The Cyanide Defense

John 12:32
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

Wouldn’t it be amazing if a creature developed a chemical defense that is deadly to practically every other creature but itself – especially if that defense meant exposing itself and its enemy to deadly cyanide?

Yet there is a species of millipede called Apheloria that does just this. Apheloria has, on each segment of its body, special glands that produce the chemical needed for defense. When the millipede is attacked by an enemy, it mixes this chemical with a catalyst. The result is a chemical that is a mild irritant plus hydrogen cyanide gas – the same lethal chemical used in the gas chamber. In this defense, the millipede as well as his enemies are engulfed in a cloud of deadly cyanide gas. His attacker dies, but the millipede simply walks away unharmed.

This truly amazing defense clearly has a purpose. Even more amazing, if evolution is right, the millipede developed this remarkable defense quite accidentally, and at the same time he became immune to deadly cyanide gas! This defense is completely unlikely to develop without a planner. The millipede’s immunity to cyanide makes sense if there was a planner, and it makes no sense at all if there wasn’t.

God’s fingerprints are all over the creation as He seeks to draw us all to Himself.

Prayer:
Dear Father, I thank You that You are a loving God. I confess that there are times when You have sought to draw me closer, and I would not. For Jesus’ sake, forgive me, and make Your drawing my greatest desire. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Notes:
Photo: Millipede Apheloria virginiensi. Courtesy of Bob Walker. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.