Saturday, October 4, 2008

Happy 5th to Herman!!!

I would say birthday, but that wouldn't be quite right since he wasn't born, but hatched. ;-) It was five years ago, though, close enough as makes no matter. I don't know whether it was actually on the 4th, I just know that he was hatched sometime in early October 2003. Anne Ida and I decided that it'd be the 4th. :-)

I've had him for two and a half years, that's one thing I know for sure. Actually one month longer than that. I got him on March 4th, 2006. His previous owner brought him here in an old ice cream container that she'd punched some holes in and lined with a wet cloth. She lives about a two hour drive away, so he'd been in there for a while ... but he wasn't any worse for wear, he was his normal happy self. :-) Just as energetic as always and of course not at all nervous or afraid. He never is. He was just happy to meet some new two-legs. Got food?? Got some food?? :-D

It was so much fun to meet him, I'd never seen a Chinemys reevesii in real life before. He was soo adorable :-) and of course it was amazing that he was so totally unafraid. Such a tiny little creature, and there were these two in comparison enormous humans, he'd never seen us before, the entire place was new to him, all the smells were strange, there was another turtle in the room that he didn't know, he'd travelled in that box for two hours ... but he just knows no fear. Coolest turtle ever. :-)

To celebrate, these are the first pictures I ever saw of him. His previous owner emailed them to me. Isn't he the cutest?? :-)

He's changed quite a bit since I got him; his carapace has darkened so much, it's so weird to compare these old pictures to how he looks now.

Just look at that face. Aww.

My precious ... !! :-)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy hatching day to Herman :) That close-up of his face is amazing - so detailed, and so cute! Is his face very different now as well, or is it mostly his carapace?

Leisha Camden said...

I know, isn't that a great shot?? It really shows his personality ... the way he looks into the camera, so curiously and calmly. :-)

His face hasn't really changed ... the markings on his neck have become paler, and his carapace has become much darker, those are the big changes. The darkening I had expected, because they do darken as they age - old Chinemys reevesii males sometimes turn almost completely black - but I hadn't expected the color to change so much in just two years +.

Interesting. :-)

Fifty K said...

Aww, he is cute. Happy bday Herman!!

Anonymous said...

An adorable turtlet became a very handsome turtle.

Congratulations to the proud "owner"; and to Herman, the happiest of birthdays/hatchingdays.
May you enjoy many, many more.

Leisha Camden said...

Thank you! :-)

RHJ said...

Hils ham og si gratulerer med dagen!

Men cute? Vel, jeg har det minste en viss forståelse for de som mener det også kan like Keanu Reeves!? ;-)

Leisha Camden said...

Han har ikke den helt store forståelsen av slike merkedager. ;-) Men han fikk noe godt å spise i hvert fall.

Mange har problemer med å se noe utseendemessig tiltalende i reptiler. Det er nok en antropomorfiseringsgreie. Som i, man får ikke til å antropomorfisere.

RHJ said...

Selv finner jeg en slags trøst i en filosofi hver gang jeg ser et tilsynelatende stygt dyr. Rent logisk må det jo nødvendigvis være noen dyr av det andre kjønnet i samme art som synes at dette dyret svært så sexy!?