During the Creation Week,

God made the animals!

Let’s learn all about His wonderful creatures—where they are,

what they eat, and how they live. From the birds that fly in
the sky to the mammals that walk on the ground to the fishes
that swim in the sea, you’ll read about 60 of God’s amazing
creatures, from the tiny shrew and poison dart frog to the
mighty elephant and great white shark. Enjoy a book that
makes studying animals both fun and educational!

Captivating, full-color photographs of all the animals

Conversational tone that kids find engaging

 resents animals and their origins from a strong

P
Biblical, young-earth creationist worldview

JUVENILE NONFICTION/Animals/General
JUVENILE NONFICTION/Animals/
SCIENCE/Life Science/Zoology/General
General
$29.99 U.S. SCIENCE/Life Sciences/Zoology/General

$34.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-68344-158-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-68344-158-8
EAN
EAN

God's Big Book of Animals cover 1st.indd 1 11/15/18 9:15 AM

First printing: February 2019
Second printing: October 2019

Copyright © 2019 by Master Books®. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in
any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations
in articles and reviews.
For information write:

Master Books®, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638

Master Books® is a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc.

ISBN: 978-1-68344-158-8
ISBN: 978-1-61458-698-2 (digital)
LOC: 2018963111

Edited by Shirley Rash.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible.
Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION (KJV): KING JAMES VERSION, public domain.

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Publisher Note
Porcupines have natural antibiotics on their quills — ouch!

Jellyfish don’t have brains, eyes, bones, or hearts — yikes!

Chameleons have tongues faster than a speeding jet — wow!

Animals are amazing! We know that God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in it in the 6-day
creation week because the Book of Genesis tells us so. On the fifth day, God created birds and flying reptiles
and sea creatures while on the sixth day He created the beasts of the earth, including dinosaurs. He then
created Adam and Eve on the sixth day and gave humans dominion over the earth.

The animals we see and marvel at today are the descendants of the original, biblical kinds. God’s Big Book
of Animals is an engaging exploration of the majestic animal kingdom that God has created. Readers will
meet 60 different animals, ranging from birds to reptiles to mammals to fishes. Vibrant, captivating full-color
images show these animals up close in the wild and from bats to bears, and turkeys to turtles, you will get to
learn some of the most interesting fun facts about these amazing creatures.

Discover what they eat, where they live, and how they live—while also learning about how God has uniquely
and perfectly designed each one for its own special environment and circumstances. It’s a celebration of
God’s wisdom and the amazing animal facts that point to His ingenuity.

Special Thanks
Thank you to Orit Kashtan for authoring the original Hebrew-language version of this delightful book and to
HaChotam Christian Publishing House for publishing the original text. Thank you to Shirley Rash for editing
the book.

Thank you to Mike Belknap, Tom Hennigan, Dr. Jean Lightner, and Dr. Todd Charles Wood for their kind,
gracious, and thorough assistance in both providing and fact-checking information on the animals’ classes,
orders, and families.

God’s Big Book of Animals 3

 Table of Contents
Birds Insects
1 Hummingbirds pg. 8
16 Monarch
pg. 68
Butterflies

