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There are three species of tree kangaroo. They are * Lumholtz's tree kangaroo * Bennett's tree kangaroo and * Goodfellow's tree kangaroo. Only the first two are found in Australia, in the forests of Cape York in northern Queensland where they eat fruits and foliage. Lumholtz's tree kangaroo is also called the tree climber, though the Aboriginal name of boongarry is becoming more commonly used. It is a rare animal and is at risk because it is only found in such a small area of forest. The boongarry has dark brown fur with some lighter patches of fur being on the underside of the animal. It has a long tail which helps it to balance in the trees, because this is where it lives. Unlike other kangaroos, tree kangaroos can move their legs separately, like in a walking motion. This helps the animal climb liana vines and trees. Males and females look very similar. Females tend to be smaller in size. Tree kangaroos are not seen very often because they are nocturnal and because arboreal (they live in the trees). They tend to hide in the foliage during the day. Logging and clearing of land for houses and farms has further reduced the forests where they live. Also, their patches of forests are being fragmented further. |

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Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo |