It's not a googly-eyed fish like I wanted...but....

So Lightning the desert tortoise is now a permanent member of the Dixon zoo. Well, at least until he's too big to be inside anymore. Then I'm not sure whether we'll have to find him another home because our Sulcata, Bailey, can't live in the yard with him because of all of the prohibited inter species mingling (even tortoises from different races can't even get along, what's up with THAT) so perhaps we're more like a foster home. I don't know. But I couldn't send him back to the school, where despite all good intentions, he was not getting the appropriate food/lighting/temperatures and was nearly dead when he came to visit us again over Christmas break. Fear not, I did not tortoisenap him. The science teacher, after losing another tortoise to metabolic disease (easily preventable with proper care) realized his soft-shelled friend might meet a similar fate and offered him to me. Chad, of course, was extremely enthusiastic about me taking in yet another reject pet. (Don't ask about Winston right now, his doggie dementia is currently testing our patience.) And because I always obey my husband's every whim like a good wife I firmly made the decision to keep him after Chad said NO. (Seriously, though, he mostly just sighed resignedly.)

Little Dude is already a lot stronger and eating and pooping and behaving in the proper grumpy manner that tiny tortoises should. 

Another Crankyface for me to love.