Nature

Nature Nugget – Mystery Birds of the Marsh

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The family Rallidae, which occurs worldwide on every continent but Antarctica, consists of 150 species of rails, crakes, and wood-rails, and also includes the moorhens, gallinules, and coots. They are found everywhere except in Polar Regions, completely waterless deserts, and mountains above snowline. They occupy various habitats from forests to wetlands, grasslands to remote, scrub-covered islands, and coral cays. Many live a secretive and skulking existence on the ground in dense vegetation and are difficult to observe. Their bodies are short and often laterally compressed for ease of movement through dense, low vegetation, whence comes the expression “thin as a rail.” In spite of their apparent weak flight, many rails undertake intercontinental migrations and have even colonized remote and widespread oceanic islands.

In North America, there are six species of rails, all of which are secretive and closely tied to marsh and wetland habitats. The largest, the King Rail at a length of up to 19 inches, inhabits freshwater wetlands throughout much of the eastern United States. It is bright rufous overall with a long, slightly drooping bill, which it uses to catch crayfish, small fishes, amphibians, and insects. Incubating birds seldom flush from their nest until an intruder comes within ten feet; then they will often flush toward the intruder and strike him. The rail then gives a distraction display and leads the intruder away from its nest. The Clapper Rail of the coastal marshes is a paler, saltwater version of the King Rail. Its diet, habits, and calls are very similar to those of the King Rail, and many scientists believe they are the same species. Downy young of both the King and Clapper Rails have vestigial claws at the carpal joints of their wings.

The most common rails in North America are the Virginia Rail and Sora. These medium-sized rails are common migrants, breeding in the north and wintering in the south. They prefer freshwater marshes, especially ones with cattails. The Virginia Rail is a small, half-sized version of the King Rail, but with gray cheeks and reddish legs and bill. It feeds on invertebrates and fish, which it catches with its long bill. The Sora has a very short, stubby bill that is bright yellow. It is mostly a seedeater but will also take insects and snails.

The two smallest North American rails are also the most difficult to see. The Yellow Rail, at five inches in length, breeds in wet meadows of southern Canada and the northern United States, where it gives its Morse-code-like ticking calls. It winters in hay meadows and coastal marshes along the Gulf Coasts. It has a short, stubby, yellow bill, like the Sora’s, and a similar diet. Seen in flight, it has a bold, white patch in the secondaries, which no other North American rail has. At 4.5 inches, the Black Rail is the smallest rail in the world. It is quite probably the most secretive and difficult to see bird in all of North America. In spite of its secretiveness, its call, which is given usually at night, can be heard a mile away. It prefers the high portion of salt marshes, wet meadows, and shallow freshwater marshes. It is found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and locally inland and in the west.

“He who studies most deeply into the mysteries of nature will realize most fully his own ignorance and weakness. He will realize that there are depths and heights which he cannot reach, secrets which he cannot penetrate, vast fields of truth lying before him unentered.” Education, 133.

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

Nature Nugget – The Alligator Snapping Turtle

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Known as the dinosaur of the turtle world, the Alligator Snapping Turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in the world. Native to the southeastern United States from Florida to Texas and north in the Mississippi River Valley to Iowa and Indiana, the Alligator Snapping Turtle is found in the deepwater areas of lakes, swamps, bayous, canals, and rivers that drain into the Gulf of Mexico. They average in size from 70 to 150 pounds with the carapace (upper shell) reaching 30 inches in length. The largest individual turtle ever documented was a 236-pounder, but there are legends of much larger individuals, including one that reportedly weighed over 400 pounds! They are long-lived, believed to live well over 100 years.

Unlike the Common Snapping Turtle, which has its eyes on top of its head, the Alligator Snapping Turtle has its eyes on the sides of its extremely massive head. It has a strong, hooked beak and very long tail which is slightly prehensile in very young individuals. The head, neck, and front legs are covered with fleshy projections of the skin. The carapace has three rows of prominent keels and is usually covered in algae growth, which helps camouflage the turtle. Almost totally aquatic, Alligator Snapping Turtles can stay submerged for up to 50 minutes, but they usually come up for air every 15 to 20 minutes.

