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Macleay's dorcopsis
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	Macropodidae
Genus:	Dorcopsulus
Species:	D. macleayi
Binomial name
Dorcopsulus macleayi (Miklouho-Maclay, 1885)
Macleay's dorcopsis range

Macleay's dorcopsis (Dorcopsulus macleayi), also known as the Papuan dorcopsis or the Papuan forest wallaby, is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest. Being little threatened by habitat destruction, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as being of "least concern".

Taxonomy

Macleay's dorcopsis was first described by the Russian biologist Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay who named it Dorcopsulus macleayi in honour of the Australian naturalist William John Macleay. It is the type species of the genus. Some authorities consider it to be the same species as the small dorcopsis (Dorcopsulus vanheurni), which has a much wider distribution in New Guinea, but Groves (2005) supports its status as a separate species.

Description

The species is a small, nocturnal forest wallaby with an average weight of about 3 kg (7 lb) and fur that is dense and dark brown to black. It differs from D. vanheurni in having about two-thirds to three-quarters of its tail covered with fur, compared to one half in D. vanheurni.

Distribution

Macleay's dorcopsis is endemic to the southeastern part of the island of New Guinea. It is found in hilly areas and lower montane slopes at altitudes of between 1,000 and 1,800 m (3,300 and 5,900 ft) where it occurs in both primary and secondary tropical moist forest.

Status

At one time considered to be a "vulnerable species", D. macleayi is now listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of "least concern"; the area where it lives is inaccessible and largely undisturbed, it is a common species and no particular threats have been identified. The indigenous people hunt this species for food to a limited extent, but not to such a degree as to warrant placing it in a more threatened category.

References

1. ^ Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 62. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
2. ^ Aplin, K.; Dickman, C.; Salas, L. (2016). "Dorcopsulus macleayi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T6801A21952872. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T6801A21952872.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
3. Strahan, Ronald; Conder, Pamela (2007). Dictionary of Australian and New Guinean Mammals. Csiro Publishing. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-643-10006-0.
4. Baker, Nick (2016). "Papuan Forest Wallaby Dorcopsulus macleayi from Moro, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea". SEAVR. 16–18. ISSN 2424-8525.

• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Macropods
• Mammals of Papua New Guinea
• Mammals described in 1885
• Marsupials of New Guinea