Nature

Nature – Deep Waters

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While thousands of climbers have successfully scaled Mount Everest, the highest point on earth, only two people have descended to the planet’s deepest point – the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench. This trench is approximately 200 km east of the Mariana Islands. In 2009, the Mariana Trench was established as a United States National Monument.

If Mount Everest were to be dropped into the Trench, its peak would still be more than a mile underwater. The crushing water pressure on the floor of the trench is more than 8 tons per square inch. This is 1,000 times the pressure felt at sea level or the equivalent of 50 jumbo jets piled on top of a person.

My favorite underwater world is the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is one of the seven wonders of the natural world with a picture postcard of multicolored fish and coral. When I witness such beauty, I think of what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

So let us picture the love of Jesus as we look at Ephesians 3:17–19: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

I love the analogy of our sins being cast into the deep. Micah 7:19 says, “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

God took care of the Israelites by using the depth of the sea to divide the water so they could cross on dry land and then swallow Pharoah’s chariots and his army (see Exodus 15:3–5; Nehemiah 9:11).

The Red Sea has a maximum dept of 9,970 feet in the Central Suakin Trough and an average dept of 1,608 feet. Can you imagine walking on dry land through the sea with a wall of water on either side?

Here are a couple more verses of hope:

“Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep: Oh Lord, Thou preservest man and beast” (Psalm 36:6).

The psalmist says, “Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters. Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me” (Psalm 69:14,15).

We are living in troublous times, but we do know how God led His people in the past and saved them from their enemies. Amazing events are ahead!

“I dwell with pleasure upon the resurrection of the just, who shall come forth from all the parts of the earth, from rocky caverns, from dungeons, from caves of the earth, from the waters of the deep. Not one is overlooked. Every one shall hear His voice. They will come forth with triumph and victory.” Letter 113, 1886.

Wonderful words of comfort. Dear Lord, please make us ready.

Nature – Pelorus Jack

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Pelorus Jack was a dolphin famous for meeting and escorting ships through a stretch of water in Cook Strait, New Zealand, between 1888 and 1912. Pelorus Jack was usually spotted in Admiralty Bay between Cape Francis and Collinet Point, near French Pass, a notoriously dangerous channel used by ships travelling between Wellington in the North Island and Nelson in the South Island.

Pelorus Jack was approximately 13 feet (4 m) long and was of a white color with grey lines or shadings, and a round, white head. Although its sex was never determined, it was identified from photographs as a Risso’s dolphin, Grampus griseus. This is an uncommon species in New Zealand waters, and only 12 Risso’s dolphins have been reported in that area.

Pelorus Jack guided the ships by swimming alongside a watercraft for 20 minutes at a time. If the crew could not see Jack at first, they often waited for him to appear.

Pelorus Jack was first seen around 1888 when the dolphin appeared in front of the schooner Brindle when the ship approached French Pass, a channel located between D’Urville Island and the South Island. When the members of the crew saw the dolphin bobbing up and down in front of the ship, they wanted to kill him, but the captain’s wife talked them out of it. To their amazement, the dolphin then proceeded to guide the ship through the narrow channel. And for years thereafter, he safely guided almost every ship that came by. With rocks and strong currents, the area is dangerous to ships, but no shipwrecks occurred when Jack was present.

Many sailors and travellers saw Pelorus Jack, and he was mentioned in local newspapers and depicted in postcards.

In 1904, someone aboard the SS Penguin tried to shoot Pelorus Jack with a rifle. Despite the attempt on his life, Pelorus Jack continued to help ships. According to folklore, however, he no longer helped the Penguin, which shipwrecked in Cook Strait in 1909.

Jack was last seen in April 1912. There were various rumours connected to his disappearance, including fears that foreign whalers might have harpooned him. However, research suggests that Pelorus Jack was an old animal; his head was white and his body pale, both indications of age, so it is likely that he died of natural causes.

Following the shooting incident, a law was proposed to protect Pelorus Jack. He became protected by Order in Council under the Sea Fisheries Act on 26 September 1904. Pelorus Jack remained protected by that law until his disappearance in 1912. It is believed that he was the first individual sea creature protected by law in any country.

An Encyclopedia of New Zealand (1966), edited by A. H. McLintock.

