Nature

What Creature Kills the Most Humans?

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That’s not a trick question. Truth is, when you factor in all the ways human beings are capable of killing themselves and each other, it is likely that more people are killed by humans, than any other creature on the planet.

But other than human beings, there is one creature that kills more humans than any other.

There is, however, one creature that kills more humans than any other.

You might think it would be snakes, lions, elephants, the hippopotamus, or sharks. You’d be right that any one of these creatures kill quite a few humans each year.

But none of these animals, bugs, or reptiles kill more than the itsy-bitsy mosquito. Mosquitoes transmit life-threatening diseases that kill 725,000-1,000,000 people every year.

The word mosquito comes from the Spanish meaning “little fly.” Their bodies are slender and segmented, with one pair of wings, a pair of halteres (two small club-shaped organs that help with body stabilization during flight), three pairs of long, hair-thin legs, and elongated mouthparts.

There are four stages to the mosquito’s life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The female lays her eggs by flying over the surface of the water, bobbing up and down to drop eggs as she goes. A female mosquito can lay 100-200 eggs during the course of the adult phase of her life cycle.

Adult mosquitoes typically mate within days after emerging from the pupal stage. It is a rather impersonal process, as the males simply swarm together around dusk and the females fly into the swarm to mate.

When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the algae and other organic material in the water. During this stage, the larvae can become a meal for freshwater animals, such as dragonflies, fish, and ducks.

The female mosquito is equipped with a proboscis—a tube-like mouthpart that can pierce the skin of its host and feed on their blood. The protein and iron they get from the blood helps in the production of eggs and thereby, the perpetuation of the species.

Male mosquitoes live for about five to seven days. Females live about a month in nature. Their lifespan is determined by temperature, humidity, and their ability to find a continual supply of hosts without becoming a meal themselves.

Mosquitoes don’t live or function well in temperatures below 50° F and are most active in temperatures between 59°-77° F. There are thousands of species of mosquitoes all around the world feeding on mammals (including humans), birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even fish.

Mosquitoes are known as vectors of parasitic diseases. That means they are a living agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen to other living organisms. While biting an infected host, they ingest pathogens and then through their saliva, transfer that pathogen to the next host. Only the females of certain species of mosquitoes spread these pathogens. In the United States, those species are: Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex. According to the World Health Organization, some of those diseases include: chikungunya, dengue, lymphatic filariasis, Rift Valley fever, Yellow fever, Zika, malaria, Japanese encephalitis and West Nile fever.

The worst disease carried by mosquitoes—simply because it kills so many people—is malaria, caused by a single-cell parasite called Plasmodium. It kills “more than 600,000 people every year; [with] another 200 million incapacitated for days at a time. It threatens half the world’s population, and causes billions of dollars in lost productivity annually.” This little parasite infects the mosquito, and once it reaches the mosquito’s midgut, the parasites multiply and migrate back to the salivary glands.

Many of the diseases spread by mosquitoes are endemic [restricted] to particular areas of the world and not often found in the United States and Europe, except perhaps in the case of the hapless traveler. Malaria, for example, is found mainly in areas with climatic factors like temperature, humidity, and rainfall—northern South America, Saudi Arabia, most of Africa, and Asia. African countries make up about 96% of all malaria deaths. In high altitude areas, colder seasons, and deserts, malaria does not occur or is less intense and more seasonal.

But why doesn’t the mosquito get sick from the infectious pathogen/parasite she picks up? Awanish Mishra at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Guwahati believes that it might be because the pathogen/parasite itself never comes into direct contact with the mosquitoe’s circulatory system. And El-Desouky Ammar at the University of Florida, IFAS & ARS-USDA suggests that the mosquito and the pathogen/parasite have a symbiotic relationship that is beneficial to both.

