Nature

A Horse Is a Horse

by

Is there anyone in the world who doesn’t or at least did at some time in their life love horses? Is there anything on this earth more beautiful than a herd of horses racing across the prairie, heads held high with manes and tails whipped by the wind?

Humans began domesticating the horse around 3,500 BC in Central Asia.

The horse is especially adapted to running, with a good sense of balance, and a strong fight-or-flight instinct. Horses sleep both standing and lying down. A mare carries her foal for 11 months, but once born, it is capable of walking and running within an hour after its birth. Foal is the generic word for a young horse regardless of its gender. Specifically, a male is referred to as a colt and a female as a filly.

Horses are divided into three categories based on temperament:

Hot blood – spirited, known for speed and endurance (such as the Thoroughbred and Arabian)

Cold blood – suitable for slow, heavy work (draft horses such as the Shire and Belgian)

Warmbloods – obviously a cross between hot and cold blood breeds, specifically for riding, often in competitions that include jumping and dressage, and as those high-stepping carriage horses depicted strutting their stuff down the streets of London in times past.

The typical lifespan for a horse is 25–30 years.

The height of a horse is measured from its withers, the bony point at the base of the neck where it meets the beginning of the horse’s back and the apex of the horse’s shoulders, and the ground. The horn of a saddle would sit just behind it. The unit of measure for a horse is a hand, approximately four inches. The average, well-cared for horse is typically 14–16 hands, weighing between 800–1,200 pounds. The larger riding breeds can be 15–17 hands, weighing between 1,100–1,320 pounds. A draft breed can be 16–18 hands weighing between 1,500–2,220 pounds. The Shire Horse, as a breed, is recognized as the strongest in the world, able to pull as much as 58,000 pounds (29 tons), like Old Billy, the oldest horse living to be 62 (1760–1822), a record that is yet to be broken.

For centuries, horses have been used by man in many ways—as a companion, for transportation, in construction, farming, shipping, towing, even in war, and sadly, in some countries, as food, to name just a few.

The fastest breeds are the American Quarter Horse, the Thoroughbred, the Arabian and the Akhal-Teke.

The American Quarter Horse is the fastest in short distances, particularly in the quarter mile (hence its name) reaching speeds over 50 mph. A Long Goodbye is recorded as the fastest at 55 mph. This breed is most often used on ranches working with cattle, and can be found in rodeo competitions such as barrel racing and cattle roping and cutting out.

Thoroughbreds on the other hand, run at a speed around 44 mph, but dominate in the flat, 2–3-mile races, such as the Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby. Horses who win all three of these races in a racing season are said to have won the Triple Crown.

The Arabian runs at about 40 mph but is known for its endurance and stamina during 100-mile endurance races.

The lesser-known Akhal-Teke is no slouch reaching up to 35 mph. They are highly resilient and excel in endurance riding and competition events such as show jumping and dressage.

A horse’s value is most often determined by the races he or she wins and the prize money that comes with winning. Or its value may be determined by how long it can work and how much it can carry or pull. Or its value may be not what it can earn, but what it passes on to the following generations.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture database, there are 784 horse breeds, though only 200 of those are recognized by equine experts. However, Wikipedia believes a more reasonable estimate would be around 350 recognized breeds.

All horses originate from the base colors black, bay, chestnut/sorrel, and gray. From these colors, more colors emerge: black, bay, chestnut, sorrel, brown, dun, buckskin, gray, palomino, roan, pinto, and spotted patterns. Then you have the dapples and stripes with facial and/or leg markings. This amounts to four primary base colors, 12 common colors and 12 rarer colors, all effected by combinations of base colors, gene dilution, modifiers, patterns and shading. The genetic foundation is simple, the resulting diversity is vast.

