SNAKES AND LIZARDS
And God created every living creature from water.
Some of them walk on their bellies, some walk on
two legs, and some walk on four. God creates
whatever He wills. God is Omnipotent.
(24:45)
This verse clearly refers to all of God's creatures but it specifically covers
reptiles. Reptiles are a class of animals,
made up of snakes, lizards,
turtles, crocodilians and tuatara. The last is a rare, lizardlike reptile
that lives only on a few islands near New Zealand. They are called living
fossils since all the rest of their order is extinct, having died out millions
of years ago. Why they survive, no one knows and little is known about them.
Much, however, is known and written about the other reptiles because we interact
with them regularly, and like all of God's creations there is much that is
fascinating. There are more than 2500 species of snakes, about 2500 species
of lizards, 250 different kinds of turtles, and about 22 different crocodiles.
SNAKES
Snakes live in most of the warm
places in the world, ranging from harmless to deadly, from plain to colorful,
from a tiny four inches to over 30 feet in length. Snakes do not have a good
reputation. Biblical references to snakes are very negative since it's a
snake which tempted Eve to eat the apple and thus caused the downfall of
mankind. And when Moses' staff is turned into a serpent, he harbors fear.
Plus, we have some pretty negative expressions in the English language taken
from reptiles and reptile behavior. We call a cheating, conniving person
a "snake in the grass"; a cowardly person "crawls on his belly"; a very callous
action is "in cold blood," even the dictionary definition of snake includes:
"a treacherous person." A snake pit is a mental institution or any very dangerous
place. But interestingly, for some cultures, the snake represents re-birth
and renewal, perhaps because of its ability to shed its skin and thus start
over.
With all the amazing variety of other animals, why did God create something
that has to walk on its belly? It, of course, has a very important place
in the food chain-eating large numbers of rodents, lizards and such, and
being eaten by others. But more importantly, like all the other variety,
I think it's for us to study and marvel at. Part of the proof of God's creation.
Snakes are fascinating in that, as God says, they walk on their bellies,
with amazing agility. There are actually four quite different types of
locomotion. The most frequently used method is the simple, undulating crawl,
which is called the serpen-tine method. The snake pushes against the ground
and flows smoothly forward, using muscles specifically designed for this.
Heavier-bodied snakes may use a method called caterpillar where the skin
is moved forward and backward by strong mus-cles, and the broad belly scales
grip the ground, moving the snake forward in a straight line.
Several desert-dwelling species use sidewinding to move on loose sand. In
this method the snake rolls its body sidewise along the ground in a looping
motion. The fourth method is known as concertina, because the body is alternately
stretched out and pulled together as the snake moves from one anchor point
to another. The concertina is used in crossing smooth surfaces and in climbing.
So they don't actually walk, but they can move right along, some going as
fast as 8 miles per hour.
Also fascinating are the adaptations God has provided which allow a snake
to eat. You have to wonder how something that long and narrow can eat at
all, let alone eat an animal that may be many times wider than the snake's
mouth. Although they have teeth, snakes cannot tear apart an animal and eat
it in pieces. It must swallow its food whole, so the snake must actually
decide whether or not he can get it down. Snakes eat everything from ants
to rabbits, frogs, lizards, mice and eggs. Large snakes like anacondas and
pythons may take down deer, antelope, crocodiles and even humans. Most normal
sized meals are swallowed easily and quickly, but a truly large meal may
require several hours to consume and weeks or months to digest. A python
may eat only once a year.
God has provided several adaptations to make eating possible for snakes.
A special hinge in the jaw allows the mouth to open wide enough and rows
of teeth pointed back pull the food in. While swallowing very large animals,
the snake would not be able to breath so God provided an additional organ,
a tracheal lung, around the windpipe which allows lung function to continue
in spite of the pressure, and the windpipe itself can be pushed outward past
the animal being swallowed to allow air in.
With over 2500 species there is great variation in color, size and of course,
how they interact with humans. One of the more deadly is the black mamba
of Africa which grows to 14 feet in length and moves through trees as easily
as through the tall grass. It can hold its head up to 20 inches off the ground
even as it moves. It's considered the fastest snake in the world and has
a very deadly bite, with 100 % mortality. The victim dies very quickly, within
minutes.
Cobras are also virulent with 30,000 deaths reported annually in China alone.
