Marvel of God's Creation 7: The Beaver

From: Subject: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Marvel_of_God'?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?s_Creation_7:_?= =?iso-8859-1?Q?The_Beaver?= Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 21:11:51 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_022C_01C3FFD1.D0BC1260"; type="text/html" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.3314.1001 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_022C_01C3FFD1.D0BC1260 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: =?iso-8859-1?B?aHR0cDovL3d3dy5oYXI=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?cnlwb3R0ZXJtYWdpYy4=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?b3JnL0V2b2x1dGlvbiU=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?MjBvZiUyMENyZWF0aW8=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?bmlzdC9NT0dDJTIwMDc=?= =?iso-8859-1?B?Lmh0bQ==?= Marvel of God's Creation 7: The Beaver

MARVEL OF = GOD'S=20 CREATION   = #7=20

The = Beaver
    =20 The beaver is another uniquely designed creation. The following = is=20 copied verbatim from Creation Ex Nihilo Vol. 15 No. 2, = March-May=20 1993, pages 38-41. Hopefully you will see the value of = subscribing to=20 this creationist magazine as you read the words of author and = scientist,=20 Denis Dreves:

"Beavers: = Aquatic=20 Architects"

"The dam = building ability of=20 beavers is fairly well known, but beavers possess other amazing = design=20 features which God has included in their anatomy. Beavers are=20 air-breathing mammals which spend a great deal of time in water. = For=20 this reason they need special equipment. =

First, the = beaver has=20 special valves in its ears and nose. When the beaver dives below = the=20 water these valves automatically close so that no water can = enter. When=20 the animal resurfaces, the valves reopen and it breathes=20 again.=20

Perhaps their = most amazing=20 piece of equipment is their eyelids. If you have done any diving = or=20 snorkeling you will know that water and materials in it can = irritate=20 your eyes and wash out natural lubricants. Not only that, but = your eyes=20 do not see well under water. That is why snorkelers wear = goggles.=20

Were we original = to think up=20 this idea of goggles?

Not really. God = designed=20 beavers with "built-in" goggles. Their eyelids are transparent, = so they=20 can close their eyes underwater and still see extremely well. = Their=20 transparent eyelids give protection to their eyes from = waterborne=20 irritants.

During winter, = beavers must=20 feed on the bark of trees they have cut and stored in the = autumn, using=20 their specially designed, self-sharpening front incisors = (perhaps one of=20 the beaver's better known pieces of equipment).=20

The beavers = collect the=20 young trees [usually two to five centimeters (one to two inches) = in=20 diameter] for food, cut them to suitable lengths and then = transport=20 them, by holding them in their teeth, to their underwater cache, = forcing=20 the branches into the mud at the bottom of the pond.=20

           =20 AMAZING = DESIGN=20

Which brings us = to another=20 amazing design feature. To retrieve the stored food in the = winter months=20 when ice covers the pond, the beaver may need to chew the sticks = underwater. They can do this without water entering their = mouths,=20 because they have fur mouth flaps between their front incisors = and their=20 rear molar teeth, which are set considerably further back. These = two=20 folds of skin, one on each side of the mouth, meet behind the = incisors=20 and seal off the rest of the mouth. =

The beaver's = large=20 paddle-shaped tail, which has a scale-like skin covering it, is = used as=20 a rudder when it swims. This is particularly important when the = animal=20 is swimming with a branch in its mouth. The tail must compensate = for any=20 uneven drag from the branch, thus the tail is often held at an = angle for=20 accurate steering.

The rear feet of = the beaver=20 are large and webbed like a duck's feet, to give the animal good = swimming ability. The two inner claws of each foot have split = toenails,=20 which the beaver uses as a comb to groom itself and oil its = fur.=20

Beavers use = their smaller,=20 unwebbed front paws to carry mud and other materials, and to dig = canals=20 which they use as a means of transporting wood and also as a = means of=20 quick escape from predators.

The fur of the = beaver must=20 be oiled to prevent water reaching the animal's skin. The oil is = provided from two large oil glands. They are filled with a rich, = thick,=20 deep yellow oily liquid, which the beaver spreads on its fur for = waterproofing. This, along with its two layers of fur, are so = effective=20 that water rarely reaches the skin. A layer of fat beneath the = skin=20 gives further protection against the cold. =

A beaver can = swim submerged=20 for perhaps 800 meters (a half-mile) or more. Most air-breathing = creatures would be adversely affected by lack of oxygen to the = brain.=20 The beaver has special equipment to compensate for this need. = Large=20 lungs and liver allow for the storage of more air and oxygenated = blood.=20 In addition, a beaver's heart beats more slowly when it dives, = in order=20 to conserve oxygen, and the blood is restricted to the animals=20 extremities while the vital supply to the brain remains = normal.=20

     ENGINEERING SKILLS=20

Beavers = construct dams that=20 may be hundreds of meters long. Construction of the dam is done = by=20 cutting down trees and shrubs, dragging each piece to the = dam-site, and=20 laying them in the water parallel to the stream (end facing = upstream).=20 Almost everything the beavers can find goes into the dam - live = wood,=20 dead wood, mud, grass and rocks. When the beaver's pond floods, = mounting=20 pressure on the dam can cause it to break. To prevent this, if = there is=20 time, the beaver engineers a spillway to relieve pressure, then = fixes it=20 after the water subsides.

Beaver lodges = are also the=20 work of a master builder. They are built with sticks, and sealed = from=20 the cold with mud. The center of the roof is not sealed, which = allows=20 some ventilation. Access is only from underwater, with more than = one=20 entry in case of the need to escape. The beavers can gain direct = underwater access to the cache of sticks they have stored under = the=20 water when ice covers the pond in winter and this is their only=20 available food.

Truly the beaver = is yet=20 another example of the wonderful provision and wise planning of = a caring=20 Creator God. Such variety of essential equipment could not have = evolved=20 over time by chance and selection. All of the beaver's equipment = must be=20 present and fully functional in the animal from the beginning = for it to=20 survive its semi-aquatic life-style."

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