Jewel # 446 (May 29, 2021)

Spotted Skunk

Hooded Skunk

  

Hognose Skunk

"And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS.”

(Malachi 3:17)

Part 2 

To my dear grandchildren

A Skunk — Be Careful

"God Himself . . .formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain.”  

Isaiah 45:18

In the last article we looked at the stripped skunk.  The spotted skunk, sometimes called a civet, is another major species.    It is among the smaller species, having habits much like the striped species. Some consider it the prettiest of all skunks with its soft, glossy fur and white-tipped tail proudly held over its back.  The white areas of its fur form many patterns over its body, with no two skunks the same.

This skunk is most likely to make its den in a burrow or under a boulder, but sometimes it invades barns or crawl spaces under houses.  Its musky spray is not as strong as others, but it is still effective.  Unlike the striped skunk, it can easily climb trees for fruit and to raid bird nests.  It will even go into water for frogs and crayfish.

The hooded skunk is the least numerous of skunks and does not have the prominent markings of other species.  Its name comes from the long, white hairs that stand up on its head like a hood.  It is found only in Arizona and New Mexico and in the country of Mexico.  It prefers to make its home in an abandoned burrow.  Living in the desert, its choice of food is limited to rodents, beetles and other insects.  Occasionally it will add to its diet an unwary bird or its eggs, as well as fruit from desert plants.

The hognose or badger skunk has colouring different from the rest.  The entire top of its body is usually white, as is its long tail, but the rest of it is brown or blackish with an occasional white spot.  Its snout is bare, accounting for the name hognose.  It is sometimes called a badger skunk because its claws are so much like a badger’s.  Its back claws are dark and short, while its ivory-coloured front claws are strong and long, provided by the Creator for digging.  Its food is similar to that of the hooded skunk.

Skunks show us the Creator’s wisdom in providing for all of their needs and giving them such an unusual means of self- defence.  They have no way of knowing the One who watches over them, but the Bible tells us that “the works of the Lord are great. . . . He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion” (Psalm 111:2,4).         

Love you all - Grandpa

Jewel # 445 (May 19, 2021)

 

“And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS.”

(Malachi 3:17)

To my dear grandchildren

A Skunk — Be Careful!

(Part 1)

 “The Lord of hosts … is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working."  Isaiah 28:29

Would you like a skunk for a pet?  Probably not, yet many people have them as pets…after removing the scent glands.  They find that skunks are friendly and can be playful.

These animals live only in North and South America and are part of the weasel family.  There are about a dozen species, which are all very similar.  Although often seen in daylight, they are most active at night.  They have a slow and deliberate walk.  All have distinctive black and white markings and have long bushy tails.  Perhaps the Creator gave them these special features so they may be recognized and avoided even in the dark.

Skunks have a very effective chemical weapon called mercaptan, which is produced in a pair of scent glands near their tails.  These animals prefer to be left alone.  However, any animal or person who comes close enough to make them feel threatened will first be met by a cold, unblinking  stare and thumping of feet on the ground.  These are intended to warn, “You’re too close!  Back off!”  If the intruder does not retreat, the skunk will quickly turn around, lift its tail and, without further warning, squirt a vile-smelling fluid up to ten feet with good aim!  Besides smelling terrible, this fluid burns skin and can cause temporary blindness.  An animal or person who has had this experience will usually stay far away from a skunk!  However, some dogs never seem to learn the lesson.

The most common skunk is the striped skunk.  It is about 30 inches long, including its tail, and has fewer white markings than other kinds.  It is at home in wooded areas, near farms and has adapted to residential areas where there are fields nearby.  Sometimes a female skunk will make a nest in a barn or under a porch or deck where she and her four or five babies, which are called kits, can become a real problem.  Getting rid of them is usually done by trapping.

Their main food in the spring is mice.  In summer they switch over to grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects, often ripping open rotten logs to find them.  Another  favourite food is eggs, and sometimes they raid chicken coops.  They also eat ripened tree fruit that has fallen to the ground.

The care given to these animals by the One who created them is written in Psalm 119:64: “The earth, O Lord, is full of Thy mercy." For you and me, there is a companion verse which says, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding” (Psalm 119:73). It is good to ask for an understanding of His love, to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, and to thank Him for all His kindness.

(to be continued)

Love you all - Grandpa             

Jewel # 444 (May 7, 2021)

  

Water Spider

Wolf Spider

And They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I 

make up MY JEWELS. 

Malachi 3:17

To my dear grandchildren

Let’s Talk About Spiders

Part 3

All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.  John 1:3 

With more than 40,000 species of spiders in the world, there is a wealth of interesting details to investigate.  Here are a few more spiders that do not spin webs:

The dune wolf makes its home in a sand tunnel and comes out to catch its food on the ground.  The trap-door spider builds a tunnel in the ground, cementing the walls with glue and lining them with silk to make a cozy home.  Over the opening, it makes a hinged door that opens and shuts as it comes and goes.

One of the most amazing is the water spider.  It can walk or run on water but lives most of its life underwater in a silken nest.  Working from a twig or stem above the water, it first forms a bell-shaped, air-tight balloon from its silk.  It carries this down into the water and anchors it solidly.  Scientists have now discovered that this balloon acts like a fish’s gill, taking oxygen from the water they are living in.  The spider can sit in that bell for over 24 hours, only needing to dash to the surface to get more air once a day.

The fisher spider also gets its food from the water, but this one lives out in the open air.  Although unable to swim, it can walk on the water because of hairy patches on its legs that hold air and make it buoyant.  It chases insects on the surface but will dive down if something looks interesting below.

You might wonder how a spider could dive underwater and not drown.  The secret is that it takes in air through the lower part of its abdomen.  When ready to dive, air becomes trapped all over its hairy body, and with this it can breathe underwater for a long time.  You would think the air bubble would make the spider float to the surface.  However, the spider dives directly to some solid object where it hangs on with its legs and waits for a victim to swim by.  It has been observed catching minnows and piercing them with poison before taking them to shore to eat. 

Spiders are very beneficial to mankind, disposing of many flies, mosquitoes and other harmful insects.  They all tell of God’s wonderful plan in creation and the way He has provided for the individual needs of each one of them.

But more important than all this is what God says of you and me:  “I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him” (Isaiah  43:7).  But we cannot be to His glory unless we are His children through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

Have you, through faith, accepted Him as your very own Saviour?

Love you all - Grandpa