They hang around crumbling ruins and lurk in roofs of huts. They're waiting
for rodents and lizards, but if disturbed by a human they will react defensively.
They strike swiftly and accurately or they spit venom several feet in front
of them. The venom acts as an anesthetic so the victim feels no fear, no
anxiety, no pain, almost as if hypnotized.
Rattlesnakes also have deadly venom. The young are born live, rather than
from eggs, and they are born ready to strike with venom sacks full. In fact,
the bite of a young rattler may be more potent than an adult's, plus multiple
bites may occur as a litter of as many as 20 emerge. Emulating the rattlesnake
is the harmless gopher snake. God has provided them with similar coloration
and they mimic the behavior-flattening their heads, hissing, and rattling
their tails (even though they don't have rattles). Most predators don't take
any chances and leave them alone.
Snakes come in so many colors and wonderful patterns of spots, stripes and
bands. When we study them, we see that they are one of God's miraculous
creations. They should be respected not reviled.
LIZARDS
Lizards too come in a huge variety
of shapes and colors. Most lizards walk on all four legs, but there are legless
lizards (which are not snakes) and there's the basilisk lizard which, when
running very fast, will get up on two legs. He can even race across the surface
of water on his two back legs. There's also a lizard that "flies"-it opens
out flaps of skin along its sides as it leaps off a tree branch and glides
from tree to tree.
The largest lizard is the Komodo Dragon which may be ten feet long and weigh
over 350 pounds. The Komodo Islands of Indonesia are a dangerous place, with
more deadly snakes, scorpions and poisonous spiders than anywhere else on
earth. Earthquakes, tidal waves, and monsoon rains occur over half the year,
followed by wildfires in the dry grass the other half, and all around are
active volcanoes. It's no surprise, then, that a huge monitor lizard evolved
here and was referred to as a dragon. It seemed so fantastic that early accounts
were discounted as myth until 1912, and they are still not a well-understood
animal.
Komodo dragons live 50 years or more, and they're considered quite smart.
To hunt, they lie in ambush, remembering a place they were successful before
and preparing their hiding place hours in advance. When a herd of deer passes
by the hideout, the dragon lunges out with great speed to knock the deer
over. If they miss, they can't run down the prey so they just go back to
wait some more. If they're successful, they will take several weeks to digest
the meal, probably eating only about 12 meals a year.
Smaller but still large for a lizard is the Gila Monster, the only venomous
lizard of North America and one of only two in the world. This desert dweller
moves slowly, feeding on eggs laid on the ground and small rodents. Since
food and water are sometimes scarce in the desert, God has provided by allowing
him to store fat in his tail and live off that resource in lean times.
Another desert dweller is the horned lizard or "horney toad." Their specific
adaptations include a dull color and a flat body which makes them difficult
to see, and horns and spiny scales which make them difficult to swallow.
In addition, a unique defense mechanism allows the horned lizard to squirt
blood from its eyes when severely threatened.
The smallest lizard in the world is the British Virgin Island gecko, which
is less than half an inch long. Geckos are inter-esting little creatures,
one of few lizards that vocalize-they emit a high squeak. They can climb
anything, even walk on ceilings, because they have special toe pads which
contain microscopic hooks for hanging on. Their tails detach easily when
grabbed by a predator and will continue to wiggle for several minutes, allowing
the gecko time to get away. They regenerate a new tail within a few weeks.
And (He created) for you on earth things of various
colors.
This is a (sufficient) proof for people who take heed.
(16:13)
Lizards are colorful indeed. They come in all shades of green and are adorned
with yellows, oranges, and reds, even blue. And if that weren't enough, there's
the chameleon that can change colors at will. Chameleons are also the
"sharpshooters of the lizard kingdom." They can move their eyes independently
so they can keep one eye on prey as they sneak up on it and use the other
eye to watch out for predators. When they get close they focus both eyes
on the prey giving them an excellent binocular view. The tongue is as long
as the body and tail combined and it sits rolled up in the mouth. When they
let it go with a lightning strike, they are incredibly accurate. And the
tip is large and sticky so they zap their prey and draw it back into their
mouth.
Snakes and lizards both play an important part in preserving the balance
of nature. They eat large numbers of insects and rodents, which make them
beneficial to man. Their variety and their fascinating characteristics make
them another proof of God's creation.