“We are not merely to tell the child[ren] about these creatures of God’s. The animals themselves are to be his teachers.” Child Guidance, 58, 59.

If God can use a dolphin to guide ships through troublous waters, He is able also to guide all who put their trust in Him through any rough experience.

“Balaam owed his life to the poor animal he had treated so cruelly. The man who claimed to be a prophet of the Lord was so blinded by covetousness and ambition that he could not discern the angel of God visible to his beast. …

“Few realize as they should the sinfulness of abusing animals or leaving them to suffer from neglect. The animals were created to serve man.” From Eternity Past, 313.

Nature – Circadian Rhythms of the Animal Kingdom

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Human circadian rhythms tend to be closely tied to the rise and fall of the sun each day, occurring in fairly regular 24-hour cycles. But by no means is this how all organisms’ internal clocks operate. Science News recently compiled seven of the strangest circadian rhythms. These work to keep different organisms in tune with their (sometimes-extreme) environments.

Lunar Clock

Some species operate not by the rise and fall of the sun but by the rise and fall of the moon. This includes a marine worm called Platynereis dumerilii. The moon controls when the worms spawn in a type of lunar clock that appears to be separate from the animal’s circadian clock.

Tidal Clock

Certain marine species, such as the speckled sea louse, use tidal rhythms to help them decide when to burrow into the sand (so they’re not swept out to sea) and when it’s safe to come out to forage.

Prolonged Clocks

Not all species operate on a 24-hour cycle. Some, like the Somalian cave fish, have a longer cycle; theirs is about 47 hours. This might be because of slower changes that occur in the dark caves where the fish live, or it could be that their clocks are slowing down and “breaking” simply because they’re not providing a survival advantage.

It’s been shown, for instance, that the eyeless Mexican cavefish save about 27 percent more energy due to the lack of circadian rhythm.

No Clocks

Aside from species living in dark caves or the deep sea, Arctic reindeer may also have lost their circadian clock. This may help the animals forage, sleep, and survive during periods of constant light or darkness.

Even with no circadian rhythm, however, the animals are still in tune with seasonal cycles of mating and migration due to melatonin, a light-sensitive hormone.

Short Clocks

Some animals actually have short (less than 24 hour) clocks, which are known as ultradian rhythms. This includes voles, which feed and follow cycles of activity that last just two or three hours.

Social Clocks

Honeybees are able to adjust their clocks depending on their job in the hive. While forager bees have regular circadian shifts, nurse bees stop following a circadian rhythm so they can care for larvae around the clock.

Snoozed Clocks

Some species, such as migrating birds and newborn killer whales and their moms, don’t sleep for weeks on end. It’s thought that they hit the “snooze” button on their internal clocks during this time, then return to their regular circadian rhythm as their circumstances change, such as when a migratory bird reaches its destination or a newborn killer whale grows up a bit.

Emerging research suggests many animals have altered or absence of circadian rhythms with no apparent ill effects.

7 Circadian Rhythms of the Animal Kingdom, Healthy Pets, Dr. Karen Becker, November 3, 2015.

“All the creatures of the woods and hills are a part of His [God’s] great household. He opens His hand and satisfies ‘the desire of every living thing’ (Psalm 145:16).” Child Guidance, 58.

Nature Nugget – Yellow-Eyed Penguin

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Yellow-eyed penguins are easily identifiable among other species because of the yellow color of their eyes. They have a light yellow stripe around each eye that continues and joins in the back of their head. The rest of their dark plumage on the back, wings, and tail is not completely black as in other species, mixed white feathers in those areas give it the appearance of dark brown or dark gray.

Their front from the throat to the legs is fully white, and their legs are pink. Their beak has mixed parts of pink and orange and as their name implies the iris of their eyes are yellow. Newborn chicks look very different; they have light brown plumage and lack the yellow eyes and all the colorful details of the head that adults have.

Yellow-eyed penguins’ main colonies are on Campbell Island, Auckland Island, Stewart Island, South Island of New Zealand and the Otago Peninsula. Colorful plants, trees, and humidity are part of the natural landscape of the Yellow-eyed Penguin.

These penguins are sedentary, and they do not make migratory journeys. They are not as social as other species, so they do not group in crowded colonies; they prefer hiking on their own and dive into the sea individually. The yellow-eyed penguin forages predominantly over the continental shelf between one and sixteen miles offshore, diving to depths of 131 feet to 394 feet and feeding on small fish such as opal fish, red cod, blue cod and kingfish as well as shellfish.

