Both D. dorianus and D. bennettianus are some shade of brown over most of the body. In D. lumholtzi the upper parts are grayish or olive buff, the underparts are white, and the feet are blackish. The forelimbs and hind limbs are of nearly equal proportions. The cushionlike pads on the large feet are covered with roughened skin, and some of the nails are curved. The thick fur on the nape and sometimes on the back grows in a reverse direction and apparently acts as a natural water-shedding device, as the animals sit with the head lower than the shoulders.
Females have a well-developed pouch and four mammae.
Tree kangaroos dwell mainly in mountainous rainforests. They also jump to the ground from remarkable heights, up to 18 meters or perhaps even more, without injury. They shelter in small groups in trees during the day and spend much of their life there but also frequently descend to the ground. On the ground they progress by means of relatively small leaps, with the body leaning well forward to counterbalance the long tail, which is arched upward. The diet consists mainly of leaves and fruit, obtained either in trees or on the ground.