Tadpole

Late February 2006.

I'm at the pet store checking out the fish. I was probably running low since my catfish likes to consume his tank mates. Not immediately. He usually* likes to get to know them first. Anyhoo, I see the aquatic frogs swimming up, and then swimming down. Up, and then down. Up, down. Up, down. Mesmerizing. Somehow my attention was broken and I discovered these oh so cute tadpoles. Hey! I should get a tadpole for my tank. Fifteen minutes later I'm arriving home with a pair of mollys, a HUGE tadpole and the warning from the pet store that they can't say what kind of frog it will turn into. Yah, yah, whatever. I'm getting a tadpole for my tank!

I introduce my husband to the tadpole, "Husband, meet tadpole, tadpole, meet your dad." Husband wants to know what type of frog it will be and makes some comment about how freakishly large the tadpole is. He's not really a tadpole person. Sometime later that evening it dawned on me that I had no idea what type of frog the tadpole would turn into. And, wow. It's really big.

..................................................((Hamilton 3-8-06)

So the scientist in me starts doing research. What are the distinguishing characteristics of the cute little bugger? Did I mention he's huge? Like easily three inches long and and inch across huge. And his name is Hamilton. Like Tad Hamilton. 'Cause he's a Tadpole. I have a clever friend. Anyway, I hit the internet for information about the tadpole. Unfortunately, I couldn't narrow it down enough to determine what type of frog Hamilton would be. We'd have to wait until he starts to change. Which, from my research could be anytime between a few weeks and a few years.

Glad I got that straightened out.




*Sometimes he eats them immediately. But only if they are small and there are lots of them. And then he eats as many as he can without bursting.