Dorcopsis hageni, Heller, 1897

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Macropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 630-735 : 693-694

3.

White-striped Forest Wallaby

Dorcopsis hageni

French: Wallaby de Hagen / German: Hagen-Buschkanguru / Spanish: Ualabi de bosque de rayas blancas

Other common names: Greater Forest Wallaby, Northern Forest Wallaby, White-striped Dorcopsis, White-Striped Forest Wallaby

Taxonomy. Dorcopsis hageni Heller, 1897 ,

Nova Guinea, Stefansort , ad sinum Astrolabe, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. N coastal lowlands of New Guinea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 42-60 cm, tail 31.5-37.8 cm; weight 5-6 kg. Highly variable in coloration, fur short and thin. Brown (varying from light fawn to dark blackish brown), sometimes grayish brown dorsally, light gray ventrally, underfur white. Characteristic pale (white to fawn) dorsalstripe, of variable distinctness, from back of head to base oftail. Limbs and tail lighter than body and thinly furred. Dark dorsal terminal crest on tail, tip naked and occasionally white. Paired hair whorls on back between shoulders.

Habitat. Primary and secondary tropical lowland rainforest, usually on alluvial substrate. Reported also from some disturbed areas, such as abandoned gardens.

Food and Feeding. Little is known about foraging habits of this species. Likely a browser. Its diet includes some epigeous (mushroom) fungus species; reported by indigenous people also to consume invertebrates.

Breeding. Little is known about reproductive biology ofthis species. Females give birth to a single young and are likely to breed continuously.

Activity patterns. Rests in dense vegetation and may be crepuscular or partly diurnal, but specific activity patterns are virtually unknown.

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 forest wallaby is not currently facing any major threats. It is subjected to subsistence hunting in some areas but remains widespread and common. Additional research on distribution, abundance, general ecology, and impact of potential threats is required.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995a), Groves & Flannery (1989), Hume (1999a), Menzies (1991), Vernes & Lebel (2011), Wright et al. (2008).

Figures

On following pages: 4. Grey Forest Wallaby (Dorcopsis luctuosa); 5. Brown Forest Wallaby (Dorcopsis muelleri); 6. Macleay’s Forest Wallaby (Dorcopsulus macleayi); 7. Small Forest Wallaby (Dorcopsulus vanheurni); 8. Bridled Nail-tailed Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata); 9. Northern Nail-tailed Wallaby (Onychogalea unguifera).

Distribution. N coastal lowlands of New Guinea.