An Amazing Australian Frog

Mark 10:32a
“And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid.”

A rare Australian aquatic frog has one of the most amazing systems for rearing its young to be found in the animal kingdom. If any other creature tried the same method, the result would be fatal to its young.

The frog is a species of Australian frog so rare that it only has a Latin name. Once the eggs are laid and fertilized, the female swallows the eggs. Sometimes she waits until they begin to develop. However, once the young are in her stomach, she forgoes eating for eight weeks. After eight weeks, the young, developed frogs emerge from her mouth.

Why aren’t the young frogs digested in the mother’s stomach? Once the offspring are in her stomach, they begin to release fine threads of chemicals from their mouths. Among these chemicals is one that causes the mother’s stomach to stop manufacturing acid. In other words, the tiny young frogs change the mother’s stomach from an organ for digestion into a comfortable, protected nursery. Scientists were amazed at the frog’s system since no other creature in nature is able to do this.

The Bible often notes that when Jesus Christ walked this Earth in bodily form, He frequently amazed people. Sometimes He used a miracle to astonish them. Sometimes it was His teaching that astounded them. Here we see that through His work as Creator, He can still amaze even the most hardened unbelievers. You can learn more about why He is so amazing in the pages of the Bible.

Prayer:
Lord, I recommit myself to regular reading and study of the Bible. Through Your Word, strengthen my faith and help me to be filled with amazement over Your great love for me through the forgiveness of my sins. Amen.

Notes:
“Tadpole Role in Gastric Pregnancy.” Science News, Vol. 123, p. 350. Photo: The more common White’s tree frog, found throughout much of Australia.