“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
Geckos and Chuckwallas
"Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who
humbleth Himself to behold the things . . . in the earth!”
(Psalm 113:5-6)
Geckos are small lizards that live in warm climates and are the most interesting member of the lizard family. They are found on all continents except Antarctica. Their name comes from the loud call that many kinds of geckos make. Most are active creatures of the night.
In North American deserts, the pretty banded gecko is plentiful. It has soft, pliable skin, large eyes, a long tongue for snatching insects and makes its home in the rocks. The unusual fat-tailed gecko of Pakistan has leopard-like colouring on top and on its extra-fat tail and is plain gray on the underside.
One of the more interesting geckos is found in an African desert. It is beautifully coloured and has paddle-like, fleshy feet, provided by the Creator to help it travel over sand and probe for insects. The feet of most other geckos have adhesive toe pads that are covered with thousands of tiny hooks, enabling them to travel on smooth walls and upside down on ceilings. Their grip is so tight that they need to pull each foot loose before taking the next step.
Geckos eat mainly insects. Because they devour so many insects, in some countries they are treated as pets in people’s homes, even eating scraps at the table.
The large, rusty-brown chuckwalla is really a lizard that is over a foot long, similar to an iguana. These creatures live in arid regions in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Some are found on coastal islands.
Like the iguana, a chuckwalla prefers to eat the buds, flowers and foliage of creosote plants. At night sometimes both creatures share a creosote bush. They both live in lava beds and in the rocks of the southwestern deserts.
A most interesting feature about chuckwallas is how they escape from their enemies. They crawl into a narrow rock crevice and then fill their lungs with air, making themselves fit in the crevice so tightly that they can’t be pulled out. Where do you think they learned to do this? They didn’t learn by themselves; they received this life-saving instinct from their Creator.
Covered with loose, sandpaper-like skin, chuckwallas, look rather fierce. They aren’t—they are harmless. Although they are night workers, they often can be spotted in daylight, sunning themselves on a rock. They are just one more of God’s creatures that is quite satisfied with its life-style.
As we consider these creatures, let us always remember our God of whom it is said, “By Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth . . . and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17). The Bible contains God’s account of the truth of creation.
Love you all - Grandpa
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