Page 18 - Devotion Among Animals Revealing the Work of God

DEVOTION AMONG ANIMALS

many other creatures, of which we'll see many examples as we
progress through the following chapters. With His infinite reason and
power, God has created them, brings out their superior qualities by His
inspiration, and commands them to effect their ingenious plans.

The Atlas Moth Caterpillar
that Plans a Few Steps Ahead
Obviously, beavers are not the only creatures in nature that plan,

calculate, and display rational behavior. One of the other successful
creatures in this respect is a species of caterpillar, much smaller than a
beaver, in which one would never expect to find the slightest glimmer
of intellect. This is the atlas moth caterpillar.
This caterpillar pupates in a cocoon like all other moth caterpil-
lars, concealing itself under a leaf once it has emerged from the larval
stage. It does this according to a clever premeditated plan whose every
stage requires great skill. Since a fresh green leaf cannot be bent to form
a protective shelter, the caterpillar overcomes this problem by the sim-
plest imaginable solution. To serve its purpose, it first ties the leaf to the
branch with its silk, so that the leaf won't fall when the caterpillar
gnaws through its stem. Inevitably, the cut leaf dries out and, after a
while, begins to curl. In this way, the caterpillar obtains an ideal leaf
tube in the space of a few hours.
In the first instance, you might think that by hiding in a dry leaf
to obtain a safe abode for itself, the caterpillar displayed intelligent be-
havior. This might well be true. But also, it would present an easy meal.
A dry leaf's difference in color would give it away, attracting the atten-
tion of birds and spelling doom for the caterpillar.
Here again, the caterpillar acts to prevent itself from being recog-
nized easily. Like a mathematician who makes probability calculations,
it prepares five or six other "decoy" leaves just like the one it will enter,
and weaves silk around them. In this way, any hungry bird must
choose among six or seven dry leaves, only one of which contains the

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