Nature

Nature Nugget – Crocodilian Watchcare

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Crocodilians, of which there are 23 species, are found in 91 countries of the world and are divided into three families: Alligatoridae (alligators and caimans), Crocodylidae (crocodiles), and Gavialidae (Gharials). All crocodilians are carnivores, feeding on a variety of carrion and live prey. The crocodiles have buccal, salt-secreting glands, which allow them to live in brackish environments and tolerate seawater for periods of time.

The American Alligator is found in freshwater lakes, rivers, swamps, and occasionally brackish water in North America from the Atlantic coastal plain of the Carolinas south to southern Florida and west on the Gulf coastal plain to south Texas. They can attain weights over 600 pounds and measure as much as 19 feet in length. Despite their large size and short legs, they can run up to 30 M.P.H. for a short distance.

The American Crocodile inhabits freshwater rivers and lakes and brackish coastal habitats such as tidal estuaries, lagoons, and mangrove swamps from southern Florida to northern South America. They feed primarily at night on aquatic organisms such as fish, crabs, turtles, and on birds. Their length measures between 19 and 23 feet.

Found throughout most of Africa and Madagascar and until recently Israel, the Nile Crocodile inhabits rivers, lakes, freshwater swamps, and brackish water. Fish and other small vertebrates form the greatest part of their diet, but as adults, they can take antelope, buffalo, young hippos, and large cats. Nile Crocodiles reportedly reach over 19 feet in length and have a confirmed reputation as man-eaters.

The largest living crocodile of them all and largest living reptile on earth is the Saltwater Crocodile, which has been confirmed to reach 20.7 feet and weigh over 1.5 tons. Salties, as they are called, are found from coastal east India to Southeast Asia and southeast through the Indonesian Islands to Papua, New Guinea, and northern Australia. They inhabit brackish water areas of coastlines and river mouths, freshwater rivers, billabongs, and swamps. Having a high tolerance of salinity has enabled the saltie to travel long distances by sea to populate islands. Feeding on crustaceans, turtles, monitor lizards, snakes, fish, and birds, they occasionally take buffalo, domestic livestock, wild boar, and monkeys. They also have a reputation as a man-eater.

Most crocodilians lay their eggs in holes in sand banks where the sun will incubate them or in mounds they build out of vegetation and mud, which act as compost piles and produce heat to incubate the eggs. Most crocodilian females are extraordinary parents. After laying their eggs they stay close by to guard the nest against predators. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young start chirping, which signals the female to dig them up. Gently she takes each one in her dangerously toothy mouth and transports them safely to the water. The young stay close to and are guarded by the female for up to two years.

Just as the eggs and young of the crocodilians are under impressive, toothy watchcare, more so are those who serve Christ under His mighty watchcare. “Those who follow Christ are ever safe under His watchcare. Angels that excel in strength are sent from Heaven to protect them. The wicked one cannot break through the guard which God has stationed about His people.” The Great Controversy, 517. “How graciously and tenderly our heavenly Father deals with His children! He preserves them from a thousand dangers to them unseen and guards them from the subtle arts of Satan, lest they should be destroyed.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 373.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – The Praying Mantis

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Relatives of the cockroach, the praying mantises, or mantids, are carnivorous insects that are named for the constant position in which they hold their front legs when at rest. Their front legs are held folded together as if they were praying, when in reality they are preying rather than praying. Because of this deceptively humble appearance of praying or meditating, they are considered sacred by certain Eastern cultures. The word mantid derives from a Greek word meaning prophet or seer. There are 2,000 species of mantids in the world, with the largest species reaching six inches in length and the smallest one reaching a mere one centimeter. The mantids are the only insects that can rotate their heads in almost a full 360-degree circle. Their large compound eyes are sensitive to the slightest movement up to 60 feet away.