Alligator Snapping Turtles mate in the spring and lay eggs in the summer, with the young hatching in the fall. They lay from 8 to 52 eggs in a nest dug in the sand about 55 yards from the shore. The incubation temperature determines the sex of the young. High and low temperatures yield more females while moderate temperatures yield more males. They reach sexual maturity in 11 to 13 years.

Being an omnivore, the Alligator Snapping Turtle is both a scavenger and an active hunter. Its diet consists of just about anything it can find or catch such as carrion, fish, smaller turtles, aquatic plants, snakes, frogs, clams, snails, worms, crayfish, fruit, and even small alligators. It is mainly nocturnal, when it actively moves around searching for food. During the day, it passively hunts by lying still on the bottom of the body of water with its mouth wide open. In the bottom of its mouth, it has a small, pink, worm-like lure, which it wiggles to attract fish. The fish, believing the lure to be a worm, comes close and is caught with lightning speed in the powerful jaws of the turtle.

Just as the Alligator Snapping Turtle attracts fish to their doom with its worm-like lure, so Satan attracts souls to their doom with worldly allurements. “Satan invents earthly allurements, that the carnal mind may be placed on those things which cannot elevate and refine and ennoble.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 581. “He who is not blind to the attraction of worldly honors, indifferent to threats, and unmoved by allurements will be, all unexpectedly to himself, overthrown by Satan’s devices.” Ibid., 544. “The temptations by which Christ was beset in the wilderness—appetite, love of the world, and presumption—are the three great leading allurements by which men are most frequently overcome.” Ibid., 576. “If the frivolous and pleasure-seeking will allow their minds to dwell upon the real and true, the heart cannot but be filled with reverence, and they will adore the God of nature. The contemplation and study of God’s character as revealed in His created works will open a field of thought that will draw the mind away from low, debasing, enervating amusements.” Ibid., 581.

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

Nature Nugget – Owl Senses

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There are 162 species of owls in the world ranging in size from the tiny Elf Owl, less than six inches in length and weighing 1.5 ounces, to the giant European Eagle Owl weighing up to nine pounds and with nearly a six-foot wingspan. Owls are found on every continent, except Antarctica, and on many oceanic islands far from any continent. They occur in habitats from the cold arctic tundra to hot, low deserts. Most owls are nocturnal (active at night), but some are diurnal (active during the day). The larger species feed on small mammals such as rabbits, skunks, and foxes, whereas the smallest owls are mainly insect eaters. Most average-sized owls feed on rodents and birds. A few, such as the fishing owls, feed on fish.

The most striking feature of an owl is its eyes. They are very large and forward facing and, depending on the species, may account for one to five percent of the owl’s body weight. The forward facing aspect of the eyes, which gives it a “wise” appearance, provides it a wide range of “binocular” vision (seeing an object with both eyes at the same time). This means the owl can see objects in three dimensions and can judge distances. An owl’s field of view is approximately 110 degrees with about 70 degrees being binocular vision. In comparison, humans have a 180-degree field of view with 140 degrees being binocular. An owl’s eyes are large in order to improve their light gathering capacity. They do not have eyeballs like other animals but have eyes that are elongated tubes. Therefore, they cannot “roll” or move their eyes but can only look straight ahead. The owl makes up for this with its long, very flexible neck, allowing it to turn its head nearly completely around and almost upside down.