The eyes of a horse are vastly different from the human eye. Placed on the sides of their head, they have wide peripheral vision, almost a 360° ability to see in any direction. Small blind spots over the tail and in the center of the forehead prevent it from being a full 360°. The eyes are not a perfect sphere but flattened from anterior to posterior. They are usually dark brown in color, but blue eyes are not uncommon and a variety of other colors, hazel, amber, and green, are also seen. They also have excellent night vision.

Scripture uses the horse as a symbol of strength and majesty, serving as instruments of warfare (Job 39:19–25; Psalm 33:17; Revelation 6:2; Jeremiah 46:4; Zechariah 1:8). The Bible offers the horse to symbolize grace and beauty (Isaiah 63:13). Revelation depicts Christ riding on a white horse and it associates the horse with Christ’s work of atonement and justice (Revelation 19:11).

“When the encircling hills were filled with the horses and chariots of the king of Syria, and the great host of his armed men, Elisha beheld the nearer hill slopes covered with the armies of God—horses and chariots of fire round about the servant of the Lord.” The Desire of Ages, 240

Sources: horseyhooves.com/fastest-horse-breeds; wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse; wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergeant_Reckless; horsefactbook.com/guides/horse-colors; wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_vision

Did You Know?

The tallest and heaviest horse recorded is a Shire Horse named Sampson (photo above). Foaled in 1846, he stood 21.25 hands (7’ 2.5”) and weighed 3,359 pounds. He died in 1866. The smallest recorded horse is Thumbelina (photo below), a dwarf miniature horse foaled in 2001, she stood 17.5” and weighed 57 pounds. She died in 2018.

Blue eyes are often associated with white markings or patterns in the horse’s coat. Horses are also capable of having dichromatic eyes (each eye a different color).

Fusaichi Pegasus (photo above), a Thoroughbred stallion, holds the record for being the most expensive horse with a ticket price of $70 million.

Sergeant Reckless (left photo) is the most decorated war horse (yes, they received medals, too), a chestnut-coated Mongolian mare. She was purchased by the United States Marines for $250 to carry ammunition and supplies and transport the wounded during the Korean War. She was the first horse in the Marine Corps to be promoted to staff sergeant. She made 51 solo trips in a single day, carrying 9,000 pounds of ammunition during the Battle for Outpost Vegas in 1953. She was awarded, among others, two Purple Hearts, the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, and the Korean Service Medal. She died in 1968 at the age of 20.

The Crimson Worm

by

The crimson worm is specifically adapted to living in the Middle East, particularly in Israel. Scientifically, the crimson worm is an insect rather than a worm. It has a hard shell with six legs, is roughly the size of the eraser on the head of a pencil (0.3 inches), and looks like a grub worm. But the most unusual thing about the crimson worm is its unique life cycle. Keep reading and you will understand why.

In ancient times, the dried bodies of the crimson worm were ground up and used to make scarlet dye. The dye was used to color clothing, particularly the robes of the high priest and the coverings of the tabernacle. The dye was vivid and permanent, making it highly valuable in Biblical times.

The female reproduces only once. When she is ready to lay her eggs, she climbs a tree, usually an oak, and permanently attaches herself to it. Her body then forms a hard, crimson shell that will protect her eggs. Once the larvae hatch inside this protective shell, they feed on their mother’s body for three days. During these three days, the mother secretes a crimson fluid that covers her body and the eggs, leaving a permanent stain on the tree. On the fourth day, the remainder of the mother’s body transforms into a white, heart-shaped wax, which then flakes off.

The red fluid produced by the worm and the transformation of the mother’s body to white wax are often linked to the Bible imagery of our scarlet sins made white as snow, emphasizing purification and redemption. The Hebrew word tola’ath used in the Scriptures, specifically refers to the crimson worm.

Often cited as a symbol of sacrifice, it was accepted as a foreshadow of Christ’s death on the cross. As the mother worm gives up her life to protect and nourish her babies, so Jesus offered Himself on the cross to protect and preserve mankind.

“ ‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ ” Isaiah 1:18

Sources: christianityhouse.com/2024/07/07/the-crimson-worm-psalm-22; nazarenesoftheworld.infor/crimson-scarlet-worm; reasonsforhopejesus.com/psalm-22-crimson-scarlet-worm

Glaucus Atlanticus – Blue Dragon Sea Slug

by

The glaucus atlanticus or the blue dragon sea slug is a brilliant blue with silver color and a potent sting. More commonly known as the blue dragon, it is a soft-bodied marine mollusk, approximately 1.2 inches long. It lives in the warm temperate, tropical waters found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, but can also be sporadically found along the coasts of South Africa, Australia, Bermuda, and the Gulf of Mexico.

It lives in the open ocean, often found floating upside down on the ocean’s surface. It remains buoyant by swallowing air bubbles which are stored in a gas-filled sac in its stomach. It is camouflaged against the surface of the water using a process called countershading. Its blue blends with the ocean surface when viewed from above. The silver blends with the light from above. It is not a strong swimmer, depending on winds and ocean currents. A group of blue dragons is called a blue fleet. If found stranded or deceased on the coast, it can still be a hazard to touch or pick up.

The blue dragon’s main diet is venomous creatures like the Portuguese man o’ war. Amazingly, it is immune to the venom of its prey. It absorbs the stinging cells from these organisms and stores them in specialized sacs. This enables the blue dragon to deliver a potent sting and makes it dangerous to touch. Its sting is extremely painful and causes nausea and vomiting along with symptoms that affect the skin at the point of the sting. In areas where the dragon is sighted, authorities prohibit swimming to protect swimmers.

The blue dragon is a stunning creature to the eye, but like so many things in this world that attract us, it can end in pain and suffering.

Sources: biologyinsights.com/blue-dragon-sea-slug-where-do-they-live; wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaucus_atlanticus

A Wasp Mantidfly

by

What is it?

Is it a wasp? A mantis? A fly? No, it is a wasp mantidfly, an insect belonging to the Mantispidae family with mantis-like forelegs and a wasp-like body and coloration. It uses this physical mimicry to confuse predators while it hunts for its own prey.

This insect has a slender body with yellow and brown striping, a constricted waist like a wasp, and is just under an inch in length. It has a triangular head, large eyes, and raptor-like forelegs giving it the look of an amalgamation of a wasp and praying mantis. It flies on wings that are dark on the leading edges much like a paper wasp. It defends itself by spreading its wings and, like a paper wasp, it pumps its abdomen in a stinging motion. This type of mimicry is called Batesian mimicry. However, it has no stinger or venom apparatus and is therefore harmless to humans.

They can be found in North, Central, and South America. One particular species, the Climaciella brunnea is found widely across North America. They live along the edges of wooded areas, in gardens and open fields, and anywhere spiders commonly dwell, and emerge during late spring.

The mantidfly is a predator, feeding on smaller insects, including its brother or cousin (other mantidflies). Like the mantis it resembles, it is a sit-and-wait predator. Resting on flowers and shrubbery, it waits until an unsuspecting lunch passes by. It strikes with lightning speed and with its mantis-like forelegs captures and holds its meal while eating. It typically eats mosquitoes, bees, small flies, and other soft-bodied insects. It also eats nectar and tree sap.

The mantidfly has a few natural predators. For instance, birds, lizards, spider webs and large predatory wasps. Man, who seems to be a natural predator to every living thing, often kills the mantidfly by mistake, thinking it is a wasp. Environmental dangers such as the destruction of habitat and pesticides affect the mantidfly population.

The mantidfly has an important job in the insect world: population control, especially spiders. The female will lay hundreds of individual eggs on short silky stalks on the underside of leaves. Once a larva hatches, it waits until it is able to attach onto a passing female spider subsisting on its blood until the spider lays its egg sac. As it lays its egg, the mantidfly larva crawls into the egg sac and consumes the spider eggs as they are laid. The larva then remains in the egg sac until it reaches the pupal stage of its life. It spins a cocoon-like casing, and there undergoes a complete metamorphosis.

