NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Scott's Tree Kangaroo
Dendrolagus scottae Flannery & Seri, 1990
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The tenkile (Dendrolagus scottae), also known as Scott's tree-kangaroo, is a species of tree-kangaroo in the family Macropodidae. It is endemic to a very small area of the Torricelli Mountains of Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss and by hunting.
The tenkile is listed as endangered due to hunting and logging activities in Papua New Guinea. The tenkile is hunted for its meat, and has been a main protein source for the local tribespeople. The local human population has increased in recent years, increasing demand for tenkile meat. Additionally, tenkiles are poached for their fur and are captured and sold as a part of the illegal pet trade. Domesticated dogs also hunt tenkiles. Deforestation in Papua New Guinea affects all tree-kangaroos, and industrial logging that occurs in the Torricelli Mountain Range decreases the species' already restricted habitat. The Torricelli Mountain Range faces additional deforestation due to the timber industry, and the production of coffee, rice and wheat.
Wikipedia contributors, Tenkile; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:16:41.541529+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Dendrolagus scottae Flannery & Seri, 1990
- Name authority
- Flannery & Seri, 1990
- Common name
- Scott's Tree Kangaroo
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Diprotodontia
- Family
- Macropodidae
- Genus
- Dendrolagus
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassMetatheria Huxley, 1880
- orderDiprotodontia Owen, 1866
- suborderMacropodiformes Ameghino, 1889
- familyMacropodidae Gray, 1821
- subfamilyMacropodinae Gray, 1821
- genusDendrolagus S. Müller, 1840
- speciesDendrolagus scottae Flannery & Seri, 1990
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Dendrolagus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Bennett's Tree KangarooDendrolagus bennettianus De Vis, 1886 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Doria's Tree KangarooDendrolagus dorianus Ramsay, 1883 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Goodfellow's Tree KangarooDendrolagus goodfellowi Thomas, 1908 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Golden-mantled Tree KangarooDendrolagus pulcherrimus Flannery, 1993 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Wondiwoi Tree KangarooDendrolagus mayri Rothschild & Dollman, 1933 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Grizzled Tree KangarooDendrolagus inustus S. Müller, 1840 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lumholtz's Tree KangarooDendrolagus lumholtzi Collett, 1884 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| DingisoDendrolagus mbaiso Flannery, Boeadi & Szalay, 1995 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Lowland Tree KangarooDendrolagus spadix Troughton & Le Souef, 1936 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Seri's Tree KangarooDendrolagus stellarum Flannery & Seri, 1990 | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Ursine Tree-kangarooDendrolagus ursinus (Temminck, 1836) | MacropodidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=552713 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:34QBX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.