Praying mantises use their front legs to capture their prey, usually insects, but they have also been known to take small mice and reptiles and occasionally hummingbirds. Their front legs are equipped with rows of sharp spikes that the mantises use to hold their prey. Mantids hunt by locating themselves near a flower or other insect-attracting location and patiently waiting for an insect to come within striking range of its forelegs. They occasionally will even stalk their prey by creeping toward it slowly, swaying back and forth, thus mimicking the foliage in a breeze. Farmers and gardeners consider praying mantises beneficial insects, because they eat a lot of insect pests. As a result, their egg cases are commonly sold for placement in gardens.

In North America, praying mantises are green, gray, or brown, which helps to camouflage them among the plants where they live. In tropical rainforest areas, some mantids resemble leaves in shape and color. In Africa and the Far East, there are mantids called flower mantises, which so closely resemble flowers that nectar-gathering insects will often land on them.

Praying mantises are also known for their behavior of the female cannibalizing the smaller male after mating. In temperate areas, the females lay their eggs in the fall as a frothy, gummy mass that hardens into an egg case. These egg cases are attached to objects such as twigs or stems. Tiny nymphs emerge the following spring or early summer.

Mantises are preyed upon by numerous species of spiders, insect-eating mammals, and birds. In the bodies of some species of mantises, there is a hollow chamber that is used to detect the high frequency calls of bats, one of their most feared predators. While flying around at night, if one of these mantises detects the calls of a bat, it drastically changes its flight pattern, often spiraling down to the ground to avoid the bat.

As the praying mantis appears to be in a constant state of praying and meditating, this should be a reminder to us that we should keep our hearts and minds in a prayerful attitude throughout the day. “Keep the mind in a praying mood, uplifted to God.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 701. “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18. In Ephesians 6:18, Paul admonishes us to pray always “with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.” If we keep a prayer on our hearts continually, we have the promise of deliverance from the snares of the enemy: “Not one watching, praying, believing soul will be ensnared by the enemy.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 404.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Bears

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The bear family consists of eight species. Although some species are reputed to be fierce and aggressive, bears are typically peaceful, solitary creatures that prefer to roam areas undisturbed by humans. Most bears are omnivores, feeding on both plant and animal matter. All eight species are threatened by habitat loss and from poaching, due to a demand for bear parts, such as gall bladders and paws.

The American Black Bear is native only to North America and is found in a variety of habitats. Black Bears are not always black! They may be cinnamon, blond, or bluish-gray in color, and about 25 percent of them have a white chest blaze.

Found throughout Southern Asia, the Asiatic Black Bear, or Moon Bear, is similar to its American cousin but has longer fur and is predominately black with a white, often V-shaped, patch of fur on its chest.

Brown Bears (including Grizzly Bears) are native throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. With home ranges as large as 500 square miles, they require vast, remote areas of habitat to survive. Because of this, they have been eliminated from much of their historic range. Their fur may be colored white, black, or various shades of brown. Brown Bears have a slightly dished face and a distinctive hump over their shoulders. The largest Brown Bear ever recorded stood 14 feet tall and weighed over 1,600 pounds.

Long thought to be part of the raccoon family, the Giant Panda has been officially classified as a bear since 1995. Native only to China, pandas subsist almost entirely on bamboo. To protect them from bamboo splinters while feeding, the panda’s esophagus has a tough, horny lining and its stomach has a thick, muscular lining.

Polar Bears are the largest of the bear species, weighing up to 1,700 pounds. They are found circumpolar in the Artic, where their white fur helps them blend into their environment. With their partially webbed paws, they are excellent swimmers and can swim for long distances.

The Sloth Bear, found in the forests and grasslands of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, has a black, shaggy coat with a cream-colored, U- or Y-shaped patch of fur on its chest. Adult Sloth Bears lack upper incisors, which creates a gap in their mouths through which they are able to extend their long, lower lips, forming a tube for feeding. They use this tube to suck up termites and ants, making loud sucking noises that can be heard over 350 feet away. They are also able to close their nostrils at will to prevent ants and termites from getting in and to help create more vacuum while they are sucking.