To reduce the chances of becoming an early-evening snack for a group of lady mosquitoes this summer, follow these, and other, common sense guidelines:
•   Monitor and disrupt standing water in gutters, uneven concrete, potted plants or spare tires on a weekly basis

Discard waste in sealed plastic bags and ensure trash is collected regularly

Fit water storage containers with tight lids and use fine-mesh coverings on storage vessels

Wear light-colored, long-sleeve clothes, use insect repellent and sleep under a bed net

Fit windows and doors with screens

Use insecticide sprays or vaporizers in and around houses

Sources: worldatlas.com/animals/10-animals-that-kill-the-most-humans; smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/mosquitoes-kill-more-humans-human-murderers-do; cdc.gov/malaria/about/distribution; Wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito; researchgate.net/post/Why_vector_mosquitoes_dont_get_affected_by_the_viruses_plasmodium_they_transmit; usatoday.com/story/news/health/2023/02/02/what-animal-kills-most-humans

Animal people killed note
Snake 50,000  
Dog 25,000 mainly from the transmission of rabies
Assassin Bug 10,000 includes the tsetse fly, a primary carrier of malaria
Freshwater Snail 10,000 parasitic worm that carries the disease schistosomiasis
Scorpion 2,600  
Roundworm &Tapeworm 2,000-2,500  
Crocodile 1,000  
Hippopotamus 500  
Elephant 100  
Lion 100  
Shark 10  

 

The Megapode

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The megapode, also called the Australian incubator bird, is a medium-to-large sized, chicken-like bird with a small head, heavy legs, and big feet with sharp claws. The name literally means large foot. They typically live in wooded areas, and are browsers—herbivores that eat leaves and the fruit of shrubs. There are 20 living species of the bird. Found in Oceania—a geographical region including Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding Pacific islands), Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia—their eggs are considered a delicacy. The egg is twice the size of a chicken egg, weighs about half a pound, and the yolk is about four times bigger, making up 50-70% of the egg’s weight. The megapode itself weighs about 3.5 to 4 pounds.

The male megapode builds the nest—a massive nest as much as 50’ across and 20’ high—out of decaying vegetation, like a huge mulch pile.

The female has only two jobs: approving the nest and laying eggs. She digs around in the nest and if it meets with her approval, good for her mate. But if it doesn’t, he builds a new one. Keep in mind the size of the nest in relationship to the size of the bird; this is major craftsmanship. Once the nest is approved, the female will lay 25 to 30 eggs, one egg every 3 days for up to 7 months. The shell is very thick with pores that are shaped like ice cream cones. Once the eggs are laid, she leaves.

The man of the nest now takes over responsibility for the nest and eggs. He tends his nest by adding or removing litter to regulate the internal heat while the eggs develop, keeping the temperature at about 91° F and 99.5% humidity. If the temperature varies much more than 1°, the chicks will die. If it gets too dry, the chicks will die. So much pressure! So each day he digs in the nest and checks the temperature and humidity. If the mound is too hot, too cold, or too dry, he goes to work to cool it off or warm it up or increase the humidity. Once the chicks are hatched, his work is done.

In the egg, as the chicks grow, it eventually can’t get enough air and begins to scrape off the inside of the egg to make the ice-cream-cone-shaped air holes bigger. Unlike other chicks, a megapode chick does not have an eggtooth, the sharp, temporary projection at the end of the beak to chip away at the eggshell until it is able to breathe and ultimately break free. Instead, the chick uses its powerful claws, and once free from the shell, lays on its back, tunneling its way through the sand and vegetable matter to the surface of the mound. It does this by packing the sticks and dirt that fall on its chest under its wings, repeating this for up to three days, until it has reached the surface.

Chicks hatch fully feathered, ready and able to fly, and to live independently of their parents because, well, they’ve already left. So they start to search for and find food. They raise themselves to maturity with no training, and go on to either build a nest or make eggs for the next generation.

So did the megapode evolve or was there some master plan to their design and very specific habits? Let’s see.

How does the female know if the nest is just right? Why is she not involved in caring for the eggs like most other bird species?

How does the male know how to build this complicated nest, and have the ability and knowledge to keep the temperature and humidity precisely controlled?

How were the air vents shaped like ice cream cones with the tip pointing toward the chick? And how does the chick know to scrape at these vents to get more air as it chips away to finally hatch out of the shell?

How does the chick know to dig out of the nest, which way to dig, and how to pack the debris beneath it? How does it know to hunt for food and catch it? Then the next year, the cycle begins again with the mature chicks taking on their roles with no training.

How could all of this be a product of mindless, random, accidental, purposeless chance over a massive time period? These physical attributes, instincts, skills, and knowledge had to be designed and instilled in these birds by a Creator or the whole species would have been extinct with the first pair of birds. Only God, the Creator, could do this.