2 Toucans pg. 12
17 pg. 72
Moths

3 Pileated
Woodpeckers
pg. 16
18 pg. 76
Bees

4 Crows pg. 20 19 pg. 80

Wasps/Hornets

5 Vultures pg. 24 20 pg. 84

Mosquitoes

6 Owls pg. 28 21 pg. 88

Flies

7 Woodcocks pg. 32 22 pg. 92

Fleas

8 Seagulls pg. 36 23 pg. 96

Termites

Amphibians
9 Geese pg. 40

24 Poison Dart
pg. 100
Frogs
10 Swans pg. 44
Reptiles
11 Grebes pg. 48
25 pg. 104
Turtles

12 Pelicans pg. 52
26 pg. 108
Alligators

13 Heron pg. 56
27 Komodo
pg. 112
Dragons

14 Penguins pg. 60 28 pg. 116

Marine Iguanas

15 Turkeys pg. 64 29 Chameleons pg. 120

30 Rattlesnakes pg. 124

 Mammals 47 Weasels pg. 192

31 Deer pg. 128 48 Meerkats pg. 196

32 Camels pg. 132 49 Red Foxes pg. 200

33 Elephants pg. 136 50 Wolves pg. 204

34 Gorillas pg. 140 51 Lions pg. 208

35 Rabbits pg. 144

52 Tigers pg. 212

36 Opossums pg. 148

53 pg. 216
Grizzly Bears

37 Shrews pg. 152

54 pg. 220
Bats

38 Mice pg. 156

Sea Animals
39 Squirrels pg. 160
55 pg. 224
Dolphins

40 Groundhogs pg. 164

56 pg. 228
Beluga Whales

41 Beavers pg. 168

57 pg. 232
Atlantic Salmon

42 Porcupines pg. 172

58 Great White
pg. 236
43 Skunks pg. 176
Sharks

44 Raccoons pg. 180 59 Octopuses pg. 240

45 Badgers pg. 184 60 Jellyfish pg. 244

46 Otters pg. 188

God’s Big Book of Animals 5

 Introduction

Get ready to enjoy reading how smart, funny, strange, and colorful animals can be and how all are living proof of
the love and wisdom of their one and only Creator.

Have you ever seen a white or black swan? It is very large and looks so regal when it moves across the water.
Have you ever thought about how such a large bird can fly?

Think about the camel that lays down in the hot desert. How can it lay on the hot, burning sand?

Have you ever seen how animal colors match their habitat? How do geese, storks, and many other birds know
where to fly and where to return many months and many miles later, arriving at the exact same place they left?

Do insects have glue on their feet? Is that how they are able to walk sideways and upside down? How is it that
woodpeckers do not get a headache after pecking again and again? Who taught termites to make their nests
facing the sun? Why don’t vultures get a stomach ache after feeding on carrion? How come octopuses can
change color from red to black and sometimes from yellow to white?

You will find answers to these questions and more in this book. As you read, remember that these amazing
creatures were all created by God in His wisdom and love, but, because of Adam and Eve’s sin, animals are
also cursed and fallen, just like humankind. Before the Fall, God created all animals to eat plants. After the Fall,
animals began hunting and eating other animals. Despite living in a fallen world, we need to remember to
praise God for His wondrous works.

Special Note
The study of animal kinds from a creationist perspective (baraminology) is an exciting field. It is also one that
is still being studied and researched. The classes, orders, families, and kinds given for most animals are based
on the most up-to-date information available, through further research is needed for many of the animals.
Currently, there is little work being done in baraminology on sea creatures or insects, so the information
presented in this book is limited on those pages.

6 God’s Big Book of Animals

Bless the LORD, O my soul! . . .
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.
He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot. . . .
He waters the hills from His upper chambers. . . .
He causes the grass to grow for the cattle. . . .
The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers. . . .
The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God. . . .
O LORD, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your possessions. (Psalm 104)

God’s Big Book of Animals 7

 1
Hummingbird kind, Created on Day 5

Hummingbirds
Class: Birds Description
Order: Apodiformes Hummingbirds weigh around 0.1 ounces and are about
(hummingbirds and swifts) three inches long. They are very small and light.

Family: Trochilidae Hummingbirds have beautiful feathers. Males have dark-

(hummingbirds) colored feathers, mostly green, blue, purple, and yellow,
and females are usually black, gray, brown, and green. Their
bills are long and curved. Its shape helps them consume
nectar. Their tongues and tails are very long, sometimes
longer than their bodies.

A group of hummingbirds is called a charm of

hummingbirds. As is common with many types
of birds, a male is called a cock, a female is
called a hen, and a baby is called a chick.
Did you know?
Hummingbirds are not actual
songbirds. They are called
hummingbirds because their wings
beat so fast that they make a
humming sound.

Their hearts can beat up to 1,260 times

per minute (most birds’ hearts beat
between 50–160 times per minute).

Hummingbirds are one

of the most beautiful
birds God created. Their
feathers are bright green,
blue, purple, and red. Male
hummingbirds are more
colorful than females.
8 God’s Big Book of Animals
Look at the birds of the air, for they neither
sow nor reap nor gather into barns;
yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
—Matthew 6:26

God’s Big Book of Animals 9

 Hummingbird

Baby hummingbirds Small and hungry

The female hummingbird weaves her nest Hummingbirds may be small, but they
with feathers and plant fibers, tying them have big appetites. They have very fast
together with spider silk. The tiny nest looks metabolisms, second-fastest to insects. They
like a flower sprout. eat 0.10 ounces of food per day. Such a large
quantity for such a small body is like a person
Baby hummingbirds are as big as bees consuming 220–330 pounds of meat every
(hummingbirds usually lay two eggs). day. Imagine eating that much food every day!