In addition to population control, the mantidfly is also a casual pollinator when its eats nectar.

The typical lifespan of the mantidfly is pretty short, from a few weeks to a few months depending on the environmental conditions.

What an amazing creation!

Sources: entomoly.umn.ed/wasp-mantidfly; waspworld.com/mantidfly-wasp

Did You Know?

Despite its appearance, the wasp mantidfly is neither wasp nor mantis. Rather, it belongs to the same family as lacewings and owlflies.

Because it looks so much like a paper wasp, it is often found flying among true paper wasps using its disguise for protection.

The mantidfly family contains species that also mimic ants and beetles.

The Manatee

by

The manatee, commonly called a sea cow, is a large fully-aquatic marine mammal. It can be as much as 9-15 feet long and can weigh 880-1,300 pounds. Females tend to be larger and heavier than the males. Baby manatees weigh 66 pounds at birth. It lives in shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon basin, and West Africa.

It has a paddle-like tail that looks similar to a beaver’s tail and two flippers. It is slow-moving and curious. The eyes are widely-spaced. The ears are internal, but outside the opening is small. They can be found approximately four inches behind each eye. It emits a wide range of sounds to communicate. And it is believed that taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch are all used to communicate.

The manatee is an herbivore. Its main diet is freshwater and saltwater plants. It has a large, flexible prehensile upper lip which allows it to grip or grasp as it gathers food. It is also used during social interaction and to communicate. An adult manatee has no incisors or canine teeth. Its cheek teeth are replaced multiple times throughout its life. It typically has no more than six teeth in each jaw, similar to an elephant. It has a simple stomach, like the horse, with a large cecum in which tough plant matter can be digested. The intestines are approximately 148 feet long, unusually long for a mammal the size of a manatee. It uses its flippers to walk along the bottom while it digs for plants and roots.

The manatee breeds once every two years and gives birth, generally, to just one calf. Gestation is about 12 months and the calf is totally weaned from the mother in 12-18 months.

Except when with its young or a male following a receptive female, it is a solitary creature. Fifty percent of the day is spent sleeping submerged, though it surfaces at 20-minute intervals for air. The remainder of the day is spent grazing in shallow waters between 3-6 feet deep. It swims up to five miles per hour, but can, in short bursts, swim up to 20 miles per hour.

The manatee is intelligent and capable of performing discrimination tasks including complex associative learning like dolphins and seals, with good long-term memory. Its social interactions are highly complex which may be indicative of higher intelligence. Sadly, it is poorly understood by science.

The manatee’s worst enemy is man who is its main cause of death. Having a curious nature, it encounters man and is killed or harmed by propeller-driven boats and ships. Man also destroys its habitat. It hears at a higher frequency than most mammals its size and large boats emit sound at a lower frequency. This confuses the manatee and explains its lack of awareness when boats are around. However, when boats emit a higher frequency, the manatee will rapidly swim away. It also dies as a result of adverse temperatures, poor water quality, genetic diversity, disease, starvation, and crocodiles that eat their young. Red tide, microscopic algae, has a toxic effect on the manatee’s central nervous system.

If the manatee can manage to survive man, crocodile, and natural causes, it can live up to 60 years. What a magnificent creature!

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manatee

Pico Island – Portugal

by

Pico Island belongs to the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores. Unlike an island which is a single landmass, the Azores are considered to be part of an archipelago, a chain or cluster of islands found in the sea, and made up of volcanic materials. Though no one is quite sure when the island was first discovered, it is shown in the 1375 Catalan Atlas, and is believed to have been settled and inhabited in the 1480s.

Pico Island is the second largest, and possibly the youngest, of the nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. The island has black volcanic soil. It is 29 miles long and at its widest point nine miles wide. Boasting 94 miles of coastline, it is easy to access the sea. However, on the northeast and southeast sides of the island, the cliffs are unstable and frequent landsides occur. The island is a favorable habitat for Sterna hirundo and Sterna dougalli terns and the Calonectris borealis shearwaters. The coast itself is made up of rocky slabs and rolled pebbles; no sandy beaches, but many tide pools and natural inlets for bathing.