The Spectacled Bear inhabits the Andes Mountains of South America. Their fur is brown or black, and they get their name from distinctive cream-colored bands that encircle their eyes. They are excellent tree climbers and build nests in trees for sleeping.

Found in the lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia, the Sun Bear is the smallest of all bears, weighing only 60 to 145 pounds. Its coat is made of short, sleek, black hairs. It has a golden- or white-colored crescent shape on its chest and the same coloring also around its eyes.

In the Bible, God used two she-bears to bring judgment upon 42 youths who mocked and ridiculed Elisha. (See Prophets and Kings, 235, 236.) It is a serious thing to speak against God’s chosen servants who are called upon to do a work for Him. “To accuse and criticize those whom God is using is to accuse and criticize the Lord who has sent them.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 466.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Champion Trees

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Western North America is home to the tallest, largest, and oldest documented trees known to still be living. The Coastal Redwoods of California’s northern coast are the tallest living things in the world. Starting from seeds the size of tomato seeds, they can grow over 300 feet in only a couple hundred years. The tallest Coastal Redwood is 367 feet tall, with a width at its base of 22 feet. Due to the high tannin content of the wood, they are highly disease and insect resistant. Coastal Redwoods are also resistant to fire. Having no taproot, their roots only reach 10 to 13 feet deep and spread outward 60 to 80 feet. Because of this, the most frequent cause of death among them, aside from logging, is toppling. Coastal Redwoods commonly live more than 2,000 years, and a few are over 4,000 years old.

Another type of redwood, the Giant Sequoia, does not get quite as tall as the Coastal Redwoods but tends to be more massive. Giant Sequoias are the largest living things on earth. Trunk diameters of up to 30 feet are not uncommon, and their branches can be 50 feet long. Their bark can be 4 feet thick! The largest Giant Sequoia is known as the “General Sherman,” with a volume of over 55,000 cubic feet. It is only 274.9 feet tall, but it has a diameter at its base of 36.5 feet and a crown spread of 106.5 feet. Giant Sequoias grow at elevations of 4,900–8,200 feet on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Central California. They commonly reach an age of 2,000–3,000 years.

The oldest documented living things on earth are the Bristlecone Pines of the Great Basin areas of the Western United States. Earth’s oldest known living inhabitant, a Bristlecone Pine known as “Methuselah,” is 4,767 years old and is found in the White Mountains of California. In 1964, a Bristlecone Pine was cut down that was determined to be 4,862 years old. The age of a tree is determined by taking core samples and counting the growth rings. For each year of life, a new growth ring is produced. Bristlecone Pines are usually less than 60 feet tall. They are native to dry, windswept mountaintops above 10,000 feet.

The ages of some of the trees mentioned above would place them on the earth before the flood, which is not a problem if you consider this Spirit of Prophecy quote: “God by his miraculous power preserved a few of the different kinds of trees and shrubs alive for future generations.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 77.

There is a champion tree in Heaven whose glory surpasses that of all other trees. “The fruit of the tree of life in the Garden of Eden possessed supernatural virtue. To eat of it was to live forever. Its fruit was the antidote of death. Its leaves were for the sustaining of life and immortality.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 288. Man lost the right to eat of this tree when sin entered the world. The tree was removed from the earth before the flood and now resides in Heaven. (See “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 989; Patriarchs and Prophets, 62.) Access to the tree of life will soon be restored to man through Christ. (See Early Writings, 126.) “If you are true and humble and faithful in this life, you will be given an abundant entrance. Then the tree of life will be yours, for you will be a victor over sin; the city whose builder and maker is God will be your city.” Ibid., 125.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Armored Mammals

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Pangolins or Scaly Anteaters are native to forested parts of Africa and Asia. There are seven species, four in Africa and three in Asia, which range in length from three to six feet. They are covered with protective, horny, overlapping scales. When danger threatens, pangolins are able to roll into a ball to defend themselves. The cutting action of their armor-plated scales, worked by powerful muscles, also protects them by inflicting serious wounds on anything inserted between them. In addition, they have well-developed, anal, scent glands that emit strong, foul-smelling secretions.

