Page 159 - For Men of Understanding

Despite its bulky
and wild look, the
mother crocodile
provides the
utmost care for its
young. It offers
safe shelter to its
unprotected
babies in a special
pouch in its
mouth.

WHAT KIND OF A MOTHER IS THE CROCODILE?
The care provided by the crocodile, a wild animal of rivers, for its offspring
is quite astounding.
First, the animal digs a hole for the incubation of its eggs. The temperature
o
of the hole should never rise above 30 C. A slight rise in temperature would
be a threat to the lives of the offspring in the eggs. The crocodile takes pre-
caution that the holes in which it places its eggs are located in rather shady
places. This, however, may not in itself be sufficient. For this reason, the female
crocodile spends extraordinary efforts to
keep the eggs at a constant temperature.
Some crocodile species build nests of
weed on cold water, rather than digging
holes (as seen in the picture to the left). If
the temperature of the nest still rises
despite these measures, then the crocodile
cools the nest by sprinkling urea on it.
When the eggs are about to crack, loud
noises arise from the nest. These noises
warn the mother that the critical moment has come. The mother crocodile
brings the eggs out and helps the offspring pop out of their eggs by using its
teeth as tweezers. The safest place for the newly born is the protective pouch
in its mother's mouth specially designed to shelter half a dozen newly born
crocodiles.
As seen, there is great co-operation and self-sacrifice among animals. For a
sensible person, the perfect harmony in nature clearly reveals signs of the
being of a superior Creator. That is, the signs of Allah, Who is the Creator of
everything in the heavens and on the earth.

The Signs in Living Things 157