There are two volcanos on the island, Topo and Pico. Pico is the tallest of the two reaching 7,713 feet. The last volcanic eruption occurred in 1963. Pico is susceptible to seismic events, and like other islands, earthquakes are common. Since settling Pico Island there have been only three significant tectonic earthquakes on the island: 1757 which caused major damage on the eastern side of the island, resulting in 11 deaths, and causing some property damage; 1973 when the earthquake, a magnitude 5.5, destroyed 2,000 homes leaving 5,000 people homeless; and 1998, a magnitude 5.8 and the last recorded for 30 years, was felt on Pico, but centered around Faial.

Pico has the largest area of intact native subtropical forests with high humidity, but stable, mild temperatures. These forests are made up of species of trees characterized by evergreen, glossy, elongated leaves. The island is the only one out of the nine where pasture land and meadows do not dominate the landscape. Sadly, like all the islands in The Azores, Pico suffered terrible deforestation. The forests were cleared away for housing, farming, livestock, and the wood industry. Many native plants have been destroyed by the introduction during the 19th century of a number of exotic plant species.

Pico’s climate depends on altitude and topographic variation. Like the other islands in the archipelago, the temperatures are mild, with high precipitation and humidity most of the year round. February is the coolest month and August is its warmest.

The total population of Pico Island as of 2021 is 13,895. The 1960s and 1970s saw an intense emigration surge from all the islands. Beginning in 1960, the population was at its peak at 21,837, a +6.5% increase from 1930 when it had taken a hard drop by -16.3%. However, in 1960, the population dropped by -29.1% and has continued to decline every decade by -1.8% to -4.5% through 2021.

Pico depends largely on Faial for its economy and social activities. Fishing is a main activity, capturing tuna for the canning industry, employing mainly women in the processing of the fish. Dairy farms provide soft paste for cheese factories. Tourism is an emerging activity helping to diversify the island’s economic base. The black volcanic soil has proven extremely beneficial to the growth of vineyards. Climbing Pico Mountain, whale and dolphin watching, and exploring the Gruta de Torres, the largest lava tunnel in Portugal, are just some of the favorite pastimes for tourists.

Though sin has caused much harm throughout nature, we can still see the hand of God in every living thing in this world.

“Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them! Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits. Let the inhabitants of Seal sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and declare His praise in the coastlands.” Isaiah 42:10–12

Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/Pico_Island; boundlessroads.com/pico-island-azores

Grass – God’s Carpet

by

Poaceae is (true grasses) the most economically important plant family because it includes cereals, wheat, rice, oats, barley, millet, and maize used for staple foods and feed for livestock. Some of the species, such as bamboo, thatch, and straw, are used for building materials, and other species are a source for biofuel—for example, maize is converted to ethanol.

Lawns and pastureland are composed of true grasses and 46% of the world’s arable land (land used for crops) is covered by rice, wheat, maize, barley, and sugar cane.

It is estimated that there is 11,000 to 13,000 species of grass (Poaceae). These species include cereal grasses, bamboos, natural grassland, lawns, and pastures.

Grasses can be annual or perennial. During winter’s cold, snow, and ice, grass lays dormant beneath the ground with most species turning brown. The melting ice and snow provides the moisture necessary to bring it back when the warming temperatures of Spring awakens the blades and they begin to grow, breaking through the soil.

By summer, the ground is green with new grass. A soft, lush carpet of Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, buffalograss, zoysia grass, and crabgrass.

How many remember running barefoot through and digging your toes into the soft grass in the summer or the smell that fills the air after mowing the lawn?