Pangolins have small heads and long, broad tails. They are toothless and have no external ears, although their hearing is good. Their sight is poor, but their sense of smell is well developed. Pangolins are nocturnal, remaining in their burrows or tree cavities during the day. They are insectivores, preferring to feed on termites and ants, which they find by digging into the victims’ nests with their clawed forefeet. They then use their extremely long tongues (up to 16 inches) to lap them up. Large salivary glands coat the tongue with a gummy mucus to which the insects stick. Pangolins have no teeth. Their gizzard-like stomach is specially designed for grinding food. The small stones and sand they consume while feeding help this process along.

Another family of armor-encased mammals, the armadillos, is found in the New World from Kansas in the United States to Patagonia in South America. There are around 20 species of these nocturnal, burrowing insectivores. A patterned, hornlike armor composed of bony plates covers the upper and side surfaces of their bodies and parts of the legs and undersides. If attacked by a predator, armadillos draw in their feet and noses, and some species roll into a ball.

Although nearly blind, armadillos have excellent senses of smell and hearing. They feed by smelling food up to eight inches below the surface and digging it out. The menu varies depending on the species. Some prefer ants and termites; others prefer beetles, larvae, caterpillars, grasshoppers, worms, or even snakes or carrion. Others are even believed to be vegetarians. Armadillos are the only animals that can transmit the disease leprosy. Due to poor blood circulation in their limbs, the temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit on the surface of their paws seems to be ideal for the growth of Mycobacterium leprae, which is transmitted when a captured animal defends itself with its sharp claws.

The Bible speaks of Christians putting on armor: “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places]. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints . . . .” Ephesians 6:11–18. “If we have on the heavenly armor, we shall find that the assaults of the enemy will not have power over us. Angels of God will be round about us to protect us.” Review and Herald, May 25, 1905.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Prickly Mammals

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Throughout most of northern and western North America lives the world’s second largest rodent, the North American Porcupine. Attaining a weight of up to 40 pounds, this rodent is found from high-mountain, forested areas to the scrubby, creosote expanses of the low deserts. Porcupines are heavy-set, short-legged, slow-moving mammals, preferring to be alone. They are also nocturnal and spend most of their time in trees.

The porcupine’s back and tail are covered with up to 30,000 sharp quills armed with barbs. These barbed quills detach easily and can become painfully embedded in the skin of an attacker—especially so when the porcupine swats the attacker with its tail. Not only do the quills inflict painful wounds, but they also work their way deep into the skin and may even cause death if they puncture vital organs or if the wounds become infected.

Porcupines are vegetarians, preferring to feed on leaves, twigs, and green plants. In the winter they feed on the inner bark of trees. As with all rodents, the porcupine’s teeth grow continuously and must be kept worn down by gnawing on wood. They are especially fond of salt and will chew on axe handles to get the salt left there by human hands.

In Australia and New Guinea lives an odd family of mammals known as echidnas or spiny anteaters. They are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs rather than give live birth as most mammals do. Echidnas have long, sharp spines protecting their bodies. When danger threatens, they roll into a ball, thus protecting their vulnerable undersides. There are several different species of echidnas and all are insectivores, feeding on ants, termites, other insects, and earthworms, which they find with their sensitive snouts. They then dig them out with their strong claws and catch them with their long, sticky tongues. During the breeding season, a female echidna develops a simple pouch into which she lays a single, leathery-shelled egg. The egg hatches in ten days and the baby is blind and hairless. It gets milk from a gland within the mother’s pouch. In a few weeks, the baby (called a puggle) develops sharp spines and must leave the pouch.