The heavens and the earth are full of proofs
for the believers.
Also in your creation, and the creation of all the animals,
there are proofs for people who are certain.
(45:3-4)
TURTLES
Generally in nature, an animal must seek shelter from bad weather or from
a threatening situation. Imagine a creature carrying its shelter or its house
with it wherever it goes. When threatened, it simply retreats into its house
and locks the door. That's essentially how turtles live their lives. The
turtle's shell is a remarkable feat of natural engineering, a protective
gift from God. The shell has two parts?the carapace, the upper section and
the flat belly section called plastron. They are connected by bony bridges
leaving gaps for the head, tail and four legs. The tur-tle's vertebrae and
ribs have actually become an integral part of the carapace and do not move
separate from the shell. When the turtle withdraws into this shell, it's
almost impossible for a predator to get at it.
The shell accounts for about one
third of the weight of a turtle, yet most turtles are agile, strong walkers
or swimmers and many climb with great ease. They have developed strong legs,
especially in giant species, like the Galapagos tortoise which travels great
distances, although slowly. They could carry the weight of a man on their
back and keep right on going. The tortoise travels about 4 miles a day. On
the other hand, sea turtles have devel-oped flipperlike legs and sleek shells.
They swim at about 20 miles an hour. The distance a sea turtle might travel
in one hour would take a week for a tortoise to cover.
Turtles are ancient life forms. The earliest fossils recognized as turtles
date from the Triassic period, about 200 million years ago. Turtles were
in existence prior to the emergence of the great dinosaur groups and survived
the demise of the dinosaurs, continuing to adapt and flourish. Turtles occupy
almost every imaginable habitat-woods, ponds, rivers, lakes, marshlands,
prairies, deserts and the open ocean, and they eat food as varied as insects,
tender seagrasses, carrion, fruit and fish.
Turtles have great similarity yet
great variation as well. The Galapagos tortoise evolved on islands with no
predators and little competition. They grow very large-500-600 pounds-and
live 100-150 years. Desert tortoises are much smaller. They eat cactus fruit
and desert grasses and because of their environment, God has given them
adaptations to be able to survive without water. They get the moisture they
need from the food they eat.
The pancake tortoise of Africa has a flat, soft shell, instead of the hard
dome common to most turtles. It looks sort of like someone dropped a frying
pan on him. This allows him to easily climb rocks and lie under them. When
threatened, he will wedge himself into a rocky crevice and then inflate his
body so he's almost impossible to pull out.
The red toad-headed turtle with its brilliant red head is an example of the
variation in bright and beautiful colors. Various beautiful design patterns
on the shell show God's wondrous creation. These include map turtles, so
named because of the intricate patterns of yellow lines that actually look
like lines on a topo map; the radiated tortoise of Madagascar has yellow
circles with lines radiated out from them; and the leopard tortoise of Africa
whose shell is covered with distinctive and beautiful yellow spots.
One fascinating turtle species is
the alligator snapping turtle, which may grow to 200 pounds. He lives on
muddy river bottoms, sitting quietly with his brown shell blending with the
mud. He keeps his mouth open and wiggles his tongue which is a bright pink.
Like a lure, this attracts fish which swim right in and the turtle simply
snaps its mouth shut. They may move no more than a few feet their whole lives.
Tortoises live almost exclusively on land. Many turtles move between land
and water. Sea turtles spend virtually their whole life in water. The female
comes out to lay eggs and she will return to the very beach where she was
hatched. The whole process is truly amazing. She comes on shore, usually
at night, and digs a nest into which she lays up to 100 eggs. She buries
the eggs and leaves. As the embryo grows into a fully developed hatchling,
the shell that has offered nourishment and protection becomes a kind of prison
from which the baby turtle must escape. God has provided an "egg tooth,"
actually a horny projection located on the tip of the snout (which disappears
as the turtle grows). The tiny hatchling uses it to pierce its shell, then
pulls it apart with his forelimbs. All eggs in a nest hatch at virtually
the same time and they use that community spirit in order to escape from
the nest. Experiments with single eggs show that few break free on their
own. Together the baby turtles scrape down the walls and ceiling of the nest
and instinctively climb upward till they break free.