I love the texts that use grass as an example of Jesus’ promises in which we can place our full trust. What a loving God who covers the world with His perfect carpet.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

“Thus, Christ interpreted the message which He Himself had given to the lilies and the grass of the field. He desires us to read it in every lily and every spire of grass. His words are full of assurance, and tend to confirm trust in God.

“So wide was Christ’s view of truth, so extended His teaching, that every phase of nature was employed in illustrating truth. The scenes upon which the eye daily rests were all connected with some spiritual truth, so that nature is clothed with the parables of the Master.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 19, 20

“Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the over, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:30

Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/Grass; wikipedia.org/wiki/Poaceae; americangardener.net/types-of-grasses-for-lawn

What I Do Not See

by

Everywhere we look in this world, we see examples of God’s love and creative power, beautiful even though they are marred by sin. For example, I can look out the window of my office at Steps to Life and see green grass, blue sky, a hedge row of trees. But, between the glass in my window and the hedge row of trees, what don’t I see?

I can see the gravel in the road between my house and the ministry office building, but what I don’t see, unless I look very carefully and closely, is the nest of the killdeer. These intriguing birds build their nest in rocks, and their eggs are colored and marked in such a way that they blend right in with the rocks that make up their resting place until the eggs hatch.

Gnats. Those annoying tiny insects that fly around all the time. You can hear them when they fly close to your ear, but unless they land on your arm or are joined together in a flying platoon, you can’t see them. They are attracted to moisture like puddles of water, garbage cans, overripe fruit. They are also attracted to us—our perspiration, tears from our eyes, our body heat.

I can look out my window on any given day and see the trees swaying in the wind. I don’t see the wind, but I can observe its effect on everything outside.

If I have my window open, particularly in the morning as the sun comes up, I can’t always see just where they are, but I can hear the meadowlarks singing to welcome the day. This is my favorite bird song.

I can smell the rain, even when it isn’t raining yet right where I am.

I can watch the clouds as they drift across the sky, barely able to perceive their movement because they drift both in the direction the wind blows them, but also changing shape. One minute I might see a dog in the clouds, but in another, an elephant or bear.

If I leave the building and walk around campus, I might see some ducks or geese floating around our pond. I can see them, but I cannot see their feet moving much quicker than their movement around the pond might suggest.

Steps to Life owns several acres of ground. I can see a couple through my office window. What I don’t see are all the various insects that live on and in the ground. It is estimated that each acre of ground is home to around 400 million insects of all different varieties and species, and that is a conservative estimate. It depends on the type of soil and the region where you live.

All of this made me think about heaven. I cannot see heaven right now, but the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy paint magnificent word pictures for me so that I can imagine it, even in my sin-marred imagination.

I think of the Holy Spirit. I cannot see Him, but I can see the effect He has on me and others who allow Him to perform His transformative work in our lives.

I cannot see the angels, but I am alive today because they have protected me many times that I know of, and I’m sure many more times about which they will tell me later.

I have not seen Jesus, but I know that He left heaven to save me, and you. One day, we will see His face and hear His voice, but until then, we can look around this world and see, hear, touch, and smell, all the miraculous things He has given us to remind us of His love.

Did You Know?

If you live in the Amazon Rainforest, you might be sharing your little acre with as many as 70,000 different species of insects.

The Octopus

by

The octopus is an eight-legged mollusk with 300 species and is classified as a Cephalopoda. It is bilaterally symmetric with two eyes on the top of its head, and a beaked mouth at the center point of its eight legs. It has a closed circulatory system keeping its blood inside the blood vessels. It has three hearts:

  • Systemic – circulates blood around the body. It becomes inactive when the octopus is swimming.
  • Gill – these two branchial hearts pump blood through the gills.

Its blood contains the copper-rich protein haemocyanin to transport oxygen, making the blood viscous (thick) and requires greater pressure to pump it throughout the body. This protein is why its blood is blue.

The average lifespan of an octopus is four years.

