Southwest
Oklahoma boy's pet octopus is TikTok sensation: 'Wildlife is magnificent'
A 9-year-old Oklahoma boy’s unorthodox choice of pet has gone viral on TikTok as he’s adopted an octopus that he named Terrance.
Cal Clifford’s parents said their son wanted an octopus as a pet more than anything in the world, starting when he was just a toddler, according to The Associated Press.
While they attempted to fulfill his little-boy dreams with toy octopuses, young Cal Clifford continued to beg for the real thing.
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In October 2023, the boy’s father, Cameron Clifford, a dentist in Edmond, Oklahoma, decided to make his son’s dreams come true.
After doing research at an aquarium store, he purchased a California two-spot octopus, which is also called a “bimac.” The family named “him” (or so they thought) Terrance.
This undated photo shows Terrance, the pet octopus that young Cal Clifford adopted at his home in Edmond, Oklahoma. Terrance now has more than 400,000 followers on TikTok. (Cameron Clifford via AP)
It was “magical” to see his son embrace his pet, Cameron Clifford told the AP, adding that his son “has been infatuated with the natural world and marine biology since he was very little.”
Cameron Clifford began documenting the adventures of Terrance the octopus on TikTok, posting under the account “doctoktopus.”
As of Tuesday, April 16, the account had more than 425,000 followers.
A video posted in early March shows Cal Clifford bursting into tears when he learned that his parents had bought a tank and filters required for a pet octopus.
Like other octopus species, the California two-spot octopus can change its color, but is naturally a mottled brown.
Shortly after adopting Terrance, the Clifford family learned that their pet was actually a female.
Terrance laid 50 eggs, and those eggs hatched several weeks later — even though the family thought they were unfertilized.
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The pet’s name was not changed.
After the eggs hatched, the Cliffords were suddenly the “parents” of several dozen California two-spot octopus babies – which they named Rocket Larry, Squid Cudi, Swim Shady, Jay-Sea and Sea-Yoncé, among others, the AP noted.
The family hopes to move the baby octopuses to aquariums and research facilities, and have appealed on TikTok for assistance in contacting facilities as well as naming the babies.
This undated photo taken by Cameron Clifford of his TikTok posting, shows a baby octopus hatched from Terrance, the family’s pet octopus. Initially, Terrance was thought to be a boy – until “he” laid eggs. (Cameron Clifford via AP)
“Aside from the physical, financial and emotional requirements of owning a species such as a bimac, you will learn a lot about yourself in the process,” Cameron Clifford told TikTok followers.
Since the adoption of Terrance, plenty of things have gone wrong.
“There’s always some valve or seal that’s not completely closed, and your storm-resistant carpet isn’t rated for gallons and gallons of seawater. You’ll learn that seawater and electricity don’t always get along,” said Cameron Clifford.
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“You will learn new things and meet incredible people and will learn that wildlife is magnificent,” he added.
“But most of all, you’ll learn to love a not-so-tiny octopus like Terrance.”
As a California two-spot octopus, Terrance has a lifespan of about one year, and up to two in captivity.
Octopuses typically die after they lay their eggs, but Terrance has survived for four months, Cameron Clifford told the AP.
The Clifford family. Cal Clifford, age 9, second from left, has always had an interest in marine biology, said his father, Cameron Clifford, far left. On TikTok, the dad now documents the adventures of Terrance the octopus. (Cameron Clifford via AP)
On TikTok, the Cliffords said they have not ruled out keeping one of Terrance’s babies as a pet.
The family is presently working on an upgraded tank that is 30 gallons bigger than their current 60-gallon tank.
California two-spot octopuses are found in the Pacific Ocean from northern California to Baja California, Mexico, said the website for the California Sea Grant at UC San Diego.
They grow to be about 18 inches long, “a smaller species compared to … counterparts,” said the website.
Like other octopus species, the California two-spot octopus can change its color, but is naturally a mottled brown.
Unlike other octopuses, the California two-spot octopus has “two bright blue spots on either side of its body that resemble eyes,” said the California Sea Grant.
These spots are thought to be a way that the octopus wards off predators.
A pet octopus “is one of the most fascinating and rewarding marine creatures you can keep in the home aquarium,” said Nancy King of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine.
However, they require expensive food and have “tragically short” lifespans, she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Clifford family for additional comment and updates.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
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Los Angeles, Ca
LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture
Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.
Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.
“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”
The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.
A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.
The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.
“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.
The two men appeared to be uninjured.
As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.
LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.
The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.
Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.
On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.
Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.
Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.
“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.
The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.
Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.
Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.
Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.
Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.
Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.
The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.
“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.
“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”
The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.
At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.
Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.
The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.
Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.
Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.
Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.
They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.
Los Angeles, Ca
Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars
A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]
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