Even more impressive than the owl’s vision is its highly developed hearing. Its ears are located on the sides of its head behind the eyes and are covered with feathers. The shape of the ear opening or aperture varies from round and small to an oblong slit, depending on the species. Some species have a valve called an operculum covering the ear opening. An owl’s hearing is very acute and sensitive, allowing it to hear even the slightest movements of its prey. Some of the more strictly nocturnal species have asymmetrically set ear openings (i.e., one ear is located higher than the other). These same species use their pronounced facial discs like radar dishes to guide sounds into their ears. When an owl hears a sound, it is able to tell its direction because of the minute time difference in which the sound is perceived in the left and right ear. Turning its head so that the sound arrives at both ears simultaneously puts it looking in the right direction from which the sound is coming. Owls can detect a left/right time difference of about 0.00003 seconds (30 millionths of a second)! Using its asymmetrical ear openings, it lines up on the sound on the vertical plane. All these signals combine instantly in the owl’s brain, creating a mental image of the space where the sound source is located. So accurate are these senses that an owl can capture prey in total darkness without the aid of its eyes and can even capture prey under snow.

Like the special senses provided for the owls, the Lord has given us special senses (i.e., touch, taste, smell, hearing, sight), according to our needs, for our function and enjoyment. “All should guard the senses, lest Satan gain victory over them; for these are the avenues to the soul.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 507.

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

Nature Nugget – Mosquitohawks

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Mosquitohawks, or dragonflies as they are more commonly called, are members of the insect order Odonata. Odonates have two pairs of wings and consist of three suborders: true dragonflies, damselflies, and ancient dragonflies. Except for two living species, the ancient dragonflies are known only from the fossil record. True dragonflies are easily separated from others in that they keep their wings open when at rest. There are nearly 3,000 species of dragonflies worldwide, from the tiny Scarlet Dwarf of Asia with a wingspan of around three-fourths of an inch to the large Bornean Dragonfly of Borneo with a wingspan of around 6.4 inches. Giant dragonflies with wingspans up to 30 inches existed before the flood and are known today from the fossil record.

Dragonflies are excellent flyers and are capable of hovering motionless in one spot, flying backwards, and can even do loops. Unlike other insects, they can flap or beat their four wings independently of each other at different speeds and angles, which allows them great maneuverability. They can flap their wings close to 30 beats a second, which is slow compared to a hoverfly or honey bee, and are capable of flying at speeds of up to 38 miles per hour. Dragonflies have excellent eyesight, with 80 percent of their brain being devoted to sight. Each of their two, large, compound eyes consists of up to 30,000 individual, six-sided lenses. In comparison, our eyes only have one lens each. Together, these smaller lenses enable the dragonfly to have a 360-degree field of view and enable them to detect even the slightest movement up to 40 feet away.

Mosquitohawks, as their other name suggests, are carnivores, feeding on mosquitoes as well as numerous other insects such as gnats, flies, winged termites, and ants. Using their bristle-covered legs to form an oval-shaped basket, they scoop their prey right out of the air. Along with bats, they are the main mosquito eaters on the planet. They often concentrate in swarms over ant and termite mounds when winged individuals are swarming.

Dragonflies lay their eggs in water or damp places at the edge of the water, which hatch into larvae called nymphs. Some species can lay up to 100,000 eggs at a time, but many species only lay one egg at a time but do it frequently throughout the day and over a period of several days. In many species, the male guards the female while she lays eggs. The aquatic nymphs, like the adults, are carnivorous, feeding on a variety of aquatic organisms. Unlike other aquatic insect larvae, dragonfly nymphs have their gills inside their abdomens. They use abdominal muscles to move water into and out of their abdomen to breathe. They can also use these muscles to jet propel themselves away from danger. Depending on the species, the nymphs can live up to four years and shed their skins up to 15 times before becoming adults. After leaving the water and becoming adults, they live a maximum of only a few months.

Dragonflies are often very colorful and can come in about any color of the spectrum. Some have unusually shaped abdomens. They also sport interesting names such as: clubtails, sanddragons, snaketails, forceptails, boghaunters, sundragons, baskettails, meadowhawks, dragonlets, pondhawks, pennants, and more!

