The Wonders of God’s Creation
“Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.” Acts 15:18.
The alert and lively tarsier lives in the East Indies and the Philippines. It is small, ranging from 10 to 15 inches long, including its rat-like tail. It uses this tail as an extra support when clinging to a branch and also to help keep its balance when leaping among the trees. Its fur is brownish-gray except around its mouth, chin, nose and between the eyes, where it is usually yellow or light orange.
Seen face-on, it is an amusing and lovable little creature — its eyes look like a big pair of goggles, its ears perk up, and the spread of its mouth is a pleasant grin. A button nose sits perkily above its small mouth and chin, and its rather large ears, opened toward the front, stand rigidly erect, presenting a very alert appearance.
This long-legged little fellow (about the size of a big squirrel) lives in trees. The second and third toes on each of its hind legs have sharp, bare, long claws, and both hands and feet are cushioned underneath with non-skid ridges. These help it get a good grip on tree trunks and branches as it leaps among them. Incidentally, its long legs help make it a champion jumper among animals its size; it can leap as high as four feet and as far as six feet in distance.
One of the outstanding things about the tarsier is its large eyes, close together, with pupils about three times as large as other animals its size. The big pupils are surrounded by dark rings, making it look as though it is wearing sunglasses. These eyes are in many ways its most valuable possession, for it is a night worker and the Creator has wisely provided it with most remarkable vision to aid in its search for insects, lizards, snakes, etc., which make up its food.
In addition to good eyesight, its head (like an owl’s) can turn around so far that it can see behind itself without moving its body. Then too, it has been given very sensitive hearing; its large ears can twist individually in various directions one this way and the other that way — when trying to identify a sound. As for itself, it moves quietly through the darkness and, wherever possible, keeps well hidden among the trees’ leaves.
The Bible tells us to be glad and rejoice in that which God has created. The more our attention is drawn to the wonders of His creation, including these little tarsiers, the more we are impressed with the truth of the Bible verse quoted above our opening paragraph.
It is good to think on such things as we see the various forms of life all around us, for each one represents a part of God’s creation. How happy it is for us to know Him, not only as our Creator but more importantly, as our Saviour too.
ML-05/08/1988