Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo got its name from its sulphur colored crest on its head.This parrot is the most elegant of its kind because of its snowy white feathers, a relatively black beak and a yellow crest on its head. They have also a distinctive manner of having their crests stand and open it when being alarmed.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Scientifically called Cactua Galerita, Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are the largest of the cockatoo kind of birds. They are numerously found in Australia and in some lowland areas of New Guinea. Also called as Sulphur Cockatoos, this birds reaches up to 22 inches in length. Eyes of males are ivory black and the females are colored brown.

The Sulphur Crested Cockatoo found its habitat in tropical rainforests. They have a lifespan of 70 years in the wild and approximately 30 to 40 years in captivity. The females lay up to three eggs with an incubation period of 25 to 27 days.

Pet owners found this bird being curious and very intelligent. They are also disturbing being a household pet since they are naturally very loud producing a raucous screeching call.  They are also known to have the skill of geophagy, a process of chewing and ingesting soil with high clay content to detoxify food when they are sick or injured.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos feed on seeds, fruits and larvae. They are also considered as pests by farmers since they dig and eat on newly planted seeds in a farm.

In Cebu Zoo, you may find a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo on its cage beside other parrots.

A Sulphur Crested Cockatoo munching a cooked banana in its cage in Cebu Zoo.

Gator Gar

Known for its fierce looks and deadly bite, the Gator Gar is considered to be one of the dangerous freshwater fish in the world. Being carnivorous is not enough, its size will add to the danger since this fish can reach up to 10 feet in length and would weigh up to 170 kilograms huge enough for a human being to be on its belly.

Sometimes called the Gator Fish, the Alligator Gar/ Gator Gar got its name from the Alligator because of its strong teeth and elongated jaws that of the Alligator. Scientifically named as Atractosteus spatula, the Gator Gar is different from other gars since it possess a double layer of strong and huge teeth in its upper jaw and a diamond-shaped scales. They are noted to be solitary fishes, and wants to swim alone  rather than be with other school of fishes.

A juvenile Gator Gar inside an aquarium

Gator Gars are  known to be ambush predators lurking and hiding on tall perennial grasses and other vegetation to catch their prey. They also have the ability to stay above water for more than hour.

Commonly found in North America and Mexico, this fish  is also sighted in some regions in Asia.

Gator Gars are reported to be a delicacy and are served in restaurants in some areas of the United States. However, a catch of this fish sold alive to some private collectors in Japan can have you some fortune.

In Cebu Zoo, you can find a handful of this carnivorous fish on the zoo pond, with the largest at about 3 feet in length being fed on chicken meat.


The video below is an actual footage of the Gator Gar in the zoo.