Then these hatchlings, only a couple of inches long, know that they must
scramble for safety, perhaps a hundred yards or more across the open beach
to the sea. And it's not just the hundred-yard dash that's difficult; predators
of all kinds are waiting-birds, dogs, skunks and others seem adept at knowing
where nests are and when they will hatch. Only a fraction make it to the
sea and even then they are easy pickings for large fish and sea gulls.
Little is known of the first year of wild hatchlings. They simply disappear
from sight, going weeks without food if necessary and struggling to escape
predators of all kinds. Those that survive to adulthood will spend their
lives, perhaps 50 years, swimming around in the open ocean.
The male turtles may never leave the ocean their whole life; the female only
to lay eggs. We do not understand how turtles, migrating over great stretches
of open ocean, find their way around. How does the female green turtle find
her way back to the beach where she was hatched decades before? "The feat
of locating Ascension Island, barely seven miles across, after negotiating
1400 miles of open ocean, by an animal that is hopelessly myopic when it
raises its eyes above the level of the water, seems little short of miraculous."
And it is miraculous, God's miracle.
One marine turtle, the Kemp's ridley,
the smallest, rarest and most endangered of all sea turtles, has unusual
nesting behavior. Unlike most sea turtles which nest individually, the Kemp's
ridley all come to the same location, a remote beach in Mexico, gather offshore
and then swarm onto the beach together-perhaps 40,000 strong. Until the 1940's
this event, known locally as "arribada", was a well-kept secret. Natives
used it as a way to obtain meat and eggs. Once it became common knowledge
the turtles were exploited nearly to extinction. Today the Mexican gov-ernment
patrols the beaches with armed guards during arribada, but in recent years
only about 400 females come ashore to nest each season, one percent of the
number just 50 years ago.
Turtles through myth and legend were generally regarded as symbols of strength,
stability, benevolence and wis-dom. We generally like turtles, unlike most
reptiles. Yet, we kill them for their shells and take away their habitats,
leave many species on the brink of extinction. We need to appreciate these
creatures of God, remembering Verse 11:6 There is not a creature on earth
whose provision is not guaranteed by God. And He knows its course and its
final destiny. All are recorded in a profound record.
Among His proofs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the creatures
He spreads in them. He is able to summon them, when He wills. (42:29)
REPTILES
III
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CROCODILIANS
Of all reptiles, the most feared and perhaps least well known are the
crocodilians, which includes 22 species of crocodiles, alligators, caimans
and gharials. I knew almost nothing about them, except how fearsome they
look-especially when you're sitting in a canoe and see one on the shore (that
happened for me in Florida a few years ago). I learned a lot of fascinating
things about these creatures of God. They've been around about 200 million
years. They, like the turtles, were contemporaries of the dinosaurs. As primitive
as they look, they are actually the most advanced of all reptiles, and are
in fact more closely related to birds than to lizards. They have a more efficient
circulatory system; they are more intelligent; and they are way more attentive
of their young. |
Crocodilians inhabit North America, Central America, South America, China
and Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan and many Pacific Islands.
The Indopacific Crocodile is the largest reptile living. It reaches 23 feet
or more, weighing maybe a ton. Even the smallest croc, the dwarf crocodile
of Africa, is about 6 feet long.
There's a lot that's interesting about the way they care for their young.
The female makes a nest, lays eggs-it varies from species to species, but
anywhere from 20 to 80 eggs-and covers them with mud and plant material.
Then, unlike other reptiles, she stays close by. In some species even the
male stays around for protection. When the young crocs are ready to hatch
they begin to make noise inside the eggs. She will dig into the nest and
take the eggs one by one in her mouth. She rolls them gently back and forth
until the shell cracks. She then takes the tiny crocs down to the water-she
can carry up to 20 at a time in her huge mouth. They will then stay close
together for weeks or months. Some even remain in family groups for years.
Despite all this attention and care, mortality rates are as high as 90% in
the first year. Many things happen. The female doesn't sit on the nest like
birds so climatic conditions will affect the eggs. If it's too cool, too
wet, or too hot, the eggs will not develop. In many cases, the whole clutch
will perish.
Predators hang around even though the female is nearby, because croc eggs
are a prime source of food for so many other animals. Many female crocs fast
while standing guard but they do need water. Predators wait for her to go
get a drink. Lizards, birds, raccoons, foxes and monkeys all raid the nests.