The thing we likely know best about the octopus is that when it is in danger, it shoots ink with a water jet from an ink sac under its digestive gland. The ink passes through glands that mix it with mucus so that it ends up as a dark blob surrounding it. Melanin makes the ink black.

The arms are lined with suckers (suction cups) used for gripping, manipulation, catching prey, and movement. The Giant Pacific Octopus has 280 suckers on each arm (2,240 total). Each sucker has two parts:

  • Infundibulum – the fleshy, outer rim that is flexible and capable of changing shape, conforming to different surfaces.
  • Acetabulum – the hollow, dome-shaped center that acts like a plunger.

Being an invertebrate (a creature without vertebrate), the octopus can deform its shape to allow it to squeeze through small spaces and gaps. If you have ever seen a video of an octopus working its way through a very small hole on a boat to get away, you would have to agree it’s a little creepy. They trail their arms behind them to propel themselves by water jet propulsion.

With thousands of “specialized cells” under its skin, the octopus is master of disguise. These cells are called chromatophores and help the octopus to change color in an instant. In addition, it has tiny areas of skin called papilli that extend or retract changing the texture of its skin to match its surroundings. The most impressive shape-shifter is the Mimic octopus. This fellow doesn’t copy its surroundings; it disguises itself as another animal, the kind predators avoid. It contorts its body, modifies its behavior, and arranges its arms in a way that allows it to impersonate a wide variety of venomous animals—lionfish, banded sole, and sea snakes to name a few. Unlike pretending to be a rock, this impersonation allows the octopus to move away from danger.

The octopus has a complex nervous system and excellent eyesight. Studies have found that they are among the most intelligent and behaviorally-diverse invertebrates.

The octopus is compared with a dog in terms of intelligence. In experiments, the octopus has solved mazes and performs tasks for food rewards. They are able to get in and out of containers. A lab had an octopus in a tank and in a separate tank other fish. The fish kept disappearing, so they installed a video camera and discovered that the octopus was escaping its tank, opening the lid of the fish tank, eating all the fish, replacing the lid, and returning to his own tank. Octopus also use tools—rocks, broken shells, broken glass, and bottle caps.

They also have the ability to recognize people. At the University of Otago in New Zealand, a captive octopus took a dislike to one of the staff. Every time she passed his tank, he squirted her with a jet of water. Seattle Aquarium biologists tested a group of octopus over a period of two weeks. One person fed the group regularly. Another touched them with a bristly brush. At the end of the test, the octopuses had determined that the one who fed them was nice and they behaved differently with that person than they did with the mean person. This proved that an octopus is capable of distinguishing between individuals, even when they wear the same clothes.

The most amazing thing about the octopus is that it has nine brains:

  • Central brain – located in the frontal area of its head in a donut shape around the esophagus. This brain is responsible for sending high-level signals to the arms.
  • Mini-brains – one for each of its eight arms. The arms of the octopus are directed by a mini-brain specific to it, each arm performing a different task. The arms can punch, lift, and pull up to 100 times the octopus’ own weight. They also touch, dig, and catch prey.

In a way, the octopus is like us with God. We all have our individual brains and we live according to their directions, but if we are connected to God, our “mini-brains” can follow His directions.

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

“God permits every human being to exercise his individuality. … Those who desire to be transformed in mind and character are not to look to men, but to the divine Example. God gives the invitation, ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.’ By conversion and transformation, men are to receive the mind of Christ. Everyone is to stand before God with an individual faith, an individual experience, knowing for himself that Christ is formed within, the hope of glory.” The Signs of the Times, September 3, 1902

Sources: nhm.ac.uk/discover/octopuses-keep-surprising-us-here-are-eight-examples-how; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus; animalsfyi.com/why-do-octopuses-have-9-brains-8-arms-3-hearts-and-blue-blood-surprising-facts; aquariumwhisperer.com/octopus-suction-cups]

Did You Know?

The octopus has feelings and can feel pain.