Sin has marred nature with death and ugliness and with insect pests that plague us, but God, in His love for us, has preserved beauty and balance in nature, such as with the dragonfly. If it were not for the dragonflies, bats, and birds, the earth would be overrun with insect pests. “Nature testifies of an intelligence, a presence, an active energy, that works in and through her laws. There is in nature the continual working of the Father and the Son.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 114.

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

Nature Nugget: The Mangrove Rivulus

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The Mangrove Rivulus is a small killifish (a family of numerous small, oviparous fishes much used as bait and in mosquito control) found in the tropical and subtropical portions of the western Atlantic/Caribbean Basin from central Florida south through the West Indies and Caribbean to Brazil. It is strictly a coastal species occurring in salt and brackish habitats and rarely in freshwater. Its range closely parallels that of red mangrove forests, which is its preferred habitat, where it occupies marginal and ephemeral (temporarily flooded) bodies of water such as stagnant, seasonal ponds, sloughs, and mosquito ditches. It also occurs in similar habitats away from the mangroves in elevated marsh habitats above the intertidal zone, especially in microhabitats such as the burrows of the great land crab. The crab burrows provide refuge for the Mangrove Rivulus during the dry season when seasonal pools of water dry up. Up to twenty-six small individuals have been found in a single crab burrow, but one or two per burrow is the usual number found.

Tolerating the extremes of temperature and salinity found in these habitats, the Mangrove Rivulus is one of the few fishes that can survive here. It can tolerate salinities from 0–68 parts per thousand and temperatures ranging from 7–38 degrees Celsius. It also can tolerate low oxygen levels and high sulfide levels that are produced in these habitats from decaying leaf litter, which would kill most fish species. The Mangrove Rivulus is also amphibious and frequently travels across land during rains to reach pools of water or crab burrows. It will also leave drying up bodies of water and waters that are too low in oxygen or too high in sulfides and bury itself in moist debris. It is capable of surviving out of water in this moist situation for up to 60 days. It is able to do this because of special epidermal capillaries that allow it to absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide through its skin.

Reproduction in the Mangrove Rivulus is very unusual. It is the only known vertebrate “hermaphrodite” that is self-fertilizing. Hermaphrodite means that it has both male and female reproductive parts. Both eggs and sperm are produced in reproductive organs called “ovotestes.” Each hermaphroditic individual fertilizes its eggs before laying them. The young are “clones,” meaning that they are genetically identical to the parent. This hermaphroditic mode of reproduction may be an adaptation to isolation in the crab burrows and other microhabitats these fish invade. Not all Mangrove Rivuli are hermaphrodites. There are two types of males that occur: primary males and secondary males. Primary males are hatched from fertilized eggs, but secondary males were once hermaphrodites that underwent a change and became males due to certain environmental conditions. True females have not been found in the wild but occur in captive-raised populations. Hermaphroditic individuals are identified by the presence of an eyespot at the upper base of the caudal fin and by a white band in the outer part of the anal fin. There is recent evidence that shows that the young adult fish are able to reproduce by normal sexual reproduction at first, but as they age, they become hermaphroditic. Eggs, at laying, vary in development from recently fertilized to ones containing already developing embryos. Mangrove Rivuli eggs are capable of surviving droughts in damp substrates or debris in a state of “embryonic diapause” where the embryo is in suspended animation. Eggs in this state are viable for several months and hatch soon after inundation by water.

God has implanted in the genes of His creatures enough genetic variability to allow for adaptation for survival under the most extreme circumstances. “It was the Maker of all things who ordained the wonderful adaptation of means to end, of supply to need. . . .

“He who studies most deeply into the mysteries of nature will realize most fully his own ignorance and weakness.” Education, 133.

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

Nature Nugget – Branchiopod Time Capsule

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fairy shrimpFound around the world, except in Antarctica, Branchiopods are a group of crustaceans that live in temporary pools and saline lakes. Branchiopod means “gill foot,” because they obtain oxygen from the water through their feet. There are numerous varieties of Branchiopods. Most are microscopic in size. Only three orders of them are considered large enough to see easily with the naked eye. These large Branchiopod orders are the fairy shrimps, clam shrimps, and tadpole shrimps.

