Dorcopsulus macleayi

6.

Macleay’s Forest Wallaby

Dorcopsulus macleayi

French: Wallaby de Macleay / German: Macleay-Buschkanguru / Spanish: Ualabi de bosque de Macleay

Other common names: Macleay's Dorcopsis, Macleay’s Dorcopsulus, Papuan Dorcopsis, Papuan Forest Wallaby

Taxonomy. Dorcopsis macleayi Miklouho- Maclay, 1885,

“South Coast of New Guinea, inland from Hanuabada,” Papua New Guinea.

Research is required to clarify relationship of D. macleayi and D. vanheurni, which are often confused in the field and in museum collections and have previously been regarded as conspecific. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE New Guinea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 43.5-46 cm, tail 31.5-34.6 cm; weight 2.5-3.4 kg. Gray-brown to dark brown dorsally, paler ventrally. Limbs same color as body. Tail furred at base, but terminal third is naked and pale. Ear tips also unfurred. Similar to the Small Forest Wallaby (D. vanheurni) but larger, with less rounded ears, lighter and less glossy fur, a shortertail, and a pale naked tail tip.

Habitat. Mid-montane rainforest, 1000-1800 m elevation.

Food and Feeding. Little is known about the food preferences ofthis forest wallaby, but it is likely a mixed diet, including fungi.

Breeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but females most likely produce a single young and breed continuously.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. This species is not facing any known major threats. It is subject to some local subsistence hunting. Additional research on taxonomy, distribution, abundance, general ecology, and impact of potential threats is required.

Bibliography. Aplin, Dickman & Salas (2008), Flannery (1990a, 1995a), Groves (2005b), Menzies (1991), Mikluoho-Maclay (1885), Sanson (1989).