In Africa and Eurasia lives another group of spiny mammals called hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are in the order Insectivora and are related to shrews and moles. They have rounded bodies up to thirteen inches long, very short tails, and pointed snouts. Their backs and sides are covered with stiff, inch-long spines, and their undersides are covered with coarse hair. When threatened, a hedgehog rolls itself into a tight ball with its spines pointing outward. When rolled up like this it is invulnerable to almost any predator. Hedgehogs are very popular with gardeners in Europe. Because of their appetite for insects, they are encouraged to live around farms and gardens. Hedgehogs are also raised and sold for pets in many places.

Just as painful and even suicidal as it is for a predator to try and make a meal out of one of the prickly mammals mentioned above, so it is for men who try to work against God. In Acts 9:5, the Lord said to Paul, just after he was struck blind on the road to Damascus, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” We should be careful that, in our zeal for God, we do not end up working against God or preventing others from doing the Lord’s work like Paul did. Just because the work is not being done the way we think it should be or through the channels we think it should be does not mean that the Lord is not leading it! “But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” Acts 5:39.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Soaring Serpents

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In the lowland rainforests of southern and southeastern Asia, live the Flying Tree Snakes of which there are five species of the genus Chrysopelea. Flying snakes are so named because they are the only snakes that can move through the open air. They don’t actually fly but, instead, perform a sort of parachute jump or glide. To do this, they open their ribs so that the belly is concave and form a U-shaped half-cylinder along the entire length of their bodies. The outer edges of their belly scales are rigid, while the central portion of their belly scales fold upward. This concave surface acts like a parachute, increasing air resistance and generating enough lift to prolong their “flight.” The snakes have some degree of control by undulating their bodies through the air as if swimming and by holding their tails rigidly upwards, twisting the tail from side to side for balance. Using this technique, they can cross as much as 100 meters (110 yards) from tree to tree or from tree to ground. Their landings leave much to be desired and can only be described as clumsy crash landings.

Found in the same areas as the flying snakes are several species of gliding lizards of the genus Draco. They have moveable, elongated ribs that support the gliding membrane (Patagium). The “wings” are normally folded flat against the body, popping open when the lizard takes to the air. They have a projection under their throats called a “gular appendage” which they use as a rudder to steer their flights. When taking to the air to escape an enemy or to search for new feeding grounds, they have been known to glide over 100 meters (over 110 yards) from one tree to another.

Another group of gliding lizards, also found in Southeast Asia, is the gliding geckos (genus Ptychozoon). They have a different style of Patagium (gliding membrane). Instead of having one large Patagium supported by its ribs, the flying geckos have small lateral skin flaps along the head, limbs, torso, and tail. They also have a broad, flattened tail, and large webbed feet. Although not as good at gliding as the Draco lizards, the eight-inch-long, nocturnal gliding geckos get enough drag and lift from their skin flaps and webbed feet to parachute safely to the ground or to a nearby tree.

Gliding seems to be an efficient way to move around in the tall rainforests of southeastern Asia. Besides the snakes and lizards already mentioned, there are numerous species of flying frogs. Giant webbed hands and feet become airfoils when the flying frogs soar at night. Besides their parachute-shaped feet, flying frogs also have flaps of skin along their outer forearms, leg bases, and heels. Flying frogs are so highly maneuverable that they can even make sharp turns in midair. Some species can glide up to 45 meters (almost 50 yards). Being tree frogs, they have strong suckers on their toes with which to cling when they land on a vertical surface. Gliding allows the tree frogs to descend rapidly to breeding ponds on the forest floor and to move from one tree to the next without having to climb all the way to the ground.

Someday soon the redeemed will be given real wings with which to not just glide but fly! “All the treasures of the universe will be open to the study of God’s redeemed. Unfettered by mortality, they wing their tireless flight to worlds afar . . . .” The Great Controversy, 677. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Salmon Migration

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Along the Pacific Coast of North America lives a group of fishes that are famous for their long-distance travel. There are five species of Pacific salmon: Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, and Sockeye. Pacific salmon are anadromous, meaning they spend part of their lives in freshwater and part in saltwater. They begin their lives in the headwaters of rivers and streams where their eggs hatch and small fry emerge carrying a yoke sac attached to their bellies. The young remain in the gravel and the yoke sac feeds them until they are strong enough to swim in the current and feed on aquatic organisms.

