Chameleon Changes in Unexpected Way

Psalm 7:1b
“O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me…”

Evolutionary naturalists have predicted that a given creature should have pretty much the same strategy for dealing with any of the predators that seek it out. As our knowledge of the animal world grows, they are beginning to realize that they may have to reexamine their prediction.

Researchers have now established that a dwarf chameleon native to Africa does indeed use very different strategies depending on the predator. The two main predators the chameleon faces are snakes and birds. After observation in the wild, naturalists decided to test the chameleons’ reactions to these predators under controlled conditions. They captured some chameleons and then tested their reactions to a fake snake or a stuffed bird. When the snake was placed where the chameleons could see it, the chameleons turned pale and hugged the branch they were on. When the bird was introduced, the chameleons color-matched their branch much more closely while hugging its underside. Further study led the researchers to see the wisdom of these strategies. The snake looks up from the ground and sees the chameleon against the bright sky. The birds look down and see the darker branch.

Obviously, the chameleons didn’t figure this out by themselves. God gave them these strategies for their protection.

Prayer:
Father, help me to trust more completely in Your protection, both in physical matters and in the spiritual. Amen.

Notes:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/32396/titl/These_colors_dont_run, Susan Milius, “These Colors Don’t Run.”