The Wonders of Creation

The Almighty did not have to populate the earth with these wonders, yet He did. I think at times He is as entertained as I am by all of it! Probably standing giggling even as I share this. Do you know what these animals are?

I was reading the National Geographic article on national parks when I came across the fellow above. He is called a tardigrade. They wrote,"Most of the 9 million annual visitors to the Smokies have never heard of tardigrades. Those who have would be hard-pressed to see them without a microscope - the eight-legged, barrel-shaped panarthropods are only about a half-millimeter long - but they are among the park's most extraordinary inhabitants, capable of surviving for decades in a suspended state of almost total dehydration."
 
I had heard of these somewhere in my fascination with microscopic life. As I pondered the terrific photo, the thought hit me, "They look like manatees!" The huge underwater "sea cows" in the Gulf of Mexico and other places around Florida. "Manatees are mainly herbivores, spending most of their time grazing in shallow waters and at depths of 3-7 ft. Much of the knowledge about manatees is based upon research done in Florida and cannot necessarily be attributed to all types of manatees. Average 9 to 10 feet long, weighing around 1,000 lbs. Can grow as large as 13 feet and weigh more than 3,000 lbs. Calves are born weighing about 40 lbs, gaining about 700 lbs. during their first year. Gentle and generally slow-moving. Most of the time is spent eating vegetation (100-150 lbs. per day), resting and traveling. On average manatees can travel about 40 to 50 miles a day, sometimes farther."
 
So look at the two photos again and rejoice that we are so blessed to get to see and ponder these delights.

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