An unusual animal called an echidna or spiny anteater lives in the high, rocky areas of Australia and New Guinea. Its roly-poly body is about eighteen inches long and is covered with sharp quills that almost hide its black fur. Because of the quills, it is sometimes mistaken for a porcupine. It is one of the few egg-laying mammals.
Its eyes are small, and it apparently has no ears. Its long, bare snout has a narrow mouth, but instead of teeth, a long tongue with ridges on it crushes its prey. It is a slow animal that hunts at night and hides in the daytime. The only time it hurries is when escaping enemies. Then its sharp claws rapidly dig a hole deep enough to bury its head and legs. The rest of its body is protected with its needle-like quills, which make any animal back off. If there is not time to dig a hole, it curls up into a ball, tucking its bare spots safely under the quills, or it will fight with its sharp claws if it has to. Because of these instincts and safeguards provided by the Creator, a spiny anteater is seldom captured.
There are two kinds of this anteater—the long-nosed and the short-nosed. Except for this difference, they are much the same, searching through the soil, in rotten logs or inside termite mounds for food. The short-nosed anteater hunts mostly termites, ants and other insects, but the long-nosed prefers worms of various kinds. Its longer tongue has tiny hooks on it that firmly hold onto its prey.
The mother anteater has a kangaroo-like pouch on her stomach in which an egg is laid once a year. When the baby hatches, the pouch becomes its home. But when only a few weeks old, its quills begin to grow. Then the mother puts it outside where it learns the ways of anteater living.
These animals are part of the wonderful creation of our Creator God of whom our opening verse speaks. King David often wrote of the wonders of God’s creation and gave Him praise: “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary [place of worship]; who is so great a God as our God?” (Psalm 77:11-1311I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. 13Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? (Psalm 77:11‑13)).
How good it is for each of us to thank and praise the Lord God for all His care and love for us. We should especially thank Him for the love that has provided a Saviour for all who will place their trust in Him. Have you done this?
ML-08/26/2012