Sources: Adapted from materials by Dr. Jobe Martin D.M.D., TH.M.; wikipedia.org/wiki/Megapode; beautyofbirds.com/megapodes

Nature – Out of the Fire – Knobcone pine

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On the west coast of the United States grows an amazing example of “beauty from ashes”—the Knobcone pine. This tree does not attract a second glance; however, observing it for any length of time, one would see what makes this tree so special.

The pinecones of most species maintain the natural cycle of life by dropping their seeds in the fall of each year which then germinate with the coming rains, thus perpetuating the species, but the Knobcone doesn’t do this. Its cones cling to its branches year after year, closed firmly against the environment, glued shut with resin, a phenomenon called serotiny. An extremely determined squirrel may chew through a pinecone or two, but for the most part these cones resist predators and remain unharmed.

Things may continue this way for years, 50 or more. The possibility of the Knobcone pine’s extinction looks real. The situation appearing hopeless until one day, a forest fire sweeps through the forest, reducing all in its path to smoking ashes. The Knobcone pine is now a charred stump with no possibility of reviving. To our logical minds this looks like the end for this tree; but God created something miraculous when He formed it.

The fire melts the resin, allowing the heavily armored and insulated cones to open, releasing its seeds. These areas of burn are soon covered in dense carpets of seedlings, thriving because there is reduced competition from other plants. Over a period of time, lasting up to four years after a burn, they will still be scattering seeds, replanting what was lost, and more.

The seeds of a Knobcone pine grow best in soil with a higher pH level. A fire temporarily creates this condition. All the cones produced since the tree was a sapling, or since the last fire, are caused to open by the heat and discharge their seeds soon after a forest fire. Fire is essential for the completion of the pinecone’s life cycle. Thus fire, the destroyer of these trees, is directly responsible for the new growth that follows. In the aftermath of destruction, seedlings of life are born, springing up out of the ashes.

The Heartbeat of the Remnant, Spring 2017, Angela Zimmerman; https://treesfoundation.org/2020/11/knobcone-pine/

The Refiner’s Fire

There burns a fire with sacred heat
White hot with holy flame
And all who dare pass through its blaze
Will not emerge the same
Some as bronze, and some as silver
Some as gold, then with great skill
All are hammered by their sufferings
On the anvil of His will

I’m learning now to trust His touch
To crave the fire’s embrace
For though my past with sin was etched
His mercies did erase
Each time His purging cleanses deeper
I’m not sure that I’ll survive
Yet the strength in growing weaker
Keeps my hungry soul alive

The Refiner’s fire
Has now become my sole desire
Purged and cleansed and purified
That the Lord be glorified
He is consuming my soul
Refining me, making me whole
No matter what I may lose
I choose the Refiner’s fire

Written by: Jon Mohr and John Randall Dennis

Parasitic Fungus

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In the world, influenced by the entertainment industry, people talk about the possibility of a zombie apocalypse. But in the insect world, becoming a zombie is a real thing.

By definition, a zombie is a human corpse said to be revived by witchcraft or voodoo. But for insects there is no magic involved. Cordyceps fungi is a parasitic fungus that targets and kills insects. After the fungus has attached itself to an insect, it begins to slowly penetrate into the skeleton and brain. The insect effectively becomes a zombie as the infection takes over the body. As it spreads, it consumes the innards and the remaining carcass becomes its home. The corpse of the insect continues to function, but it is the fungus that is manipulating it.

Over the course of about three weeks, the fungus continues to grow and produce spores which can attach themselves to any other hapless insect, and then the process begins all over again. There are about 600 species of cordyceps that specialize in specific species of insect. The fungus will grow stem-like growths through the body of the insect and in this way, some other poor, unsuspecting insect can easily be infected by them. Symptoms of infection are not discernable for many days.

The fungus can attack ants and is able to wipe out an entire colony. But they can usually tell if one of their fellow colony members is infected, and those individual ants are booted out of the colony so that the fungus will not spread any further.

The fungus is found worldwide, but thrives best in tropical forests found in Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand. What may seem like a gruesome way to kill, the fungus actually controls insect populations so that they don’t become too large.

