their diet, hence local plants are used such as mulberry and sweet potato leaves. Tree kangaroos will also eat oats, which are often readily available, and especially developed foods such as high fiber apple biscuits.


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