Lucy, "The Gentle One", Rest in Peace: 01-18-08

Lucy died yesterday. I discovered her poor sweet body under the Big Rock. I had searched high and low for Lucy after realizing I had not seen her in several hours. The newts love to hang out under this rock, so it was natural to check there. It was terribly sad to find her, to see her form so limp and lifeless. But, realistically, Lucy was an older newt (at least 12!). Verily, she enjoyed a long life, and was loved and cared for well.

Lucy was adorable. Perhaps all newts are. But Lucy was special.

I observed Hammerhead and Lucy touch noses [snouts?] the other day, and it was awfully sweet. I have been told that Lucy was "the gentle one", the one would passively give in to (or crawl away from) Hammerhead's aggressions. Yet these two had some sort of relationship, one inevitably built up after years together in a small aquarium. I know he will miss her.

Goodbye and rest in peace, little Lucy. I know more than just one lifeform will miss you.

Transformation!

Tad is officially GILL-LESS. He's a little man... er, uh, newt... now. I returned after cat-sitting for a friend for the weekend to find a miniature fully-formed newt, clinging to the side of his fishbowl. This completely freaked me out, especially because when I went to touch Tad, he acted comatose. So, I touched him again, and finally he responded by swimming about frantically. Ah, at least that was normal behavior! But Tad still is oddly sluggish. He also continually tries to climb up his tank's sides. When anyone tries to see if he's alive, he barely responds at first. I wonder if his recent (and apparently overnight) transformation took a lot of energy and effort. He strikes me as a bit stunned. Adolescence is a bitch!

This morning I gave him some fresh water at room temperature (boiled for ten minutes yesterday) and some extra rocks (stolen from Mom and Pop Newt). When I returned to check on Tad later, I was overjoyed to see Mr. Little Man Tad sitting atop his rocks, as if newly-crowned King of All He Surveys.

I will post a picture when I get the chance. I took a few of T. up on his rocks. He's so damn adorable, it almost hurts.

Tad: Now Not So Tad!

No pics today, but just a wee blurb to say that TAD IS HUGE. I went away for the weekend a while back, and when I returned I suspected someone had Tad-napped the real Tad, because the one swimming under my nose looked so big. However, as it turns out, Tad must have been experiencing a growth spurt as of late. His freaking gills are still there, but I think I spotted him going near the surface of the water in his bowl... which means Baby's breathing real air! Maybe!

Tad's legs now look more like true legs, and no longer so painfully weak and teensy. He swims like an gold-medal Olympian, and he is definitely on his way to newthood. I can't wait to see what Lucy and Hammerhead will do when they finally meet Tad face-to-face, without the damn glass in the way. (The three creatures spend an inordinate amount of time appearing to be interested in one another, but for all I know, they might be completely near-sighted.)

I just pray Tad can handle it when Mom or Dad try to nibble those tadpole limbs.

A Tad Bit More...

Tad is both longer and plumper now. I swear that he changes noticeably every day. His gills are there, to be sure, but he's definitely in transition. This is not a very good analogy, but I can't help but think of transsexuals experiencing their own version of transition. Aren't there similarities? I mean, amphibians and transsexuals, in effect, lose the body in which they were born. They become something other. What an amazing transformation!

Tad swims rapidly about his bowl whenever I walk into the room. His eyes are quite sharp now. He reacts to my presence with more panic than before, which I attribute to his ever-keener eyesight.

I find it challenging to adequately photograph Tad so that I can document his growth. But, believe me, Tad is definitely on his way to newt-hood!

The photo above shows Baby Tad with Lucy. Tad's parental units hang out constantly by his bowl (that is, when they are not hanging out next to the aquarium heater!). If you compare this picture with the first one I published in October, you should notice quite a difference in Tad's overall size. Tad is getting "rounder". He looks less and less like a teensy infant, and more and more like a surly teenager.

As The Tad Thickens...

I have noticed over these past weeks that Tad has plumped up quite a bit. I'm not entirely convinced that he's gotten any longer, but he certainly appears thicker about the middle. I am not currently in possession of any super-teensy-weensy tape-measures; therefore I am unable to provide you with any cold hard data to back up my claims.

Here you see Tad with one of his two ever-present-parental-units. He's not quite ready to kick their collective a**es, but he could be a contender someday.

His gills are, as of yet, extant. However, I understand that his gills will suddenly one day disappear, without warning. Ah! Gills, then no gills! What wondrous amphibious magic is this!

Correction! T or A?

RE: My "T or A ?" entry of October 30th: It appears that Lucy is the one who is a "breast man", and not Hammerhead. Tsk, tsk, my bad. I can now see that Lucy has a slightly stumpier tail than Hammerhead does. If I had been a TAD more observant (no pun intended), then I might have noted that important detail.