Sources: msn.com/en-us/news/technology/zombie-wasp-pictured-after-parasitic-fungi-took-over-its-body; Wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps

Like the cordyceps fungus, sin took control of human nature long ago and continues to control and manipulate mankind. But if we, like the ant, boot sin out of our lives as soon as we recognize it, by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit, then we do not have to be controlled by it anymore.

Day by day His tender mercy,

Healing, helping, full and free,

Brought me lower, while I whispered,

‘Less of self, and more of Thee.’

 

Higher than the highest heavens,

Deeper than the deepest sea,

Lord, Thy love at last has conquered;

None of self, and all of Thee!

The Hippopotamus

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How fast can a hippo swim? Can Hippos drown? Are Hippos dangerous? What do Hippos eat?

Hippopotamus is a Greek word meaning “river horse.”

Hippos are semi-aquatic, meaning they live in the water, but not all the time. They are found most often in slow-moving rivers and lakes in the Sahara Desert in Africa. They live in groups with a dominate bull and 5-30 cows and calves.

In spite of its body weight and composition compared to other aquatic mammals, a hippo lives and survives most of its life in the water, spending up to 16 hours a day in the water. Technically, they are not accomplished swimmers nor can they float. They walk or gallop always maintaining some kind of contact with the bottom or side of the river bed, propelling themselves locomotion-style—at almost five miles per hour—through the water, holding their breath for up to five minutes.

Hippos weigh 3,000-9,000 pounds and are 9.5-14 feet long, making them the third-largest land animal behind the elephant and rhinoceros. Male hippos grow throughout their lives, while females reach their maximum weight at around the age of 25.

Their skeletal structure is graviportal, adapted to carrying great weight. Their dense bones and low center of gravity allow them to sink and move along the bottom of the water. They usually trot on dry land, but if you think you could outrun such a big beast, be warned—hippos can gallop up to 20 mph. For reference, the fastest human, Usain Bolt, can run 23.4 mph.

Hippos’ eyes, ears, and nostrils are placed high at the top of their skulls so that they will be above water while the hippo rests submerged. Being nocturnal creatures, hippos spend the day in the water, but venture on land at sunset to eat leaves and grass, their favorite food—adults can eat up to 150 pounds of it per day. Notwithstanding the fact that their diet is primarily vegetarian, hippos will, on occasion, eat meat, and, therefore, are considered to be omnivores.

Hippos’ skin is about two inches thick and demands moisture. They cannot survive long on land because their bodies begin to dehydrate. They do not have sweat glands, but do have special glands in their skin which secrete a reddish, oily fluid, sometimes called “blood sweat.” This substance, however, is neither blood nor sweat. It is a secretion containing acids that inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria, as well as providing a sunscreen effect.

Hippos live an average of 40-50 years in the wild, but there have been hippos in zoos or wildlife sanctuaries that have exceeded 50 years. Because of their pig or cow-like appearance and peaceful meandering in the water, as observed in exhibits in countless zoos around the world, it is hard to believe that they have a violent and aggressive character. But they can be quite ferocious, which earns them the label of predator. They have powerful jaws with tusks and very big teeth that are capable of snapping a canoe in half. Thus they are classified as one of the most deadly creatures on the planet.

Bull hippos are territorial and mark both their water and land territory with their feces. Even though hippos spend their days in the water sleeping and quietly resting from the heat, don’t let their yawning fool you. A yawning hippo is feeling threatened, and the yawn is meant to warn other animals they are getting too close to its territory, and gives the unsuspecting animal a good, up-close look at those huge tusks and teeth.

Hippos actually sleep underwater. Due to their reflexes, they surface every 20-30 minutes, inhaling fresh air before submerging again, all without ever waking up.

Since hippos are so ferocious and deadly, who are they afraid of? Despite the thickness of their skin, a hippo can be killed with a gun, making man a dangerous predator. But in the wild, young hippos and calves are the easy, natural prey of crocodiles, lions, and hyenas.