The fairy shrimps, which also include the brine shrimps, unlike other large Branchiopods, have stalked compound eyes and lack having a shield covering the body. Reaching a size of .5 to 1.5 inches, fairy shrimps swim on their backs with their legs up toward the light. They feed on algae, bacteria, microorganisms, and detritus, which they filter from the water with their legs while swimming. Adult females carry their mature eggs, before laying them, in an ovisac where they can be supplied with oxygen.

The clam shrimps are less than half an inch long and have internal compound eyes and a large bivalve shield, resembling a clam’s shell, which covers the entire body. They spend most of their time on the bottom of rain pools filter feeding, sometimes dug into the mud like mussels. They can also swim with the use of their legs and second antennae. Clam shrimps develop very quickly, reaching maturity within a few days of hatching. Thus they are excellently adapted to the extreme conditions of temporary bodies of water.

Tadpole shrimps resemble miniature horseshoe crabs, having a flattened shield that covers most of the body and the internal compound eyes. They are also called Triops, because they have three eyes. Varying from 1 to 3 inches at maturity, Triops are hermaphrodites, meaning that they are self-fertile and do not require another Triop for reproduction. Triops inhabit temporary, freshwater pools, often in deserts, where they live on the bottom of the pools and dig in the mud looking for plankton, worms, insect larvae, and tadpoles on which they feed. Since these pools are short-lived, the Triops consequently have short life spans with a maximum of up to 90 days. They are capable of completing their life cycles in 20 to 40 days.

The most amazing thing about Branchiopods is how their eggs are perfectly adapted to the temporary bodies of water in which they live. Some eggs hatch right away after being laid, but some require the pool going completely dry, then reflooding again, before they will hatch. Called “resting eggs,” these eggs contain embryos that are in diapause (suspended animation) and are capable of surviving in completely dried up pools. When the female senses the pool is drying up, she sends a chemical message to the eggs before she lays them. This message stops the development of the eggs when they are either 13 or 27 days old. This same message lets the eggs know that when they are exposed to water again it will be time to hatch. Thus the embryo manages to survive without any metabolism, remaining viable for decades. The eggs are often carried by wind to other pools and are resistant to extremes in temperature.

It is so amazing how God has given His creation the ability to survive, even under extreme circumstances, as we have seen with the Branchiopods! “Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. . . . It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures.” Steps to Christ, 9.

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

Nature – Diana Fritillary

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Fritillaries are a group of large and ornate butterflies found in temperate regions throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. They are members of the brush-footed butterfly family, which are so named because their front legs resemble a pair of brushes. These brush-like front legs are used for chemical sensing rather than walking. Most fritillaries are orangish with silver markings on the undersides of their wings. Fritillaries get their name from the Latin word fritillus (dice box) because of their spotted markings. The larvae of many fritillaries are nocturnal and feed on violet leaves.

One of the larger and more strikingly beautiful butterflies in North America is the Diana Fritillary. With wingspans up to 4 inches, the Diana Fritillary is a uniquely dimorphic species, meaning that the sexes are differently colored. Above, the males are brownish-black on the inner part of the wings and orange on the outer margins. The underside of the wings is a beautiful burnt orange. Females, in contrast to the males, are dark blue-black with lighter blue spots and patches near the edge of the wings. This female color pattern is thought to mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail, a toxic butterfly that occurs throughout the range of the Diana Fritillary. Diana Fritillaries are found mainly in the uplands of the middle and southern Appalachian region, and in the Ozark and Ouachita mountain regions.