Hummingbirds need a lot of food because

of the large amount of energy they
need for daily activity. They constantly
move, looking for nectar or small
mosquitoes to swallow mid-flight.
Hummingbirds have enough body
fat to keep their energy throughout
the day.

They need a solid, deep sleep at

night because of all their activity
during the day. They slip into a kind
of hibernation called “torpor.” This state
lowers their heart rate and breathing while
resting their bodies.

Hummingbirds have unique bills and long

tongues. Both are longer than their bodies.

Their long tongues

Hummingbirds’ tongues are textured.
This texture helps them drink nectar.
They put their curvy bills into the
Tongue
mouth of a flower and use their
flexible, long tongues to trap nectar
or insects.

10 God’s Big Book of Animals

 needBirds
text

Fun facts
Hummingbirds’ wings flap so fast
that it is hard to see them move.
They look like a noisy, vibrating
smudge. The only way to see
their wings flapping is by using
a special camera that can record
fast movements. Some people
mistake them for insects because of
their size and the way they fly, but
hummingbirds are truly birds.
They are curious birds that can
adapt to human surroundings. If
they find a source of food, they will
visit it again and again. That is why Great acrobats
some people hang hummingbird
feeders a few feet away from their Hummingbirds have strong shoulder muscles they use to flap
windows. Hummingbirds love the their wings. Those muscles are one-fourth of their body weight.
sugary water in the feeders and visit
Their shoulders have ball and socket joints, like the palms of
them a lot.
our hands, with ten big feathers attached to them. This allows
hummingbirds to rotate their wings 180 degrees in all directions,
giving them their amazing flight ability.

Since hummingbirds can hover, they don’t need to slow down

when they feed. They can drink nectar while beating their wings
as fast as they do while flying, and they quickly fly away when
they’ve eaten their fill.

Hummingbirds are excellent acrobats. They can fly forward, backward,

upside down, or straight up, like helicopters. They can even hover.
Their wings flap so fast that you can only hear them.

God’s Big Book of Animals 11

 2
Toucan kind, Created on Day 5

Toucans
Description
Class: Birds
There are 40 species of toucans, ranging in size from
Order: Piciformes weighing only a few ounces to over 1 pound and measuring
(woodpeckers, toucans, etc.) 1-2 feet long. They have short, solid bodies and rounded
tails. Their necks are short and thick. Most toucans are black
Family: Ramphastidae with touches of yellow or orange on their necks.
(toucans) Toucans have colorful bills, usually orange, red, and yellow
with splashes of blue and orange at the tips. Keel-billed
toucans range from around 17 to 22 inches long, and their
bills average around 5 inches. They are very colorful. Their
necks and chests are yellow, their short legs are blue, and the
tips of their tails are red.

A group of toucans is technically

called a durante of toucans, but
most people refer to them as a flock.

There is a
constellation
named after the
bird called the
Tucana.

Toucans have
a narrow gray
tongue that
is about 20
inches long.

12 God’s Big Book of Animals

God’s Big Book of Animals 13
 Their bills can be red, yellow,
Toucans blue, white, green, brown,
or black (or a combination
of colors). Male toucans use
their colorful bills to get the
attention of females.

Toucans have short wings,

so they can only fly very
short distances.

Toucans’ bills
Only God could create such a work of art
like toucans’ bills. They are thin and light
and are hollow inside, so they are not as
heavy as they look.

When toucans are hungry, they use their

bills to pick fruit. If the fruit is hard or too
big, they either cut it into smaller pieces
with their bills or use their bills like a saw
to break the hard fruit shell.

The bills are so large that they get in the

way when toucans try to sleep.

Toucan enjoying a banana

14 God’s Big Book of Animals
 Birds

Social lives
Toucans like to live in flocks. During breeding season, males sometimes look for
delicious fruit to drop into females’ bills.

After females lay eggs, both the male and female incubate them. The chicks hatch
with soft pads on their feet to keep them from injury in the nest.

Unique bird
God created toucans with the ability to
turn their heads completely backward
and rest their bills on their backs, fold
their tails, and cover their heads. God
created toucans with light bills, so
resting them on their backs is not very
heavy.