Sources: hippohaven.com/how-fast-can-a-hippo-swim; thebigzoo.com/are-hippos-herbivores; kidadl.com/facts/are-hippos-omnivores-explore-why-they-like-to-eat-both-meat-and-grass; teacherscollegesj.com/are-hippo-skins-touch; onpolemotorsports.com/why-is-hippo-skin-bulletproof; animalways.org/hippos-are-the-deadlist-animals;timesmojo/can-hippo-breathe-under-water; Wikipedia/hippopotamus; a-z-animals.com/blog/hippo-size-just-how-much-does-a-hippo-weigh

Nature – Daddy Longlegs

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Daddy Longlegs are quite fascinating. Equally fascinating are the false and misleading accounts regarding the nature of these creatures. Many of these accounts have been passed down from generation to generation with the validity rarely challenged. Do they have fangs? Are they venomous? Do they bite, even humans? Are they even spiders? Let us explore the facts. The fossil record shows that daddy longlegs have been around for quite some time.

Myths

It sounds silly today, but as early as the 1600s, English farmers believed that daddy longlegs had a scythe (sickle) that assisted them with each harvest and killing one was thought to be bad luck. Some farmers believed that holding a daddy longlegs with one leg free would help them locate the direction of their lost cattle. And the poor among the French longed to see one in the evening, because they believed it was a sign of good fortune, hope, and happiness.

Environment, Defense & Feeding

Currently, of thousands of daddy longlegs species, six are critically endangered with a high possibility of extinction, eight are endangered, and two are vulnerable. Their habitat is being destroyed, degraded, and even lost due to man-made factors such as coffee growing, urban development, runoff pollution, and cave tourism.

Daddy longlegs live on every continent except Antarctica. In the temperate northern hemisphere, their legs tend to be longer; a male’s legs are also longer than a female’s legs. Their preferred environment is dark and moist, although they can also thrive in the desert. In your house, they would prefer a crawl space, your basement, or garage. Outside they live under logs and rocks, in tree burrows, and in sodden grassland. They have a 2-7 year lifecycle; taking a single year to develop from an egg into an adult.

Interestingly, daddy longlegs do not produce silk, therefore you will only find them in a web if they have fallen victim to the web spun by another type of spider.

Daddy longlegs are social creatures. They gather in thick, clustered communities of at least 300,000 individuals called aggregations. Researchers think that they aggregate for mating, temperature and humidity control, and to deter predators. When threatened by a parasite or predator, the entire aggregation signals a warning by excreting a foul scent. They then bob in a disorienting motion. Finally, they scatter quickly and individually. This foul scent is also used to communicate with one another, perfectly explaining the synchronized defense tactic. Other defenses include blending in with the surroundings, use of its armored body, playing dead to repulse, or willfully detaching a leg or legs to disorient a predator. Loss of a leg or legs is a permanent disability that occurs in at least 60% of their community.

They are poor-sighted creatures with a single pair of eyes, each one mounted on an eye turret that act as light sensors. You may wonder how they acquire food with such limited vision and no web in which to catch an unsuspecting meal. Researchers have concluded that they are most receptive to the light emitted by glowworms, which is a noteworthy portion of their diet. Although they are primarily scavengers of decomposing vegetable and animal matter, they are also opportunistic predators. As omnivores, they also eat plants, fungi, carrion (dead things), invertebrates (certain insects, like centipedes) and snails.

Daddy longlegs use small, hairy appendages near their mouth as sensory organs called pedipalps. These are not fangs nor venomous glands that cause harm by injecting venom into the prey to subdue it. The hairs secrete a poisonous and microscopic, glue-like substance that quickly subdues its prey, even those twice its own size. Although the poisonous secretion may cause harm through topical contact or ingestion by another creature, it is weak and therefore, not strong enough to harm humans.

Researchers have not, to date, found any evidence that daddy longlegs have fangs, are venomous, nor that they are capable of biting humans. Equally as important, they are not spiders.

In spite of their poor eyesight, daddy longlegs are able to sense their surroundings with the sensitive tips of their eight legs. The two longest legs are used as feelers while three legs are lifted and the other three legs touch the ground at the same time. This movement is compared to basketball dribbling or a bobbing motion. They keep these sensory organs in optimal condition by sliding one leg at a time through their mouth, in a motion called leg-threading.

Mistaken Identity 

The term, “granddaddy or daddy longlegs” is commonly used with reference to three different creatures: the crane fly, the cellar spider, and the harvestman. Only one is truly a spider. Only one is truly a daddy longlegs.

