Wolves, lions, bears, sharks—these are all ferocious predators that hunt down prey. With their strong jaws and sharp claws, they are experts at catching other animals for food. You probably know about a lot of predators. The northern pike is a fish that is a nasty predator. The ichneumon wasp is also a fascinating creature that preys on insects and spiders. Can you think of any other predators?
No animal, of course, wants to be caught by a predator. So God has designed different animals with different ways of defending themselves against the attack of predators. We call these things defense mechanisms. A box turtle has a shell to protect itself. It can pull its head and legs into its shell and seal it shut to hide from predators.
A skink has a far stranger defense mechanism. If a predator tries to grab it, the skink will allow its tail to break off! The tail wriggles around on the ground and looks alive. While the predator is distracted by the wriggling tail, the skink can run away and escape! Some skinks, especially when juveniles, have brightly colored tails. When a predator approaches, the bright tail serves as an attractant, sparing the skink. When prey approach that the skink wants to eat, the tail also serves as an attractant.
Imagine this! Some species of horned lizard can shoot blood out of their eyes at predators! And the sea cucumber can squirt out its intestines at any ferocious animal that comes too close. That would make me want to stay away from a sea cucumber!
One fascinating defense mechanism is that of the bombardier beetle. When a bombardier beetle feels threatened, it sprays a boiling, poisonous liquid out of its abdomen, which becomes a vapor in the air!
Many animals give off nasty smells to deter predators. You probably know about skunks and stinkbugs already. But did you know there is a kind of bird that uses a stinky smell to keep unwanted visitors away? The Leach’s Storm Petrel produces a smelly orange liquid when anyone comes too close!
A lot of creatures have special coloring to hide from or trick predators. Fish often use color for this purpose. Some fish, like the flounder, are camouflaged. They blend in with their surroundings to hide from predators. The flounder can even change colors to match its background.
Some fish use color to warn predators of other defense mechanisms they have. The lionfish, for example, has poisonous spines. Many species are brightly colored to warn predators.
Some creatures have fake eyespots that are thought to distract or intimidate predators. The polyphemus moth has huge eyespots on its hind wings, taking the focus away from its body.
Did you know that just as animals have predators, we also have an enemy? This enemy is the devil. Read Ephesians 6 to learn about the special armor God has given us to protect us.