Both partners and their offspring communicate acoustically. They do not show as much bonding as other penguins because of their individual character. They prefer to hide their chicks in natural cavities made by tree trunks or rocks to avoid any disturbance.

Diseases such as avian malaria and other disorders caused by bacteria and parasites, as well as the lack of food as a result of temperature changes in the ocean are their main threats.

Human activities like disturbance due to tourism, forgotten fishing nets, and accidental forest fires are also factors that threaten the Megadyptes antipodes.

Excerpts from: http://www.penguins-world.com/yellow-eyed-penguin/

“The bounties of God’s providence speak to every soul, confirming Christ’s testimony to the supreme goodness of His Father. The Lord would have His people realize that the blessings bestowed upon any object of creation are proportionate to the place that object occupies in the scale of creation. If even the wants of dumb animals are supplied, can we appreciate the blessings which God will bestow upon the beings formed in His image?” Sons and Daughters of God, 139.

Nature Nugget – Feathered Jewels

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Hummingbirds, the second largest family of birds in the Western Hemisphere, are found from Patagonia at the southern tip of South America all the way north to Alaska. There are 338 species of hummingbirds, which range in size from the 2.5 inch Cuban Bee Hummingbird, the world’s smallest bird, to the 8.5 inch Giant Hummingbird of the Andes Mountains in South America. Not only are hummingbirds the smallest birds in the world, many weigh less than a penny, they are also among the most colorful and are often referred to as “feathered jewels.”

Hummers, as they are frequently called, are the only birds that can fly backwards. They can even fly upside down! Famous for their aerial acrobatics, they are capable of all flight maneuvers except soaring.

Hummingbirds can beat their wings up to an incredible 78 beats per second. Because of this, hummingbirds burn up energy very quickly. To supply their high energy needs, hummingbirds feed mainly on nectar from flowers and consume about 50 percent of their weight in sugar daily. They also feed on small invertebrates such as insects and spiders, which supply them with protein, minerals, vitamins, and fats. When flowers are scarce, they can survive for short periods of time on just invertebrates. Some have learned to feed on honeydew excreted by certain insects. Hummingbirds also visit sap wells created by sapsuckers on trees, feeding on the insects trapped there and possibly on the sugary sap as well.

Hummingbird bills come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are adapted to the particular feeding habits of each species. They can be straight or decurved or even curved upward and may be red, yellow, or black in color. Hummingbirds feed with their tongues, using a licking motion at a rate of about 13 licks per second. Their tongues are very long and can be greatly extended, if needed, when feeding.

The gaudy colors of hummingbirds are caused by two things: pigments and feather structure. The iridescent colors, such as red, green, and violet, are structural and are caused by light refraction or interference. Refraction is what causes rainbow colors when light passes through a prism. Interference is what causes the colors on thin films such as soap bubbles and oil slicks. These structural colors are especially represented in the hummingbird’s gorget and crown.

To get an idea of the incredible variety of jewel-like colors found on hummingbirds, consider their names: Ruby Topaz, Flame-rumped Sapphire, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Garnet-throated Hummingbird, Brazilian Ruby, Jewelfront, Horned Sungem, and Purple-throated Mountain-gem, to name a few.

God’s word speaks of jewels. Solomon says, “. . . lips of knowledge are a precious jewel” (Proverbs 20:15) and “the lips of the wise disperse knowledge . . .” (Proverbs 15:7). In Proverbs 3:13–15 he speaks of wisdom and understanding as being better than silver and gold and more precious than rubies.

But how do we get wisdom, knowledge, and understanding? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10. “. . . of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2, 3. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, . . . and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.” James 1:5, 6. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17.

Nature Nugget – Treefrogs

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Treefrogs are adapted for an arboreal (in the trees) existence, with long limbs and digits that help them cling to twigs and bark. They also have large suction pads or adhesive discs at the tips of their toes, which gives them the ability to climb vertical surfaces, including glass windows. Mucus can be secreted from these toe pads to enable climbing on dry surfaces.