The crane fly is not a true spider so it is not a daddy longlegs.

The cellar spider is an arachnid in the family Phocidae. It has a two-part segmented body, eight legs, and eight eyes that are clustered together on the foremost segment of its body. It is a true spider, but it is not a daddy longlegs.

The harvestman is an arachnid in its own separate order Opiliones. It has a single, pill-like body without segments, eight legs, and a single pair of eyes. It does not have fangs or venom glands nor is it able to bite. The poisonous secretion found on its pedipalp hairs is actually a “glue” that subdues its prey, either by topical contact or ingestion. The more the prey struggles, the more stuck it becomes. It does not produce silk to spin webs. The harvestman is a true daddy longlegs.

As with daddy longlegs, there may be times in our lives when people mistake our nature, abilities, and limitations. There may also be times in our lives when people believe things about us that simply are not true. At times, we may become our own harshest critic; finding ourselves listening to the lies of the enemy without much resistance, surrendering in hopeless defeat.

Daddy longlegs are clueless to the myths and mistaken identities that have been imposed upon them, but we humans, we know what we think about ourselves, and more often than not, are aware of the beliefs and feelings that others have about us.

Beloved, let us not surrender in hopeless defeat, for we know that the thoughts imposed upon us cannot compare to the truth known by the Lord, the spiritual gifts and talents given by the Holy Spirit, and our true identity and life that is hidden in Jesus Christ. What a blessing it is to know the beauty of proving all things, knowing the power by which we may rebuke falsities, and to hold fast to that which edifies and is good. Stand firm in truth.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:4–6

​Sources: spiders.ucr.edu/daddy-long-legs; treehugger.com/facts-about-daddy-longlegs-will-surprise-you-4864488; livescience.com/are-daddy-longlegs-the-most-venomous-spiders; budgetbrotherstermite.com/daddy-long-legs-myth-facts; news.fnal.gov/2018/10/daddy-long-legs-15-interesting-facts; callnorthwest.com/2019/11/the-myth-of-the-grandaddy-long-legs; entomologytoday.org/2014/10/02/harvestmen-use-glue-to-capture-prey

Image credit: By Olei – Self-published work by Olei, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=331894

Nature – Snow is to Live With

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In the world of birds and beasts, snow is not a nuisance, but welcome as the rain and the sun. It is an insulator, and a warm shelter for survival.

Birds and beasts feature some clever devices to keep on top of the snow. Some species of grouse have little horny scutes, or comblike points, that spread out on either side of the toes and act as snow rafts. The ptarmigan grows feathers on his feet. The Canadian lynx has enormous paws, more than twice as big as those of his cousin, the bobcat. Snowshoe hares sport powerful hind legs with large wide furry feet, with toes spreading out like snowshoes.

Creatures less specialized for snow than the lynx and ptarmigan have been forced to make use of one of the outstanding physical properties of snow—its poor conductivity of heat. Mice, several species of birds, porcupines and shrews go down under the snow, where the white crystals hold their body heat like a mountain of insulation.

Pheasants and quail often flutter their wings and wedge themselves into a snow pocket; grouse fly headfirst into a snowbank for the night. The danger is crusting, and birds are sometimes iced under the snow. The crust must thaw within a day and a half, or they may never get out.

Creatures unspecialized for dealing with snow cope with it in unique ways. Deer and moose, cottontails and squirrels beat down trails for easier travel, as deliberately as one shovels a walk. During snowstorms, herds of deer have been heard tramping down newly fallen snow, snapping twigs and limbs to keep their yard open to pantries of grasses and mosses they need to keep alive.

Most fascinating is the development of underground cities by wintering animals. Under the snow are millions of rooms, tunnels and roadways—drilled, packed, dug, and bitten by wintering animals, tunneled and carved with a nose or hot breath until a cross section of a week-old snowstorm looks like Swiss cheese.

The pikas or conies, relatives of rabbits, with short ears and no tails to get cold, live their daily lives six feet under the snow. They make sitting rooms, zigzag halls and corridors leading to barns of sweet grasses that have been stored during the summer months.

Mice, shrews, weasels and otters all carve roads and rooms beneath the snow. The star-nosed mole makes cloverleaves and roller coasters, turnpikes and apartments and he does it faster than anything.