Researchers find the bills’ unique build

interesting. Even though the bills are
light, they are very hard. Their bills
are used in different ways that require
fine motor skills and great strength.
Researchers copied toucans’ bills to
create light, strong vehicles.

One of the most unique toucan

species is the gray-breasted
mountain toucan, which lives in
South Colombia, Ecuador, and
Peru. They live at much lower Fun fact
altitudes than other toucan
Toucans are not parrots. Instead, they
species and stay quiet while
are birds with hard, long, and colorful
flying. They don’t like to live
bills. Sometimes their bills are longer
close to other birds.
than their bodies. They are amazing
to look at because of their beautiful
colors.

Toucans eat fruit dipped in bugs and

bird eggs.
Did you know? Toucans’ lifespans in captivity are
longer than in the wild.
Toucans are tropical birds that
live in the tropical forests of
South and Central America.
They can live up to 50 years in
captivity.

God’s Big Book of Animals 15

 3
Woodpecker kind, Created on Day 5

Pileated
Woodpeckers
Class: Birds
Description
Order: Piciformes
(woodpeckers, toucans, Pileated woodpeckers are a very large type of woodpecker
that lives in North America. Other woodpecker species can
etc.)
vary considerably in size, but these birds are well over a
Family: Picidae foot long and weigh approximately half a pound.
(woodpeckers) They are very striking animals, with black and white bodies
and bright red crests on top of their heads.

Did you know?

They are very noisy birds. They get their names because
they peck the trees they are in as a way to find food.
The noise they make when they peck trees is called
“drumming,” and it is also a way they communicate with
each other. They drum to attract mates and to warn other
woodpeckers to stay away from their territory!

16 God’s Big Book of Animals

God’s Big Book of Animals 17
 Woodpecker

Fun fact
Woodpeckers make “cracking stations.”
These are areas they use for cracking
nuts they find. You can spot these
stations by the amount of nut shells you
find on the ground underneath them.

Woodpeckers can also cause damage.

For example, they like to peck at water
irrigation systems, so farmers now cover
their pipes or lay them in the ground.
However, they also help prevent insect
infestations in trees.

Woodpeckers are cautious and skittish.

When they see humans, they hide in
their nests and peek out to see if the
danger is gone. They come down to the
ground very rarely, only to eat ants or to
drink water.
You can see the spots on
the woodpeckers’ wings
when they fly.

The woodpecker’s unusual eating

habits
Woodpeckers do not have teeth, so they need stones
to grind their food. They swallow little grain-sized
rocks with their meals, and that helps them grind
their food.

Woodpeckers have long tongues that are 2 to 3 times

longer than their bills, with hard, pointed tips that
look like brushes. These “brushes” help woodpeckers
clean up leftover food and get rid of sawdust. Some
woodpeckers have barbed tongues, while others
have sticky ones. Both types of tongues help them
with hunting for food.

Head up and down

Woodpeckers can peck sideways and upside down.
Their talons help them firmly hold onto a tree. They
lean on their tails for balance. That’s how they can
peck upside down safely, without falling.

A group of woodpeckers is called

a descent of woodpeckers.

18 God’s Big Book of Animals

 Birds

A grub or a nut?
Woodpeckers like to eat insects, especially grubs
such as beetles and moths that live inside trees.
They also eat fruit, nuts, and berries.

Some woodpeckers feed on acorns. When

woodpeckers want to eat one, they choose an
acorn and pluck it off a branch. They come as
close as possible to it and tug at it with their bills.
They must turn it over to store it in a hole, making
sure the shell goes in first. To do that, they pin the
acorn to the tree, turn it over, and push it over to
the hole they carved. If the acorn falls, they curve
their wings into a pocket and catch it. They are A woodpecker bringing
usually fast enough to catch acorns before they hit
the ground.
a nut home
When woodpeckers hunt for grubs, they usually
eat them right away.

Woodpeckers do not
get a headache Building a
Woodpeckers carving a storage
home in a tree
space can peck on the wood Woodpeckers take
more than 100 times a minute 30 minutes to make
without getting a headache. a home for hiding
Any other creature would and storing food. It is
get a concussion from such not an easy job. They
pounding, but woodpeckers do have to carve into the
not because God created them tree trunk on their
with a special spongy, plate-like own. Then they work
bone that separates their bills on making the space
from their skulls. These spongy bigger, sometimes with
bones protect the brain and the help of friends.
keep the woodpeckers from
getting concussions.