In North America, treefrogs come in various colors such as gray, green, or brown and may be patterned or plain. Many can change their color and pattern depending on conditions of light, moisture, temperature, stress, or general activity. In the tropics, where treefrog varieties are especially abundant, they are often brightly colored with various patterns and shades of red, blue, yellow, and green. Many treefrogs have flash colors on their hind legs and on the sides of their body, which are seen when the frog leaps but disappear from view when it lands and folds its legs.

With treefrogs, as well as with all amphibians, much of their respiration takes place through the skin, which must be kept moist for a useful exchange of gases. For this reason they can only survive in moist environments or in areas near water. For example, the Canyon Treefrog lives on boulders along permanent streams in canyons of the arid North American southwest.

Even though they are well adapted for an arboreal existence, only a few species ascend high into the trees. More common habitats include brushy thickets, swampland vegetation, moist woodlands, or even on the ground or burrowed into it.

Like most frogs, the treefrog’s diet consists mainly of insects and other small invertebrates, and it is not uncommon for them to visit windows and porches at night to feed on insects attracted by lights. Most are two inches or less in length, but the five-inch Cuban Treefrog, an immigrant from the West Indies to southern Florida, is the largest treefrog in North America and is cannibalistic toward smaller native treefrogs.

Many treefrogs are known as “rain frogs” because it is believed that their calls predict coming rain. The ears of treefrogs are well developed. Their calls, which are clear and melodious, are distinct and identifiable to species. This helps prevent mating between different species.

During the breeding season, male treefrogs sing to attract females, while perched on vegetation near water. Most males have paired or single vocal pouches that swell while they are calling. In some species the pouches puff out on either side on the back of the head. Other species have no sacs and apparently no voice. During breeding, females lay up to several dozen eggs in patches that float at the surface of the water in thin films. Eggs hatch within a week and the larvae, called tadpoles, transform into adults in about two months.

The Bible has very little to say about frogs, but in Exodus 8 is the story of the plague of frogs that the Lord sent against Pharaoh and all of Egypt, except the land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. Can you imagine not only frogs all over the ground and floor but all over the walls and furniture too! The Egyptians worshipped the Nile River and many of its creatures, including the frogs. Because they thought the frogs were sacred, they would not kill them. So as quick as they were removed from the houses and palaces, they would come back in. God used a plague of frogs against them to show that He had power over their gods and that He was the one and only true God!

Exodus 20:3 says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Even today some people worship the creation over the Creator. We have to be careful not to make a god out of any creature or thing. Anything that keeps us from our daily prayer and study time with God, that we put first before Him or that we spend too much time with is a god to us! This can be our job, our pets, and very often the television set. Let us always put God first in our lives.

Nature Nugget – Carnivorous Plants

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In boggy, acid soils, decay takes place quite slowly. Consequently, little nitrogen is available to the roots of plants growing there. Certain plants thrive by capturing insects and other small creatures and digesting them to acquire the nitrogen and other elements that they need. A very well-known example is the Venus’ Flytrap that is native to the coastal areas of the Carolinas.

The inside of the double-lobed, hinged leaves of the Venus’ Flytrap is red to attract insects. Near the central vein of each leaf are trigger hairs that signal the leaf to close when touched. The leaf can close on an unsuspecting insect in less than a second! Bristles along the leaf edges interlock, trapping the unlucky victim. The leaf remains closed with its meal for about a week while antibacterial substances prevent putrification, and enzymes dissolve all but the external skeleton of the insect. When this process is finished, the leaf reopens in readiness for another meal.

Another native group of plants closely related to the Venus’ Flytrap is the Sundews. Sundews are small, with reddish leaves arranged in a basal roseate. The leaves are equipped with glandular hairs that exude glittering drops of clear, sweet, sticky fluid. Insects, attracted by an appetizing odor plus the sweetness of the droplets, quickly become stuck among the hairs. Neighboring hairs are triggered to bend like tentacles toward the struggling insect, further binding it and eventually suffocating it. The leaves roll up and secrete protein-digesting enzymes, which cause the release of nitrogen and other vital elements that are then absorbed by the leaves.