Most wild animals and dogs love the snow. Minks and weasels play in it, leaping like darning needles in and out, diving into the snow like water.

Upon this white paper of winter is written marks of talon and claw, hoof and nose. To the birds and beasts, snow is as much a part of this world as the night.

Our Amazing World of Nature, Its Marvels and Mysteries, Jean George, ©1969, 210–212.

“No finite mind can fully comprehend the existence, the power, the wisdom, or the works of the Infinite One. Says the sacred writer: ‘Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.’ Job 11:7–9.” Christian Education, 196

Nature – The Bummer Lamb: Rejected & Adopted

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“When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.”

Psalm 27:10

The most painful rejection, perhaps, is that of a child by an earthly parent. How sweet it is to know that your Creator, Heavenly Father, and Good Shepherd cares for and loves you deeply. This we may learn from sheep.

The physical reasons a ewe mother rejects its lamb may include the inability to provide nourishment, low to no milk supply or udder mastitis (engorged). A ewe can sense sickness or a defect in its lamb; some are visual and others become more distinguishable with time. The psychological reasons a ewe mother rejects its lamb may include her first time lambing, separation from its lamb for a significant period of time, confusion, fear, no interest in bonding, or a difficult birth. A ewe also may have passed away during or after lambing, leaving its lamb an orphan.

A shepherd or farmer, in many of these instances, will assess the ewe’s willingness to allow its lamb to come close and nurse. In displaying complete detachment (broken bond) and desired distance, a ewe will often run away, head butt or kick its lamb. If the lamb is unable to be paired with an adoptive ewe that is actively nursing its own lamb, a rejected lamb (a bummer) may be auctioned off as soon as possible. This often occurs when a shepherd or farmer has a large flock and is time constrained, as the lamb will need to be bottle-fed every 2-3 hours for the first two weeks and then every four hours for the following weeks until weaned.

Auctions, farmer’s markets, feed stores, and agriculture extension schools may allow the opportunity for a farm to purchase livestock or an adoptive family to obtain the orphan as a pet. Whether a rejected lamb is raised by its shepherd, a farmer or is adopted, it will need immediate attention and loving care. It will be assessed and if needed, its temperature raised. It will be placed in a draftless, confined area in the home, swaddled in warm towels, placed on heated bedding, and clothed in a sweater throughout the day. When bottle-feeding, young lambs receive colostrum, which provides hormones. Mature lambs are given a milk replacer.

It will be weaned between 6-8 weeks or when it reaches 25-30 pounds. Even so, supplemental grain may be needed, as it may lack successful foraging skills in comparison to a natural-raised lamb. When weaned, it is placed with the flock for interaction as soon as possible to learn common sheep mannerisms: roles of dominance/submissiveness, response to safety instincts, grazing, and similar survival skills. Those who adopt the lamb as a family pet may or may not have additional lambs, ewes, or rams to introduce the newling to mannerisms. Thus, it is imperative to consider that the lamb is not meant to be solitary for optimal holistic health.

Praise the Lord, the rejected and orphaned one is adopted into His fold. “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:7. “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom … .” Isaiah 40:11

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the beloved.” Ephesians 1:3–6

Nature – The Lamb

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The Lamb: Rejected & Restored

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Isaiah 53:6

“ ‘I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,’ says the Lord God. ‘I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.’ ”

Ezekiel 34:15, 16

We are familiar with the Biblical parables of the lost found in Luke 15—the sheep, coin, and prodigal son. We are also familiar with instances of those who have been rejected (driven away), broken or sick: the poor, fatherless, weak, and outcast. The beauty in the Lord’s pursuit is in sight, even to this day. Here, for example, we may learn from sheep.

A shepherd or farmer, although not often spoken of, may be skilled in maternal reconnection (restored bond). A shepherd or farmer who notices a ewe mother’s rejection of her lamb, will assess her willingness to allow the lamb to come close and nurse. Freely, on occasion, she will allow the lamb to suck when distracted, eating hay or grain, grazing, or sleeping. However, an occasional suckle is inadequate for nutritional benefit. And so, immediate reorientation must take place. The ewe is placed securely in a bonding pen or head gate to allow its lamb to nurse. Ideally, within three days, they are both placed in natural surroundings separate from the flock; in the interim, their interactions are closely monitored. Most often, successful bonding occurs and the ewe and its lamb are placed once again with their flock.

