Weather and Animal Adaptations

Birds

Have you ever thought about where a bird goes during a storm? Can you imagine trying to fly through the air if there was a lot of wind? It would be hard to do. What about if it was raining? Most birds need to keep their feathers dry when it is raining. If a bird’s feathers get wet, the feathers may become heavy and the bird won’t be able to move through the air as fast.

Many birds will hide in trees or buildings if it starts to storm. Did you know that some scientists think that birds can sense air pressure changes and know when it’s going to storm? This is because scientists have observed birds gathering more food before storms. If a bird eats more food, they may have more energy to survive a storm. But even if a bird gets caught in a storm, God still cares for them.

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26)

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. (Matthew 10:29)

God is in control of every bird and feeds them even if the weather is bad outside. In fact, God has given many adaptations to birds and other animals to be able to live in different types of weather.

Some birds migrate, or travel long distances, often to escape the winter season. Have you ever seen geese flying in a V shape during the fall? If so, you likely saw geese migrating. Geese leave colder areas before winter to go somewhere warmer.

Turtles

Animal adaptions point to God’s creativity, care, and control of his creation.

However, not all animals leave for the winter. When was the last time you saw a turtle outside during the winter? It is rare to see reptiles like turtles in the winter because they hibernate! When an animal hibernates, it reduces its body temperature and activity to survive the cold winter. Turtles often hibernate in a burrow underground to avoid the cold.

Arctic Hares

Some animals even change color to adapt to different weather seasons! An Arctic hare’s fur is brown in the summer and white in the winter. Why do you think their fur changes to these specific colors in summer and winter? To camouflage! When a hare’s fur is brown in the summer, it can hide from predators by blending in with plants and other vegetation. There is a lot of snow in the Arctic. Therefore, white fur helps Arctic hares look like snow so predators can’t see them as well.

Conclusion

Some animals don’t survive extreme weather events. Unfortunately, man’s sin brought a curse upon the world, which means some animals will face difficult situations during changes in weather. But the good news is that God sent his only Son, Jesus, to be the savior of the world, and he has promised to restore all of creation. Animal adaptions point to God’s creativity, care, and control of his creation.

But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:7–10)