Tasty fruit Who watches the babies?

Woodpeckers would gladly eat apples or pears when Baby woodpeckers are cared for by both
they can’t find grubs and acorns. They peck at the fruit parents. They stay with their parents for
and eat it from the inside out. They do not nibble on their first few months. The parents take turns
one fruit and move to another. They finish the one feeding the babies.
they started eating before they pick another fruit.
God’s Big Book of Animals 19
 4
Crow kind, Created on Day 5

Crows
Description
Class: Birds
What is usually black, can fly, can be a good friend, makes
Order: Passeriformes hoarse sounds, and can mimic our language? Crows.
(perching birds)
They also have short, strong legs and powerful bills. They
Family: Corvidae can reach a length of nearly 20 inches, their wingspans are
around 39 inches, and they weigh around 1 pound.
(crows, ravens, etc.)
Most crows are black, but some are other colors, including
gray or white.

Did you know? A group of crows is called

a murder of crows.
Crows are songbirds because of their complex vocal organ.

God created crows to be very intelligent. They can be trained to

mimic human voices, just like parrots. There are many stories,
poems, and legends written of crows because of their color and When crows find tough
toughness. Most of these stories view crows as bad omens of war, food to chew, like dry
death, and evil.
bread, they take it to
Crows can single out a person who harmed them or their chicks. a water source like
There are documented events of crows attacking people they a puddle or fountain
identified as aggressors.
and dip the food in the
water to soften it.

20 God’s Big Book of Animals

God’s Big Book of Animals 21
 Crows Hey, bear, can you leave
some for me?

Crows and their

enemies
Crows have two great
enemies: humans and owls.
They watch out for cats,
eagles, or foxes, but their
greatest fear is owls. Owls can
creep in and hunt for crow
chicks or adult crows in the
dark of night, without being
seen or heard. Many humans
bring owls to scare off crows
from their homes.

Faithful for life

What is for dinner? When male and female crows
mate, they stay faithful to
Crows are not scared off by A crow cracking a nut each other for the rest of
scarecrows. They are only shell on a pavement their lives. Sometimes, a pair
scared of people and animals. of crows leaves the flock to
They do not cause much join another, but the pair
damage to gardens because stays together. They never
they prefer eating meat. leave each other.
When an animal gets run
over, crows immediately fly When they have chicks, the
to the scene to feast on the mother takes care of them
flesh. They also eat mice and while the father keeps watch
other rodent carrion. They and brings food for the
will also gladly eat wheat, family. Baby crows eat at
insects, bird eggs, fruit, nuts, least eight big meals a day.
and vegetables. Their diet is Studies show that a family of
varied, so they do not usually crows can eat about 40,000
suffer from hunger. insects at one meal.

22 God’s Big Book of Animals

 Birds

How do crows talk?

The truth is that crows do not really talk, but they do communicate with each other using caws. Scientists have
found that crows have more than 50 different calls they use to communicate.

Crows know to sound out excited caws when they find food, sad caws when a fellow crow dies, or even special
warning caws to warn friends. In captivity, crows can learn to talk even better than some pet parrots.

Good friends
Crows live in flocks and work
together. They use their loud caws
to call for help or alert each other
of danger.

Crows are known to care for one

another. For example, if a crow is
injured, his fellow crows will stay by
his side, even in the face of danger.

Fun fact
If you pay attention, you might see crows dropping nuts on sidewalks
and roads. The shells crack open or get run over, and crows can then
eat the inside easily. Crows like shiny objects, so they often “steal”
items left out in backyards.

Crows can live up to

20 years in the wild.

Crows can fight

Crows’ biggest weapon is their voices. They use them
to fight and defend their friends. They caw so loud that
enemies are scared off and keep away. Sometimes,
when they have no other choice, they will fight
enemies with help from fellow crows, which explains
why they are so hard to beat.

When they fight, they work together. They split up into

two groups. The smaller crows are used as bait to bring
the enemy to a vulnerable location, and the bigger
crows can attack from behind.

God’s Big Book of Animals 23

 5
New World Vulture kind, Created on Day 5

Vultures
Class: Birds
Order: Accipitriformes Description
(hawk-like birds) Vultures have long torsos and can grow up to 3 feet long.
Their wingspans are around 10 feet, and they weigh nearly
Families: Accipitridae 20 pounds. Males are larger than females. They have long
(Old World vultures); necks, and their beaks are curved like hooks. They have short,
Cathartidae (New World powerful legs covered with down feathers down to their
vultures) knees. Their talons are also curved but are not sharp. They
are bald, and the bottoms of their necks are covered with a
white, coarse plumage. They are usually various shades of
brown or gray.

