Animal Planet

Photo by Fadzil Hisham The kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). Kangaroos are indigenous to Australia. There were about 34.3 million kangaroos lived in Australia in 2011. Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. They can leap some 30 feet (9 meters) in a single bound, and travel more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour. Like most marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch on their belly, made by a fold in the skin, to cradle baby kangaroos called joeys. Photo by Fadzil Hisham Newborn joeys are just one inch long (2.5 centimeters) at birth, or about the size of a grape. After birth, joeys travel, unassisted, through their mom’s thick fur to the comfort and safety of the pouch. A newborn joey can’t suckle or swallow, so the kangaroo mom uses her muscles to pump milk down its throat. At around 4 months, the joey emerges f

Photo by Fadzil Hisham The Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana) is a marmot species that inhabits alpine grasslands throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau. It is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern because of its wide range and possibly large population. The Himalayan marmot has a dense woolly fur that is rufous grey on the back and rufous yellowish on ears, belly and limbs. The bridge of its nose and end of tail is dark brown. It is one of the largest marmots in the world, being about the size of a large housecat. Average body mass ranges from 4 to 9.2 kg, with weights lowest post-hibernation in spring and highest prior to it in autumn. In the autumn, average weight is reportedly more than 7 kg in both sexes. Total length is about 45 to 67 cm, with a tail length of 12 to 15 cm. Photo by Fadzil Hisham The Himalayan marmot occurs in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau at altitudes of 3,000 to 5,500 m in northeastern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan and

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Hippopotamus or Hippo is the third-largest type of land mammal after elephant and rhinoceros. The name “hippopotamus” comes from a Greek word meaning “water horse” or “river horse.” Despite the hippos' cute appearance, they are among the most dangerous and aggressive of all mammals. Their canine and incisor teeth grow continuously, with canines reaching 20 inches (51 centimeters) in length. Click here to find more exciting places! Average weight of an adult male hippo is 1,500 kg while female is about 1,300 kg. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances. Hippos graze on land; they do not eat while in the water and aren't known to graze on aquatic plants. They prefer short, creeping grass and small green shoots and reeds. Sports News

Photo by Fadzil Hisham The Clownfish is a small fish which grows up to 11 cm (4.3 inches). Its body has a stocky appearance and oval shape. It is compressed laterally, with a round profile. It has three vertical white stripes outlined with a fine black line. The tail is rounded and the dorsal fin is lined with 11 spines. This species live in the coral reefs off the coasts of Australia and Southeast Asia as far north as southern Japan. They are found mainly around certain kinds of anemones, a creature that anchors itself to the sea floor. Clownfish are hermaphrodites. They are all born male, according to National Geographic. They have the ability to turn themselves female, but once the change is made, they can’t go back to being male.  These social fish live in groups that are led by one dominant female. Clownfish are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants. They typically eat algae, zooplankton, worms and small crustaceans.

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Pigeons and doves are gentle, stout-bodied with short necks, and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. Smaller forms are usually called doves, larger forms pigeons. Pigeons and doves are likely the most common birds in the world, except in the coldest regions and the most remote islands. About 250 species are known; two-thirds of them occur in tropical Southeast Asia, Australia, and the islands of the western Pacific. The Feral Pigeon is the single most-spotted bird in London. They flock to the squares, scavenge the streets for food, and defecate on buildings. Their feathered cousin, the wood pigeon, is London’s most common garden bird. Some Londoners cherish the city doves, others loathe them.

Photo by Fadzil Hisham The awe-inspiring brown bear lives in the forests and mountains of northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It is the most widely distributed bear in the world. Few animals have captured the imagination like brown bears. They can stand on two legs, walk on the soles of their feet, pick things up with their “fingers,” and often eat what we eat. Brown bears can also communicate with one another through scratch marks left on trees, smells and sounds, pretty similar to our own way of life. Though, many brown bears have fallen prey to hunting and other conflicts with humans. Adult brown bears are powerful, top-of-the-food chain predators, but much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. They also eat other animals, from rodents to moose. Travel Pictures

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. There are about 220 known stingray species, many species are endangered. Stingrays are commonly found in the shallow coastal waters of temperate seas. They spend the majority of their time inactive, partially buried in sand, often moving only with the sway of the tide. The stingray's spine, or barb, can be ominously fashioned with serrated edges and a sharp point. The underside may produce venom, which can be fatal to humans, and which can remain deadly even after the stingray's death.

