Bombardier Beetles and Vomiting Toads

Researchers in Japan fed bombardier beetles to toads to see what would happen. Well, nearly half of the toads puked up the beetles anywhere from 12 to 107 minutes after ingesting them. The hardy little beetles scurried off, apparently unharmed. It turns out that the bombardier beetle can release a nasty chemical cocktail inside the toad’s stomach (the audible “pop” of the explosion could be heard coming from inside the toad’s stomach), forcing it to vomit up their meal. The beetle is also protected by a hard shell that keeps it safe from stomach acid.

These little beetles are an incredible example of God’s careful design in creation. But they also remind us we live in a sin-cursed world where predators eat prey and prey must try to escape. It’s a beautiful world, but it’s also a broken world, and we see both on display in the bombardier beetle.

You can see other examples of beauty and brokenness (Romans 1:20; Romans 8:22) in the upcoming nature documentary The Riot and the Dance, in theaters March 19, 2018. The whole family will be astounded by this stunning film that gives glory to God for what he has made. Learn more at RiotandtheDance.com.

Get More Answers on Answers News

I discussed this item on Answers News yesterday afternoon with cohost Bodie Hodge. Answers News is our twice-weekly news program filmed live before a studio audience here at the Creation Museum and broadcast over my Facebook page. We also discussed the following topics:

• Why the church needs to be talking about Genesis

• Debate heats up over whether 130,000-year-old bones were broken by humans

• Dinosaur party or evidence of the flood?

• Dinosaurs “too successful for their own good”

Be sure to join us each Monday and Thursday at 2 p.m. on my Facebook page for Answers News. You won’t want to miss this unique news program that gives science and culture news from a distinctly biblical and Christian perspective.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.