If the eggs survive, the hatchlings face a lot of dangers, as the tiny crocs
also are food for all kinds of predators-frogs, snakes and turtles, herons,
raccoons and other mammals. Interestingly, if the croc survives to adulthood,
all these predators will become his prey.
53:45
He is the One who created the two kinds, male and
female.
75:39 He made it into male or female.
I think the most interesting thing about crocodilian offspring is that it
is truly God who decides the male and female. We know that's true for everything,
but in this case, the sex of the offspring is determined by temperature,
not by chromosomes. When the egg is laid, its sex has not been decided.
Temperatures during the first half of incubation will determine the sex of
each individual. In the American alligator, high temperature creates males,
low temperature makes females, but in the crocodile high and low temperatures
create females, only intermediate temperature makes males. A small difference
in temperature-One or two degrees-makes a marked difference in sex ratio.
Within a nest, all may be the same sex or the temperature may vary enough
to have all females in the lower layer of eggs and all males above or vice
versa. In American alligators, those who build their nests in cool marshes
will have all females; those who nest in warm mounds will have all males.
Muggers of India nest at different times throughout the season, in fact a
single female may nest twice. Those that nest early in the season will produce
mostly females; those who nest later when the soil temperature has risen
will have mostly males. I think this is fascinating. God is the One who makes
each of these creatures into male or female.
Crocodilians are well adapted as predators. When in the water, they swim
casually using a gentle "s" motion of their tail to propel them. They stay
almost completely submerged with only nostrils and eyes above the water,
looking like a small log. They may smell prey on shore from a great distance
and swim closer, with a final lunge that may carry the croc several times
its own length up onto the beach. If it gets a hold of any part of the animal,
it will win. It will pull the victim into the water where it drowns. If it
doesn't get a hold, it may knock the animal over with several blows of its
head. In addition, crocs will sneak up on a wading bird and as it takes off,
the croc can leap out of the water almost vertically. And if large game isn't
available, the croc will use its tail to sweep schools of fish toward its
mouth and gobble up as many as possible.
As to diet, one book said adults will eat "anything they want." They regularly
take down mammals that come to drink at the water's edge, like gazelle, even
zebras and wildebeest. They can crush the strong bony shells of turtles.
They may try to take a hippo or elephant calf but the mother will be protective
and have been known to crush crocs. The Nile crocodile has a reputation as
the number one killer of beast and humans on the African continent. A crocodile
wouldn't go out of his way to find a human victim but they will take anything
presented to them. A horrible incident from World War II happened off the
coast of Burma. A thousand Japanese soldiers, fleeing the allied advance,
tried to cross a mangrove swamp at night. British troops reported the horrifying
sounds, and at dawn only about 20 were found alive. The crocs were simply
following their instincts and taking advantage of an easy meal.
Had I known all this, I might not have been so blasé in my encounter
with the alligator in Florida. My sister and I were canoeing and we knew
that alligators were present. The canoe rental place had basically said not
to worry, just keep paddling. We heard a huge sound and both of us saw the
alligator at the same time. Fortunately it was at least 50 feet from us,
on shore, but looking our way. Everything stopped, including my heart. It
was a typical American alligator, about 8 or 9 feet long, and I felt incredibly
small and insignificant. I said Bismillah and started to breath again and
we kept paddling. When we came back the alligator was gone.
This was a great gift. The opportunity to see one of God's amazing creatures
in its natural habitat. I'm thankful that I don't live where I have to wash
my clothes in the same river where crocodiles lie in wait, but I'm also thankful
for the opportunity to see one and know a little bit of that fear and awe.
Reptiles are awesome creatures, nearly 6000 different species, so many
variations. They walk on their bellies, they walk on two legs, they walk
on four. They are part of God's intricate interwoven plan on this earth.
We like them or we fear them, but we need to appreciate them. For their part,
they just want to be left alone, in their submission to God. Unlike dogs
and cats, they don't want to bond with us or serve us; they just want to
be allowed to do their own thing. A naturalist, Henry Beston, wrote in
The Outermost House: "For the animal shall not be measured
by man….They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other
nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners
of the splendor and travail of the earth." How true, for God says in 6:38:
All the creatures on earth and all the birds
that fly with wings are communities like you. We did not leave anything out
of this book. To their Lord, all these creatures will be
summoned.
Lydia Kelley
info@submission.org