Photo by Fadzil Hisham You may have heard people call them koala ‘bears’, these awesome animals aren’t bears at all. Koalas are in fact marsupials. They are a type of mammals, which have pouches where their newborns develop. Their name came form Aboriginal word meaning, ‘no drink’, maybe because they rarely drink water. Koalas can be found in the eucalyptus forests in Australia. They have grey fur with cream-coloured chest, and strong clawed feet. Koalas live in the branches of trees. A baby koala is called a joey. At average a koala can grow up to about 60cm-85cm long, and weigh about 14kg. Koalas are big eaters. They can consume up to one kilogram of eucalyptus leaves in a day. When the koalas are not eating, they can sleep for up to 18 hours a day. The most beautiful in the world is the world itself

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Alpacas are prized as pets and cattle around the world. They are adorable, docile and soft, and there are no wild alpacas. Alpacas are related to llamas, living high in the Andes in South America. llamas are used as pack animals, while alpacas are raised mainly for their soft wool. However, alpacas are very adaptable and have been exported to New Zealand, Australia and the Netherlands, so their "habitat" is often the farmland.  Alpacas are very social creatures. They are gentle and curious and with training can become great pets. Alpacas spit when they are distressed or feel threatened. They won't spit at people or bite unless they have been abused. As herbivores, alpacas only eat vegetation. They eat mostly grass, but their diets can also include leaves wood, bark or stems. Football  |  Rugby  |  Golf  |  Motorsports

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Rockhopper penguins are distinguished by the irreverent crest of spiky yellow and black feathers that adorns their head. These gregarious marine birds are among the world's smallest penguins, standing about 20 inches tall. They have blood-red eyes, a red-orange beak, and pink webbed feet. Click here to find more exciting places! Rockhoppers can dive 100 metres for several minutes while on the hunt. They’ll often stay out in the ocean for days at a time. Rockhopper Penguins generally live about 10 years in the wild. These penguins population is at-risk, some estimates say rockhopper penguins have declined by more than 30 percent over the last 30 years of the 20th century.

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Lionfish, (Pterois), also called turkey fish or fire-fish, any of several species of showy Indo-Pacific fishes of the scorpion fish family. Lionfish are noted for their venomous fin spines, which are capable of producing painful, though rarely fatal, puncture wounds. When disturbed, the fish spread and display their fins and, if further pressed, will present and attack with the dorsal spines. The common lionfish grows up to 35 cm (14 in) in length. These fish vary in colour from reddish to tan or grey and have numerous thin, dark, vertical bars on their heads and bodies. It feeds on fish and small crustaceans. It has few predators, probably because of its venomous spines, but larger lionfish do prey on smaller ones. Sports Updates on Facebook

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Malayan Tiger is also known as Pak Belang in Malaysia, which literally means “Uncle Stripes.” The Latin name is Panthera Tigris Jacksoni, in honor of Peter Jackson, a famous tiger conservationist. Malayan tigers were classified as Indochinese tigers until DNA testing in 2004 showed them to be a separate subspecies. They can only be found in Peninsula Malaysia and in the south of Thailand. The tiger can swim and enjoy playing in shallow rivers and lakes. It can cross shallow streams by swimming while keeping its head above water. Deer, wild boars, bearded pigs, tapirs, goats, monkeys, rhino calves and sometime elephants are some of it's prey. Photo by Fadzil Hisham Malayan Tiger appear to be smaller than Bengal Tiger. From measurements of 11 males and 8 females, the average length of a male is 8 ft 6 in (259 cm), and of a female 7 ft 10 in (239 cm). Malayan Tiger has been classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union

Photo by Fadzil Hisham Geese are among the finest and elegant looking birds that nature has acquainted us with. Amicable, loyal, caring and helpful are the best traits with which a goose is identified. Over 140 species of waterfowls, geese are counted among the largest of the all waterfowls other than swans and ducks who are their distant relatives. Click here to find more exciting places! A goose is often characterised by long neck, non-iridescent coloration and its honk, which sets it apart from its cousins. A female is called a goose, a male is called a gander. Whereas, gosling is the term used to call a young bird of this goose family. Photo by Fadzil Hisham Being waterfowls, geese love to spend a significantly large portion of their time on land. Favourite dwelling area of a goose is the small grasslands in close proximity to a source of water. Most of the daytime of a goose is spent in the hunt for food, most of which comes from grazing. Get the latest

Photo by Fadzil Hisham This monkey is known as crab-eating macaque or cynomolgus monkey. They can easily be found in Southeast Asian countries. In Indonesia and Malaysia, they are known generically as kera, monyet or beruk. The monkey has a long history alongside humans. They have been alternately seen as agricultural pests, sacred animals in some temples, and more recently, the subject of medical experiments. They are opportunistic omnivores and have been documented using tools to obtain food in Thailand and Myanmar. The crab-eating macaque is a known invasive species and a threat to biodiversity in several locations, including Hong Kong and western New Guinea. The significant overlap in macaque and human living space has resulted in greater habitat loss, synanthropic living, and inter- and intraspecies conflicts over resources.