Four feet up a tree

Around here, a rustling tree on a windless day is a sign that a tree kangaroo is perched in its branches. I spotted this one yesterday at the top of the drive way, where it was trying to grab hold of some tasty leaves that turned out to be just beyond its reach. After a few minutes, the tree roo gave up and transferred its attention to grooming. Everyone likes a well-turned out marsupial.

 

You can get an idea from the shape of those hind feet that the ancestor of tree roos was terrestrial. (Their closest relatives are rock wallabies, which live on cliffs and boulder slopes.) The hind feet are similar to those of other roos, although relatively broader and shorter. The most unusual aspect is that they can be moved independently during locomotion. Unlike other kangaroos, tree roos can not only hop but also walk.