The smaller species of salmon start migrating downstream toward the sea when they have grown to about three inches. The larger species remain in freshwater for one to two years before heading out to sea. As the current carries them downstream toward the Pacific Ocean, their bodies undergo physical and chemical changes that will enable them to survive in saltwater. Once they enter the Pacific Ocean, they disperse in all directions. Pink Salmon usually stay within 150 miles of the mouth of their home river or stream, while Chinook Salmon may travel as far as 2,500 miles from theirs.

When they reach sexual maturity, the salmon return to the exact freshwater stream of their origin to lay their eggs. They are able to do this by their unparalleled sense of smell. Each river and stream has its own, unique, chemical composition that sets it apart from all others.

The upstream journey of migrating salmon is often long and strenuous, with numerous predators and obstacles, such as waterfalls and dams to maneuver. Salmon do not feed once they enter freshwater, and their condition gradually deteriorates as they journey upstream. Pacific salmon may migrate hundreds or even thousands of miles to reach their spawning grounds, but only a small percentage make it all the way back and spawn. In the Columbia River system, the Snake River strains of salmon travel up to 900 miles from the sea to spawn in the high mountain streams of Idaho. In the Yukon River of Alaska, Chinook Salmon travel over 2,000 river miles, during a 60-day period, to spawn in the Yukon Territory of Canada. When the salmon reach the spawning grounds, they are bruised and battered from the journey and must now battle each other for nesting places and mates with which to spawn. Once a pair have formed and established a territory, the female builds a nest, called a redd, with her tail. The pair then spawns, and afterward, the female covers the eggs with loose gravel. The pair then move upstream a short distance and repeat the process. One pair of salmon may have several redds. All Pacific salmon die within a few days after spawning.

Just as the salmon must perseveringly follow the scent of their home stream to reach their spawning grounds, so the Christian must follow the light from the Word of God to reach Heaven. “Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. And like the salmon migration, only a small percentage make it. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13, 14. Unlike the salmon, the Christian will not die at the end of his journey but will live for eternity! “He shall receive . . . in the world to come eternal life.” Mark 10:30.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – Are Bluebirds Truly Blue?

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The light visible to our eyes is composed of many colors of light, each with its own distinct wave length. For example, red light has a long wavelength of around 700 nm, while blue light has a much shorter wavelength of around 400 nm. When light strikes an object, it either absorbs or reflects the various wavelengths. The particular wavelength or wavelengths reflected strike the retinas of our eyes and determines the color we perceive. When an object absorbs all wavelengths of light with none being reflected back, we perceive that object as being black. On the other hand, when an object reflects all wavelengths of light with none being absorbed, we perceive it as being white.

Most avian feather coloration is the result of different types of chemical compounds called pigments that are embedded in the feather during its development. The pigments absorb and reflect various wavelengths of light and thus determine the colors we see. The red of cardinals and the yellow of goldfinches are good examples of pigment color. Some species of birds, such as flamingoes, rely on carotinoids and other natural pigments obtained in their diet to maintain their color. When deprived of their natural diet of small planktonic crustaceans and algae, such as when they are kept in captivity, flamingoes lose their pink color and turn gray or dull buff, unless special formulas or artificial red dyes are added to their prepared food.

The blue coloration of most blue-colored birds such as bluebirds and white birds such as egrets is not from pigments but from structural coloration called schemochromes. This is a result of small changes in feather structure that alters their light reflective properties and results in a preferential scattering of light. Since blue light has a very short wavelength, it is selectively reflected more easily than other colors with longer wavelengths. If the red feather of a cardinal is ground to a powder, the color of the powder will be red due to the presence of red pigments. If you do the same thing with a blue feather from a bluebird, the powder will be dark instead of blue. Blue and green pigments are virtually unknown in birds except for the turaco family of Africa. The green coloration of most green birds is created by a combination of structural blue coloration and yellow carotinoid pigments in the feathers.