Another bog-loving, carnivorous plant is the Pitcher Plant. These are mostly found in the southeastern United States and have hoods over the open mouth of their upright hollow leaves. Pitcher Plants hold small pools of water in their modified hollow leaves or “pitchers.” Insects are attracted to the pitchers, often by the odor of decay within, and are forced into the water by a lining of stiff, downward-pointing hairs. Once they are in the water a narcotic kills them, and bacteria begin to decompose them, and enzymes convert their protein into usable nitrogen. The larvae of certain flies and mosquitoes have adapted to live unharmed in the water of the Pitcher Plants, feeding on the insects trapped there. Bladderworts and Butterworts comprise another group of carnivorous plants. Bladderworts are found throughout North America and are mostly aquatic. The plume-like leaves are modified with small bladder-like traps that catch various forms of microscopic aquatic animal life. Each little bladder has a trap door triggered by sensitive hairs. When tiny water animals touch the hairs, the door opens and the creatures are sucked in to be digested. Butterworts of the southeastern coastal plain are herbs of moist soil with a roseate of greasy leaves. Small insects alighting on a Butterwort leaf are trapped by its sticky yellowish surface. After several insects have been trapped, the leaf edges roll inward, engulfing the insects and secreting enzymes that extract nitrogen and other vital elements from the accumulated victims. Then the leaf reopens.

Like these insect-trapping plants, Satan sets traps and snares to catch unwary souls and plunge them into a life of sin. “For among my people are found wicked [men]: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.” Jeremiah 5:26. “Satan is a cunning worker, and he will bring in subtle fallacies to darken and confuse the mind and root out the doctrines of salvation. Those who do not accept the Word of God just as it reads, will be snared in his trap.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 52. But we have the following hope: “If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31, 32. Praise God!

Nature Nugget – Myrmecophytes

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Myrmecophytes, meaning “ant plant,” are plants that have a mutualistic relationship with ants that is so tightly interwoven that each species could perish without the other. These plants occur in tropical areas around the world and include various species of trees and epiphytes including some orchids and bromeliads.

In Central America there grows a species of tree called the Swollen Thorn Acacia that has a very special relationship with an exceedingly fierce species of ant. The tree was named for its large, swollen, hollow thorns within which the ants make their nests. Most tropical forest trees have poisonous chemicals in their leaves to stop insects from feeding on them, but the Swollen Thorn Acacia’s leaves are edible and would soon be destroyed by insects if it were not for the ants. One of these ant colonies can have as many as 30,000 workers. The ants frantically patrol every inch of the tree and viciously bite and sting any insect or animal they find. Also, any vine climbing onto the tree or any young sapling growing under the tree is quickly cut off. This saves the tree from having to compete for sunlight and nutrients, which are scarce in the dense tropical forest. In return for their protection, the tree completely supports the ants. Not only does it provide a home, but it feeds them as well. The tree secretes a thick, sugar-rich solution, which the ants drink from organs called extra-floral nectaries located on the stems between the leaves. On the tips of some leaves are unique orange structures called Beltian bodies that are rich in protein, fats, and vitamins. The ants, to feed their larvae, harvest these.

A similar situation occurs with the Cecropia tree, which also grows in Central America. This tree has hollow, bamboo-like stems and branches where the Azteca ants live. The Cecropia does not have nectaries, so the ants have found another way to take nectar from the tree. The ants tend herds of aphids on the tree’s stems and branches, which excrete juices in the form of honeydew, a fluid rich in sugars and other components that the ants utilize.

Another ant plant, an epiphyte, grows in nutrient-destitute forests in Southeast Asia. It has hollow leaves in which a relatively non-aggressive species of ant lives. The ant’s function is not to protect the plant but to fertilize it. As the ants forage and dine, they produce large amounts of debris, such as unpalatable insect parts, which are stored in portions of the plant’s cavities. As this refuse breaks down into compost, roots from the plant grow into it to absorb valuable nutrients.

By working together, these ants and plants are both able to survive. There is a lesson in this for us. If species so vastly different can work together toward a common goal, in their case survival, then surely true Christians can put aside their petty differences and work together in unity to finish God’s work! “Those who are truly converted will press together in Christian unity.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 147. “Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalm 133:1.

Nature Nugget – Pelagic Tubenoses

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Tubenoses are a group of marine birds that spend the majority of their lives at sea, only coming to land to nest. Members of this group include the well known albatrosses and the lesser known shearwaters and petrels.