Diana Fritillaries prefer moist forested areas where they are frequently seen feeding on flowers in openings and along roadsides. They are relatively long-lived for a butterfly, with adults living four to five months. Adults require high-quality nectar plants such as common mint, buttonbush, milkweed, coneflower, and compass plant. Diana Fritillaries reproduce once a year, laying their eggs in the fall on the ground in woodlands near violet plants. The young larvae or caterpillars spend the winter in a resting stage, called diapause, and resume growth and development in the spring. The mature caterpillar is black or dark brown with black or orange spines. The caterpillars complete development by late spring, pupate in leaf litter, undergo metamorphosis, and emerge as adults in June. Males are typically the first to emerge, with females following one-and-a-half to two weeks later.

The Diana Fritillary was named after the Roman god Diana, who was also known as “Diana of the Ephesians.” The first commandment (Exodus 20:3) says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” This includes not only graven images but can also be material possessions, television, internet, or anything that interferes with your relationship with God. “The day of God will reveal that they are, in reality, only wood, hay, and stubble. The great temple of Diana was ruined; her magnificence utterly perished; those who shouted, ‘Great is Diana of the Ephesians!’ perished with their goddess and the temple which enshrined her. Their religion is forgotten, or seems like an idle tale. That temple was built upon a false foundation, and when tried, it was found to be worthless. But the stones that Paul quarried out from Ephesus were found to be precious and enduring.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 155, 156. “The present age is one of idolatry as verily as was that in which Elijah lived. No outward shrines may be visible, there may be no image for the eye to rest upon, yet thousands are following after the gods of this world,—after riches, fame, pleasure, and the pleasing fables that permit man to follow the inclinations of the unregenerate heart.” The Review and Herald, November 6, 1913.

“The time has come when we as a people should search ourselves to see what idols we are cherishing.” Ibid., March 7, 1899.

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

Nature Nugget — Attractive but Poisonous Creatures

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Throughout the animal kingdom, many creatures have bright colors as a warning to would-be predators that they are poisonous. For example, the Coral Snakes of the southern parts of North America have rings of bright red, yellow, and black. They are relatives of the Cobras and, like them, are capable of injecting a powerful neuro-toxin into their victims through short, fixed fangs near the front of their mouths. This neurotoxin they inject attacks the nervous system causing paralysis and respiratory failure.

The Monarch Butterfly is another creature that uses bright colors to warn that it is poisonous. When it was a caterpillar, it fed on the leaves of the poisonous Milkweed plant and stored up toxins from this plant in its body tissues. It has bright orange and black wings to warn birds and other predators that it is poisonous and not to be eaten.

In Central and South America, the Poison-dart Frogs are colored in various bright colors such as reds, yellows, and blues to warn that they have poisonous skin secretions that can cause death in just a few minutes if eaten. Some species are so deadly that just touching them can result in death. Some Indian tribes in South America use these skin secretions to tip their darts and arrows, to make them more lethal.

 

Poisonous Sins

 

Even though these creatures are attractive to look at, they are none-the-less poisonous and deadly. Sin is the same way. It is very attractive but the end results are deadly. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 16:25.

“God has made ample provision for His people; and if they rely upon His strength, they will never become the sport of circumstances. The strongest temptation cannot excuse sin. However great the pressure brought to bear upon the soul, transgression is our own act. It is not in the power of earth or hell to compel any one to do evil. Satan attacks us at our weak points, but we need not be overcome. However severe or unexpected the assault, God has provided help for us, and in His strength we may conquer” Patriarchs and Prophets, 421.

 

Nature – The Electric Eel

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All living things produce electricity. In most animals and plants, the pulses of electric current are so tiny that special instruments are needed to detect them. But some fishes are able to produce enormous amounts of electricity—enough to stun or even kill.

The most powerful of these electric fishes is the electric eel. It can discharge up to 650 volts—enough to kill a person on contact. (The electric current used in houses in U.S. is usually 120 volts.)

