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.