An herbivore and a browser, gray dorcopsis eat soft vegetation such as leaves, flowers, and fruits.
Plant Foods: leaves; fruit; flowers
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )
There is no information on gray dorcopsis predators. Social groups help to protect each other from danger because many eyes are watching for signs of attack.
The general color of the thick, short fur on the back of Dorcopsis luctuosa is dark smoky gray. The fur color gradually transitions from this color to dull gray on the chest and belly. A conspicuous yellow patch surrounds the cloaca. The fur on the nape projects forward. The tip of the tail is cornified and lacks hair. The fore and hind limbs of gray dorcopsis are similar in size compared to those in other macropodids. They have small, round ears and long, narrow faces. The dentition includes small upper canines and large premolars. The fourth premolar is greater in length than the length of the first and second molars combined. Dimorphism between the sexes is great; males weigh up to 11.6 kg (25 lbs), while females weigh up to just 3.6 kg (8 lbs). Males grow up to 970 mm in head and body length, and the tail is an additional 390 mm. Females have a head and body length of 525 mm, with a 310 mm tail. However, these ranges are based on the measurements of relatively few individuals.
Range mass: 3.6 to 11.6 kg.
Range length: 525 to 970 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Little is known about the lifespan of gray dorcopsis in the wild, but they have lived to nearly 14 years old in captivity.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 13.9 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 13.9 years.
Living only up to an altitude of 500 meters, Dorcopsis luctuosa inhabits dense, lowland tropical rainforests.
Range elevation: 0 to 500 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: rainforest
Gray dorcopsis are native to eastern and southeastern New Guinea.
Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: island endemic
Dorcopsis luctuosa are known to host several parasites which are listed below. More research needs to be done, as other parasite species of the gray dorcopsis likely exist. As a fairly large browser, D. luctuosa likely influences the growth of vegetation such as trees and flowers, and it is probably a disperser of the seeds of the fruit it consumes.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Gray dorcopsis are a food source for the natives of New Guinea. They are sold for meat in the markets of Port Moresby. They may be a tourist attraction in zoos, as gray dorcopsis are raised and held in captivity, and they may attract ecotourist interest in their native habitats.
Positive Impacts: food ; ecotourism
There are no known adverse effects of Dorcopsis luctuosa on humans.
Gray dorcopsis are not vulnerable or endangered currently.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: vulnerable
These animals can usually stop a chase or attack by lowering their head and stooping. As in most Macropodidae, stamping of the feet signifies alarm. Another behavior of the gray dorcopsis is to stand against a tree and rub their chest, which contains scent glands, against the tree. They also mark by rubbing their cloaca on the ground.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Gray dorcopsis are presumed to be promiscuous. A dominance heirarchy, which is established by size and fighting, generally dictates which males are allowed to mate. In captivity, males has been known to chase females and sniff around the cloaca before mating. By checking the cloaca, the male determines if the female is in estrus.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Female Dorcopsis luctuosa reach maturity at 15 months. Females give birth to one offspring, which travels to the pouch, attaches to a nipple, and suckles to further develop. Total time spent in the pouch is 180-190 days, but the joey continues to nurse after it has left the pouch. In a closely related species, Dorcopsis muelleri, the time until weaning is 270 days. The female gives birth to another offspring soon after the previous one has left the pouch. The gestation period is probably very similar to other Macropodidae, from 30 to 45 days.
Breeding interval: The female may give birth to another offspring once the previous offspring leaves the pouch, so time between births is around 190 days.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs year round.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 1.
Range gestation period: 30 to 45 days.
Average weaning age: 270 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 15 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous ; embryonic diapause ; post-partum estrous
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 450 days.
Female gray dorcopsis are responsible for parental care. A female may support up to three offspring at a time: an embryo, one offspring in the pouch, and another outside of the pouch. As a result, the mother may be nursing two offspring simultaneously. The mother produces different kinds of milk suited to the needs of each offspring. The joey is not independent once it leaves the pouch; the mother provides milk and protection from other gray dorcopsis. The mother may also engage in play fighting with the joey.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
The gray dorcopsis (Dorcopsis luctuosa) is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is found in West Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The gray dorcopsis has a long muzzle and small, rounded ears. The forelegs are relatively longer in comparison to the hind legs than they are in most other members of the Macropodidae family. The tail is long and has a bare, cornified tip. The short, dense fur is smokey-grey above and paler grey beneath, with a yellowish patch around the single cloacal orifice. Males are much larger than females, a male weighing up to 11.6 kg (26 lb) while a female reaches 3.6 kg (8 lb). The head and body length is 97 cm (38 in) in males and 39 cm (15 in) in females, with tails reaching 97 cm (38 in) and 31 cm (12 in) respectively (Shemes 2006).
The gray dorcopsis is endemic to the southern and south-eastern part of the island of New Guinea where it occurs at altitudes of up to 400 metres (1,300 ft) (Leary et al. 2008). Its habitat is tropical primary and secondary forest, in particular gallery forests, and it can be found in disturbed areas such as abandoned gardens (Leary et al. 2008).
The major threats experienced by the gray dorcopsis are the loss of its forest habitat through timber extraction and conversion to small scale agriculture and the fact that it is hunted for bushmeat. In the vicinity of Port Moresby it has been hunted intensively and few animals remain. It used to be found in the nearby Varirata National Park but it is unclear whether it is still present there. Because of the hunting pressure on this animal, the IUCN believes the population is in decline and lists it as being "Vulnerable". It advocates ongoing monitoring and assessment (Leary et al. 2008).
The gray dorcopsis or gray forest wallaby[3] (Dorcopsis luctuosa) is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is found in West Papua and Papua New Guinea.
The gray dorcopsis has a long muzzle and small, rounded ears. The forelegs are relatively longer in comparison to the hind legs than they are in most other members of the family Macropodidae. The tail is long and has a bare, cornified tip. The short, dense fur is smokey-grey above and paler grey beneath, with a yellowish patch around the single cloacal orifice. Males are much larger than females, a male weighing up to 11.6 kg (26 lb) while a female reaches 3.6 kg (8 lb). The head and body length is 97 cm (38 in) in males and 39 cm (15 in) in females, with tails reaching 97 cm (38 in) and 31 cm (12 in) respectively.[4]
The gray dorcopsis is endemic to the southern and southeastern part of the island of New Guinea where it occurs at altitudes of up to 400 metres (1,300 ft).[1] Its habitat is tropical primary and secondary forest, in particular gallery forest, and it is also found in disturbed areas such as abandoned gardens.[1]
The major threats experienced by the gray dorcopsis are the loss of its forest habitat through timber extraction and conversion to small-scale agriculture and the fact that it is hunted for bushmeat. In the vicinity of Port Moresby it has been hunted intensively and few animals remain. It used to be found in the nearby Varirata National Park but it is unclear whether it is still present there. Because of the hunting pressure on this animal, the IUCN believes the population is in decline and lists it as being "Vulnerable". It advocates ongoing monitoring and assessment.[1]
The gray dorcopsis or gray forest wallaby (Dorcopsis luctuosa) is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is found in West Papua and Papua New Guinea.
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