Electric eels live in the shallow, muddy waters of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers of South America. They are not related to other kinds of eels and resemble them only in their snakelike shape. The electric eel has no dorsal or tail fins, as other fish do. It swims with the aid of a long anal fin, which runs nearly the whole length of the underside of its body. It can swim backward, forward, up and down, with equal ease. These eels are air-breathers and must come up to the water’s surface frequently, approximately every 10 minutes or so.

The electric eel is like a living storage battery. All of its normal body organs are crowded into the front fifth of its body. The remaining four-fifths is packed with more than 5,000 tiny electric generators.

The electric eel uses its electricity in several ways. When it swims, a small “battery” in its tail sends out weak electric pulses at a rate of 20 to 50 a second. They bounce off objects and come back to special pits in the eel’s head. It uses electric “echoes” in much the same way that bats and whale sharks use sound to navigate. Scientists believe the eel may use these pulses to communicate with other eels.

It is fortunate that the electric eel has this ability to navigate by electricity. As it grows older, its eyes are damaged by its own electricity, and it becomes blind. Actually, eyesight is not too useful in the dark and muddy waters in which it lives.

If an enemy threatens the electric eel, or a frog or some other possible prey is in the water nearby, the eel acts promptly. It turns on the powerful “main battery” that fills most of its body. Discharges lasting about 0.002/second are sent out in quick succession. The eel can continue discharging at a rate of up to 150 pulses/second without showing any signs of tiring. Fishes and frogs are killed by the eel’s strong electric shocks. A larger animal—even a horse that has come down to the water to drink—may be stunned and drown. But except for the gradual damage to its eyes, the eel does not seem to be affected by the electricity, with vital organs located in the front of their bodies and the rest covered by fatty tissue which acts as an insulator.

Young eels produce very little electricity. The larger they grow, the more powerful their electrical shocks become.

Excerpts from Nature’s Champions, Alvin and Virginia Silverstein, © 1980, 16, 17.

Pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit, with all their quickening, recuperative, and transforming power, may fall like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness.

God’s Amazing Grace, 312

Nature Nugget — Three Stages of Newt Development

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The Red-spotted Newt is found in the eastern part of North America. Adult Newts are aquatic and are found in ponds, small lakes, marshes and ditches in wooded areas. They are olive-green with red spots above and yellow with small black spots below. They have skin-gland secretions that are distasteful and toxic to most predators.

The life cycle of the Red-spotted Newt is more complex than that of most salamander species. Newts lay their eggs in the body of water in which they live. The gilled larvae, averaging slightly over a quarter of an inch at hatching, remain in the water until mid-summer when they metamorphose into a land-dwelling form called an eft. Efts are red or orange and rough-skinned. They take shelter under logs, rocks or piles of dead leaves in wooded areas near water inhabited by adults. Efts are most active during and after rain showers —even in broad daylight. Their bright coloration is a warning that they are not edible. After spending one to three years on land the efts return to water and transform into adults.

Like the Newt, the growing Christian goes through three stages of spiritual development: justification, sanctification and glorification. First we are led by the Holy spirit to seek Christ and repentance, which results in us being justified by faith, which is granted by the merits of Jesus Christ.

“The grace of Christ is freely to justify the sinner without merit or claim on his part. Justification is a full, complete pardon of sin. The moment the sinner accepts Christ by faith, that moment he is pardoned. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him, and he is no more to doubt God’s forgiving grace.” The Faith I Live By, 107.

By daily dying to self and conforming to the will of God the growing Christian becomes sanctified, which means purified.

“Through obedience comes sanctification of body, soul, and spirit. This sanctification is a progressive work, and an advance from one stage of perfection to another.” My Life Today, 250.

And finally, if we die in Christ or are part of the living righteous at Christ’s second coming, we will be glorified; which has to do with the brightness or radiance that will surround our transformed immortal bodies from being in the presence of God. “In that great day, those whose characters the judge of all the earth can vindicate will stand before the world glorified and honored. On this earth they manifested forth the light and glory of God, and He now rewards them according to their works.” Upward Look, 272.

“Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” Romans 8:30.