A restored lamb will thrive in health, learn mannerisms, nurse appropriately, gain weight, play with other lambs, prance on all four limbs, run, climb, express curiosity in its environment, nap throughout the day, sleeping 8–16 hours daily. The lamb will also establish a bond with the shepherd, farmer, or adoptive caregiver and will retain him or her in its knowledge, and distinctively knowing his or her voice, is the first to come running when called.

However, a rejected lamb will fail to thrive and may have a sickness or defect. The lamb may be unable to retain warmth or exhibit a strong suck. A weak suck is inadequate for nutritional sustenance; making both natural nursing and bottle-feeding difficult. The lamb will require stomach-tube feedings which has a low survival rate. Failure to thrive during its first few weeks may ultimately lead to starvation and suffering, even death.

What a blessing, The Lord is not willing that any shall perish! Just as the Good Shepherd searches for and rejoices over the lost, He searches for and restores the rejected, broken, and sick:

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth,’ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:21–25

The Lamb: Invisible Things, Clearly Seen

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“So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations.”

Psalm 79:13

In the Bible, we find sheep used in many ways, both literally and spiritually. Jesus is called the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). In the sanctuary system, a perfect lamb, one without blemish—representing Jesus’ future sacrifice for mankind—was brought as a sacrifice for the confession of sin. God’s people are called His sheep. And in the parable of the ninety and nine, Jesus the Shepherd went out in search of the one lost sheep to bring it safely again to the fold.

Sheep are thought to be timid, passive, and unintelligent. On the contrary, research shows that they are complex, individualistic, and social. They are even capable of problem solving and have an IQ similar to that of cattle and pigs. They display intelligence in their ability to self-heal when sick. Additionally, they have excellent memories and display emotions.

Newborn sheep are called lambs—a ram if male, a ewe if female. Mating typically takes place in the fall with births occurring from March to May, but can begin as early as February. Both ewes and rams can mate as early as 7-9 months after birth. Ewes are pregnant for approximately five months with the ewe’s major growth occurring in the last month of pregnancy. First-time mother ewes often have a single lamb, whereas a seasoned ewe may have one to three lambs.

Birthing the lambs is also known as lambing. The typical birth weight of a lamb is between 5-12 pounds. At full-growth, a sheep can grow to approximately four feet in length and weigh 99-350 pounds. If the sheep remains healthy, it can have a lifespan of 10-12 years.

A normal lambing event occurs without any difficulty or intervention. Difficult births are often caused because a lamb is not in the right position for birthing, entanglement in the umbilical cord, the ewe’s pelvic area is small, or her cervix has not properly dilated. Size and weight of both lamb and ewe, disease, and stress can also result in difficult births. In these cases, human intervention may be required to prevent the death of the lamb, the ewe or both.

Once the lamb has been born, the ewe begins the bonding process by licking it dry. With multiple lambs, the ewe will often clean them in the order of birth. The ewe also bonds through the sense of smell which allows her to recognize her lamb(s) by amniotic fluid, diet, and organic compounds in the wool. This bond also contributes to the ewe’s ability to recognize her own lambs by their bleat (baaa) if they wander off.

By observing the lifecycle of sheep, we can more clearly see the effects and results of sin. When we consider the creation of this world up until Adam and Eve sinned, we can appreciate the natural order of how God intended the world and those who live in it to function and live. Before sin there was only the manifestation of God’s power and love. But even today, though marred by sin, all of nature still bears witness to His invisible divine attributes—eternal power and love.

Praise God for eyes to see! May we all look forward to experiencing nature in the new heaven and new earth with our precious Lord and Saviour.

“Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

When one takes the time to enjoy the splendor, beauty, and intricate creations in nature, it is difficult to imagine that one cannot see that it is all by intelligent design. There are no “big bang theories” or “beautiful little accidents.” The Lord, our Creator and Sustainer of life, created all things to testify of His love and to supply our every need.

Sources: christiantoday.com.au/news/sheep-are-pretty-dumb; onekindplanet.org/animal/sheep; sheep101.info/lambing