Speaking of noses.....

I absolutely love animal shows (though I do have to turn away when the animals are killing their dinner!) My husband and I have discovered, quite by accident, a good one to watch on Monday nights that we really enjoy on the NatGeoWild channel. It's called "America the Wild" and it's hosted by naturalist Casey Anderson.

Of course the downside of many of these shows are the views on evolution. I just tune that part out. God knew what He was doing when He gave the polar bear the right kind of molars to shred meat. He also knew what He was doing when He gave bears their keen sense of smell, being seven times more sensitive than a blood hounds. These animals just didn't evolve that way!

Speaking of noses.....a camel's nose also performs some extra breathing duties. "As air moves through the nose and nasal passages, it is warmed and moistened. Bacteria and bits of dust and particles get trapped in the mucus inside the passages, and they get eliminated from the body when the mucus is swallowed. Some animals in dry climates can even remove moisture from the air as it is exhaled. The inside of a camel’s lungs is warm and moist. That precious moisture would be lost if it weren’t for the camel’s special nose. The moisture in the air the camel exhales gets trapped by the camel’s large nose and “recycled.” This helps the camel survive in its dry environment." (quoted from Glossopedia)

Camels also have three eyelids per eye so they have a total of six. The extra eyelids help protect it from sandstorms. The third eyelid is translucent so their eyes will be covered during sandstorms. Now is this a product of evolution? I think not! God had it all carefully planned out!

Also...a camel's hump is a giant mound of fat. Does this hump store water for the camel? No.....in a healthy, well-fed camel, the hump can weigh as much as 80 pounds. The hump allows a camel to survive an extremely long time (up to two weeks) without food if needed. Because camels typically live in the desert, where food can be scarce for long stretches, this is important. ­A camel uses about 5 gallons of water a day in the summer. However, a camel can lose up to 25 gallons of water from its body tissues without any ill effects. One thing that a camel can do to conserve water is to handle large body temperature swings. A camel might start the day at 94 degrees and allow its temperature to rise as high as 105 degrees. Only at the upper end of this range does it need to sweat to prevent overheating. When you compare this temperature range to the range the human body can handle (where only a two degree rise indicates illness), you can see the advantage. Does all this sound like I'm obsessed with camels? Well I did ride one once....the two-humped (Bactrian)variety! The one-hump variety are called an Arabian or dromedary. I find camels amazing.

Some more camel facts:

• An adult camel weighs between 700 and 1,500 pounds and is up to 7 feet tall.
• Camels can live to be up to 50 years old.
• Camels gestate about 11 months and give birth to one calf.
• A male reaches maturity in five years, a female in three to four years.
• A camel can close its nostrils.
• A camel, like a goat, will eat almost anything.
• Pack camels can carry loads of 400 pounds, 25 miles in a day.

And how about that arctic fox and snowshoe hare? It's remarkable that they change color with the seasons for camouflage. All octopuses can change their color too. Some frogs can adjust their color according to changes in light, moisture, temperature and even their mood. Whites tree frogs are usually light green. When they move out of a sunny spot in a damp, shady spot they sometimes change to light brown. One type of frog survives in the desert by changing colors from brown to bright white during the bright, sunny hours of the day. The white would reflect the sun so that it can keep from getting dried up in the heat. 

So when I hear that this area or that area with all the canyons and cliffs were evolved over billions and billions of years, I just smile and think to myself,  "Nope, God did that".