The gray dorcopsis or gray forest wallaby
(''Dorcopsis luctuosa'') is a species of
marsupial in the family
Macropodidae. It is found in
West Papua and
Papua New Guinea.
Description
The gray dorcopsis has a long muzzle and small, rounded ears. The forelegs are relatively longer in comparison to the hind legs than they are in most other members of the
family Macropodidae. The tail is long and has a bare, cornified tip. The short, dense fur is smokey-grey above and paler grey beneath, with a yellowish patch around the single
cloaca
In animal anatomy, a cloaca ( ), plural cloacae ( or ), is the posterior orifice that serves as the only opening for the digestive, reproductive, and urinary tracts (if present) of many vertebrate animals. All amphibians, reptiles and birds, a ...
l orifice. Males are much larger than females, a male weighing up to while a female reaches . The head and body length is in males and in females, with tails reaching and respectively.
Distribution and habitat
The gray dorcopsis is
endemic to the southern and southeastern part of the island of New Guinea where it occurs at altitudes of up to .
Its habitat is tropical
primary
Primary or primaries may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Primary (band), from Australia
* Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea
* Primary Music, Israeli record label
Works
* ...
and
secondary
Secondary may refer to: Science and nature
* Secondary emission, of particles
** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products
* The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...
forest, in particular
gallery forest, and it is also found in disturbed areas such as abandoned gardens.
Status
The major threats experienced by the gray dorcopsis are the loss of its forest habitat through timber extraction and conversion to
small-scale agriculture and the fact that it is hunted for
bushmeat
Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption, most often referring to the meat of game in Africa. Bushmeat represents
a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity for inhabitants of humid tropi ...
. In the vicinity of
Port Moresby it has been hunted intensively and few animals remain. It used to be found in the nearby
Varirata National Park but it is unclear whether it is still present there. Because of the hunting pressure on this animal, the
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
believes the population is in decline and lists it as being "
Vulnerable
Vulnerable may refer to:
General
* Vulnerability
* Vulnerability (computing)
* Vulnerable adult
* Vulnerable species
Music
Albums
* ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997
* ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003
* ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...
". It advocates ongoing monitoring and assessment.
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q209620
Macropods
Mammals of Papua New Guinea
Mammals of Western New Guinea
Mammals described in 1874
Taxa named by Luigi D'Albertis
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Marsupials of New Guinea