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To many people, the suggestion that a kangaroo could live up a tree is fantasy. Yet, in the rainforests of Far North Queensland and New Guinea, there are extraordinary kangaroos that do just that. Many aspects of these marsupials' anatomy and biology suggest a terrestrial kangaroo ancestor. Yet no one has, so far, come forward with a convincing explanation of how, why and when mammals that was so superbly adapted for life on the ground should end up back in the trees. This book reviews the natural history and biology of tree-kangaroos from the time of their first discovery by Europeans in the jungles of West Papua in 1826 right up to the present day, covering the latest research being conducted in Australian and New Guinea. Combining information from a number of disparate disciplines, the author sets forth the first explanation of this apparent evolutionary conundrum. Features * Provides a fascinating and readable account of an unusual evolutionary conundrum * Written by a field biologist with more than a decade's experience working with tree-kangaroos
A brief introduction to kangaroos, discussing their characteristics, habitat, life cycle, and predators. Includes a range map, life cycle illustration, and amazing facts.
In this, the only up-to-date accessible and scientifically based book on Australia's principal icon, internationally known kangaroo researcher Terry Dawson gets to the heart of what makes these animals special. He shows how many features of their biology, such as their reproductive patterns, social structure and locomotor characteristics, confer great advantages in their adaptations to Australia's harsh climate and demanding environment. Besides covering widely the biology, ecology and behaviour of the ten different types of kangaroos, Professor Dawson compares European and Aboriginal cultural attitudes towards them. He explores such issues as hunting habits, conservation, kangaroos as agricultural pests, the economics of kangaroo ranching and the use of their products.
The red kangaroo is at the heart of Australia’s ecological identity. It is Australia’s largest terrestrial land mammal, the largest extant marsupial, and the only kangaroo truly restricted to Australia’s arid interior. Almost nothing was known about the ecology of the red kangaroo when Alan Newsome began to study it in 1957. He discovered how droughts affect reproduction, why red kangaroos favour different habitats during droughts from those after rains, and that unprecedented explosions in red kangaroo numbers were caused by changes to the landscape wrought by graziers. Most importantly, he realised the possibilities of enriching western science with Indigenous knowledge, a feat recognised today as one of the greatest achievements of his career. First drafted in 1975 and now revised and prepared for publication by his son, The Red Kangaroo in Central Australia captures Alan’s thoughts as a young ecologist working in Central Australia in the 1950s and 1960s. It will inspire a new generation of scientists to explore Australia’s vast interior and study the extraordinary adaptations of its endemic mammals. It will also appeal to readers of other classics of Australian natural history, such as Francis Ratcliffe's Flying Fox and Drifting Sand and Harry Frith's The Mallee Fowl, The Bird that Builds an Incubator.
Rat-kangaroos have not coped well with the impact of European settlement in Australia. Of the 11 species present in 1788, two are extinct, two are either mostly or totally restricted to offshore islands and the range of all other species has been much reduced. Habitat alienation, altered fire regimes, grazing, predation by introduced carnivores, competition from rabbits and timber harvesting have variously taken their toll on these little-seen animals. The rat-kangaroo was one of the first Australian marsupials to be seen alive in Europe. Collected close to the settlement at Sydney Cove, a pair of them were exhibited in London in 1789. These animals were called by the local Aboriginal people 'Pot-o-roo', and by the European settlers, 'Kangooroo rat'. They were the Long-nosed Potoroo, Potorous tridactylus, the first of what we now call 'Rat-kangaroos' to be discovered. Bettongs, Potoroos and the Musky Rat-kangaroo provides an extraordinary glimpse into the secretive lives of these unusual marsupials. It also reveals little-known facts about the critical functional role these creatures play in maintaining the forest and woodland habitats in which they live. Winner of the 2008 Whitley Award for Natural History.
What’s Australian, pocket-sized, and no bigger than a jellybean? A newborn red kangaroo! Readers will follow these marvelous marsupials in this delightful first-person narrative of a young “joey” and her family. This innovative text introduces readers to key science curriculum concepts such as life cycles, habitats, and adaptations in an engaging, playful way. Vivid illustrations and rich fun facts will entertain as they educate readers. The concluding quiz lets readers try out their reading comprehension skills, and an answer key allows them to track their own progress for an independent learning experience.
Readers discover engaging, fun, and fascinating facts about kangaroos. Kangaroos are social animals that live in groups called mobs. Except for an occasional boxing match, kangaroos live happily with each other. The vibrant photographs in this book show different species of kangaroos grazing, resting in the shade, and raising their young. Accessible text and a detailed graphic organizer guide readers as they learn how kangaroos grow up and what life is like living in a mob, in Australia.