The name tubenose is derived from the presence of tubular nostrils running along the top of their bills. Their kidneys alone cannot filter out all the salt in the diet of these birds, so a pair of glands near the nasal passages in the front of the head helps secrete excess salt that would otherwise poison the system. The duct from each of the salt glands carries the salt solution into the nasal cavity where it is then discharged through the tubular nostrils where it drips off the tip of the bird’s bill. The system works only when excess salts accumulate, such as after feeding or drinking. The ability to drink seawater is a very important adaptation for being a sea bird. So adapted are they to their environment that they require salt water and will die of thirst when only fresh water is available.

Among the few birds with an acute sense of smell, tubenoses are attracted to oily scents from as far away as 30 km (19 miles). Tubenoses prey on marine animals with the larger species feeding on fish and squids and the smaller species on plankton. Most are scavengers and will commonly follow marine mammals, schools of large predatory fish, and even ships, feeding on scraps and refuse generated by their feeding and fishing activities.

Albatrosses and shearwaters have extremely long narrow wings. Their type of flight requires continuous winds. These winds, which do not carry them very high, give them enough lift over the waves to make a long wind-pushed glide until they descend to wave level, where they then turn into the wind and are again lifted like a kite for the next glide. Albatrosses, which have the longest wingspan of any bird, are the greatest gliders and can fly for hours without flapping their wings. The Wandering Albatross is the champion, with a wingspan of up to 12 feet.

Compared to albatrosses, shearwaters appear energetic, rapidly flapping and gliding over the sea, usually close to the surface. Shearwaters get their name because their pointed wings appear to slice the sea as they skim through troughs between ocean waves.

Ornithologists estimate that petrels are probably the most numerous birds in the world. Their flight is very energetic also, with rapid flapping followed by short glides. The Storm-Petrels appear to walk on water, as they tend to have their webbed feet extended downward to the water’s surface while picking small marine organisms from the surface during flight.

Just as the Lord has provided a way for the tubenoses to rid their bodies of the excess salts which would be toxic to them if not eliminated, so has He provided a way for us to rid our lives of sin which is toxic to us. “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Praise God for the gift of His son!

Nature Nugget – Mimicry

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Mimicry is “the superficial resemblance of one organism to another that secures it a selective advantage.” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, 1981.

One of the best known examples of mimicry in North America is the Viceroy butterfly. The Viceroy mimics the orange and black coloration of the Monarch butterfly, which is distasteful to predators because it fed on the poisonous milkweed plant as a larva. Other native butterflies, such as the Spicebush Swallowtail and the females of the Tiger and Black Swallowtails mimic the coloration of the Pipevine Swallowtail, which is also distasteful to predators.

One of the most spectacular mimics in the Neotropic rainforest is a sphingid moth larva, which mimics the Parrot Snake. The caterpillar is colored a cryptic green, which resembles a twig until it is disturbed. When disturbed, the caterpillar, in one-motion swings its head end free and inflates its thorax with air, taking on the shape and color pattern of a Parrot Snake’s head complete with large false eyespots. This is usually enough of an effective surprise to shock even the most resolute predator. As if that weren’t enough, the last stage of development of this caterpillar mimics the arboreal Eyelash Viper.

“The Australian Hammer Orchid has taken advantage of a mating ritual of the Thynnid wasp, which involves a female wasp waiting on top of a plant for a male to spot her. The hammer orchid’s flower mimics the female wasp looking upward for a male flying by, complete with a fake shiny head and furry body. The orchid even releases an enticing, female wasp pheromone. When the male wasp tries to mate with the dummy female, he fails, but the orchid succeeds in getting pollen on the wasp. He flies away, only to be fooled again by another orchid. In the process the wasp transfers pollen from flower to flower.” http://www.pbs.org (cited September 2002).

There are many other examples of mimicry in nature. There are flies that mimic bees, spiders and insects that mimic ants, and insects that mimic leaves and twigs. Satan used mimicry in the Garden of Eden by taking the form of a serpent to deceive Eve. He is still using mimicry on us today by his many counterfeits. He has a counterfeit gospel, a counterfeit church, a counterfeit Sabbath, a counterfeit outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and counterfeit revivals and miracles. He has a counterfeit for every part of God’s work. “Satan can present a counterfeit so closely resembling the truth that it deceives those who are willing to be deceived . . . .” The Great Controversy, 528. Only the true student of God’s Word will be able to discern God’s truth from Satan’s counterfeits. “So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures.” Ibid., 593.