Iridescent colors, as seen in purple martins and grackles, is a physical phenomenon similar to structural blue color. Highly modified barbules on the feathers produce a differential reflection of wavelengths when they are rotated, so that a flat surface faces the incoming light. The structure of the barbules reflects some wavelengths of light and absorbs others, with the reflected wavelength changing with the angle of reflection. So as the bird moves around, the angle of reflection and wavelengths change, producing a change of color to the eye.

Blue is a very important color in the Bible, as it was chosen to represent the Ten Commandments. The color stands for truth and is where we get the term “true-blue.” The color blue was used in the sanctuary and was also worn as a ribbon of blue on the border fringes of the Israelites’ garments. This was a reminder for them to keep God’s Law. (See Numbers 15:38–40.) The color blue should still be important to us today as a reminder to keep God’s Ten Commandments! Even though a bluebird is truly not blue, the color we perceive from it is real and should remind us every time we see one that we are still obligated to keep God’s Law.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Nature Nugget – The Bird-watcher’s Lifelist

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There are approximately 9,730 species of birds worldwide, of which a little over 800 have been recorded in North America, north of Mexico. A few new species are still discovered every year in remote areas of the world, such as in the rainforests of South America and Southeast Asia. Birds are found literally everywhere on this planet, from smog-choked cities to remote wilderness areas, and from high, snow-covered mountains to open, high seas thousands of miles from land. Because of their beauty and easy accessibility (just step out into your backyard), birds have been an object of man’s interest since creation. Now, more than ever, due to the inventions of quality binoculars and spotting scopes, and identification field guides that now cover every region of the earth, watching birds has become very popular. Often all one has to do is see a Painted Bunting or a Purple Gallinule, and he or she is hooked!

Over 60 million Americans will grab their binoculars and field guides to do a bit of bird watching this year! Most only watch birds in their own backyard at bird feeders or while on vacation, but some regularly travel many miles to observe birds in different parts of their own states, country, or various countries of the world, and there are various degrees of interest and participation between these extremes.

Bird watching or “birding,” as many prefer to call it, is often considered a sport, and is now the single most popular hobby on the North American continent. In Great Britain, the term “bird-watcher” is preferred over “birder,” and the term “twitcher” is used for the serious “bird-watcher.” The term “twitcher” was coined to describe the uncontrollable spasms of excitement the “bird-watcher” exhibits when seeing a new bird for the first time.

Most “birders,” as the more serious prefer to call themselves, keep lists of the birds they see in various places. They keep lists of species seen in their country, state, county, and yards. They keep day lists and trip lists. Some keep lists for other states and countries they visit. The most important list for the serious birder is his Lifelist. The Lifelist is a running list kept of all new species encountered that one has never seen before. When a “birder” encounters a “Lifer,” as new species are called, he records in a log book its name, date seen, and location. For instance, my last “Lifer” was a Cocoa Woodcreeper seen on February 3, 2004, at Lancetilla Botanical Gardens near Tela, Honduras. In Great Britain, the adding of a species to one’s list is called “ticking.” It is quite a sight to see a “twitcher” in the act of “ticking”!

Heaven keeps a “Lifelist” also. It is not a list of birds, but rather a list of souls that have surrendered their lives to Christ. “The names of all those who have once given themselves to God are written in the book of life, and their characters are now passing in review before Him. Angels of God are weighing moral worth. They are watching the development of character in those now living, to see if their names can be retained in the book of life.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 960. “All who persevere in obedience, all who will not sell their souls for money or for the favor of men, God will register in the book of life.” Ibid., 950.

“Glorious will be the deliverance of those who have patiently waited for His coming and whose names are written in the book of life.” The Great Controversy, 634.

David Arbour writes from his home in DeQueen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.