Page 136 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God

DEVOTION AMONG ANIMALS

suicide. They can deliver their kamikaze attacks against an enemy in
a variety of ways. One of the most interesting examples is provided
by a species living in the rainforests of Malaysia. This ant has a
venom gland stretching from its jaw towards the back of its body. If
confronted by an enemy, the ant contracts its abdominal muscles so
forcefully that the gland and surrounding tissues burst, spraying the
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enemy with its poison before it dies.
7. In order to reproduce, male and female ants must be very
dedicated. Soon after their mating flight, the winged male ants ex-
pire. The female looks for a suitable place to build her nest and when
she finds one, will enter it and break off her wings. Then she seals
off the entrance and remains inside without food for weeks, even

months, all alone. Later she will lay her first eggs as a queen ant. The
only things she will have eaten in all this time are her own wings.
The very first larvae that emerge she feeds with her saliva. This is a
period of great devotion for the queen ant, in beginning a new
colony.
8. If their nest is attacked and occupied, the ants move to pro-
tect their brood at any cost. The soldier ants move to the area under
attack to fight the invaders, while workers rush to the nursery cham-
bers, evacuating the larvae and young ants between their jaws. They
carry them outside the nest and hide them somewhere safe until the
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attack has been fought off. It would be expected for a creature like
the ant to be concerned only with itself, seeking a place to hide. But
the worker ants, soldiers and those guarding the entrance aren't con-
cerned about their own lives and will die for one another if neces-
sary. This is selfless devotion at the highest level, and all ants have
been behaving in this way for millions of years.
Thus far, we have related astonishing behavior in the animal
kingdom, but still need to point out that the creatures acting in these
surprising ways are tiny ants. These insects are no importance to
those who are used to seeing them every day. But when we observe

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