Pacific striped octopus use scare tactics to catch their prey. It creeps up to its prey, taps it on the shoulder causing it to jump away from the arm that touched it into the seven waiting arms.

I Will Be a Mighty Oak Someday

by

The acorn. Both a fruit and a seed. Produced by oak trees, they have a distinctive shape, a hard shell, and a scaly cap called a cupule. This nut-like fruit is critical for oak tree production and contains one or two large seeds inside this tough outer shell. They are food for many varieties of animals, including squirrels and birds, particularly in winter.

They take five to 24 months to mature depending on the specific species of oak. There are 38 acorn types, so the species of oak that will grow can be identified by the outer characteristics—its color, shape, type of cupule, and size—of the acorn.

The Cupule

The cup of the acorn is either scaly, smooth, or hairy. The cupule of native North American acorns have overlapping scales.

Shape

The typical shape of an acorn is round or oblong, and some have pointed tips while others have smooth-rounded tops.

Color

Mature acorns are either purplish-red, reddish-brown, light or dark brown, or black. Green acorns are immature.

Size

Acorns are typically one to six centimeters long. The small acorn nut is about 0.5 of an inch. The largest acorn from the burr oak can be 2-3 inches in diameter.

Acorns are edible and can be roasted and ground into flour. They can also be used to make a caffeine-free, coffee-like drink. Raw acorns contain bitter-tasting tannin. Tannin can be toxic to humans. The acorn should be leached to remove the tannin to improve taste, and safe for human consumption.

The sweetest acorns, and those containing the lowest levels of tannin are found in the pin, burr, east coast white, and cork oaks. The largest acorns are produced by the east coast white, burr, and California black oaks. The fattiest acorns, used to make acorn oil, are from the eastern red and black oaks. The smallest acorns come from the chinquapin and cherry bark oaks.

How to Plant an Acorn

Remember that acorns come in a variety and different acorns will produce different oak trees based on the criteria above. Collect your acorns for planting after they have fallen from the tree (avoiding green acorns). Wait until the second drop, as the acorns in the first drop often are of poor quality. Gather your acorns promptly as they dry out quickly and will be inviable.

All types of acorns should be planted in the fall. Gather twice as many acorns as the number of seedlings you want to grow. Not all will germinate. Discard the acorns if the cups are attached, are damaged in any way, or are moldy or rotted. Plant the seeds right away. If you can’t plant right away, spray them with water to keep them moist, but not wet, in a ventilated plastic bag, stored in a cool place.

Initially, soak the acorns in cold water. Viable acorns will sink and remain at the bottom of the bowl. Floating acorns are no good for planting and should be discarded. Plant the acorns in commercial potting mix based on peat moss. This is the safest way to start healthy seedlings. Use small pots, planting two acorns sideways in a pot. Water them until the water runs out of the drainage holes. Cover the pots with a screen or hardware cloth. Keep the seeds moist until the onset of winter, and keep it weed and pest-free.

Once the seedlings appear, cut off, do not pull out, the weaker of the two about two weeks after they emerge. Plant the stronger seedling in a two-quart nursery pot with large drain holes. The soil should be a half-and-half mixture of potting soil and garden soil, adding one teaspoon of slow-release fertilizer in the soil.

Once the seedling has developed a strong root system, it’s time to plant in its permanent location. Dig a hole three times the diameter of the container at the same depth and place the sapling in the hole and fill in. Water the sapling and spread a thick layer of mulch around the tree, leaving a two-inch space between the mulch and the tree trunk.

Sources: biologyinsights.com/are-acorn-trees-and-oak-trees-the-same; leafyplace.com/types-of-acorns; thespruce.com/plant-acorns-grow-oaks-5203188

Did You Know?

Acorns are also known as oaknuts. Only oak trees can produce acorns.

Leaching acorns to remove the tannin is accomplished by soaking them in water, draining, and repeating until the water runs clear.

Oak saplings are a favorite food for deer and other wildlife. Place a mesh tree guard around the tree for at least three years to protect it.