A group of vultures can be called by

several names, depending on what Did you know?
they are doing. In general, they are The word “vulture” came from the
often called a committee of vultures Latin word veller, which means “to
or a colony of vultures. These terms treat or to pluck out.”
are especially common for a group of
vultures nesting in trees. However, if Unlike other birds, which hunt live
they are circling in the air, they are prey, vultures feed on dead animals
called a kettle of vultures. If they (carrion).
are feeding on the ground, they are
called a wake of vultures. Vultures are great at gliding. They can
move up to 37 feet through the air
without flapping their wings. When
they see a dead animal, they dive
toward it at speeds of over 85 miles
per hour.

Vultures can wait near carrion for

many hours, sometimes even days,
until the flesh softens. Elderly vultures
eat first, followed by the young ones.

Baby vultures feed on bones crushed

by their parents, which is how they get
calcium. Vultures can eat very large
portions, followed by a time of rest.
They can go without eating for as long
as five days straight.

Vultures in Israel
24 God’s Big Book of Animals
And when the vultures came
down on the carcasses,
Abram drove them away.
—Genesis 15:11

God’s Big Book of Animals 25

 Vultures

Vultures in love Getting cleaned up

During breeding season, vultures perform a lovely Surprisingly enough, vultures are rather clean
courting ceremony. The female carries a stick with her despite what they eat. That is surprising for
beak and soars up high. She then throws it toward the another reason: they do not wash. That does not
male she chooses. If the male is interested, he picks up mean that they ignore cleanliness, however!
the stick and returns it to the female. She throws the
When they are done eating, vultures find a nice
stick over and over again, and the male flies down to
perch and turn their backs to the sun. The black
catch it each time and brings it back to her. Finally, after
feathers on their wings absorb the warmth of the
playing catch, they soar together and take a sudden
sun’s rays and carry heat to their heads. This kills
dive, almost touching the ground, and soar again.
any bacteria that they might have picked up.

Vultures also spread their wings out in the

sun to warm themselves while they
pick away food particles with their
In many beaks (that is called preening). This is
cultures, how they keep warm and keep their
vultures are wings clean. The warmth of the sun
feared because provides heat that kills bacteria on their
wings. Rain also allows them to clean
they eat dead themselves. They let the drops of water
animals. fall through their spread wings.

Still, vultures often carry pieces of meat,

blood, and bacteria on their bodies. So they
rub their beaks against their feathers, cleaning
feather by feather. You could say that is their
dessert. Vultures can’t clean their heads with
their beaks, but thankfully, their heads and
necks are bald. Sometimes, food gets on their
heads, too, but cleaning skin is easier than
cleaning feathers.

The same is true of their feet and talons.

Vultures use their feet to hold onto their food
and tear off pieces, which makes their feet very
dirty. Vulture legs are covered by their feathers,
so they have to find another way to clean their
legs and feet. Fortunately for them, their urine
is so acidic that it kills bacteria. That’s right —
The highest nest their pee helps keep their legs clean!
Vultures build their nests in a tall tree or cliff. It
is not easy to build a nest. They have to collect
hundreds of branches and twigs and carry them
high up to their nests. Every year, vultures work at
taking care of their nests, adding more twigs, wood
chips, and grass.

Their nests are built on high elevations to provide

the most protection for their babies. These high
nests also give vultures a good view and control of
the area. Since the nests are at such heights, baby
vultures don’t have much protection from the sun
or rain, so when it does rain, one of the parents
spreads its wings over the babies to give protection,
like an umbrella.

26 God’s Big Book of Animals

 Birds

How come vultures

don’t get sick
from eating dead
animals?
Vultures eat rotten flesh,
often of animals that were
sick, so they have a special
digestive system. The acid
in their crop (stomach) is one
of the strongest in the natural
world, strong enough to kill
The eyes harmful bacteria in their food. That
acid keeps vultures from getting sick from
Vultures have a very good sense of sight. They can see almost anything they eat. This kind of bacteria
everything on the ground even when they are high in would surely make humans or other animals
the air. Their eyesight is six times better than human sick or even kill them, but when digested by
eyesight. They can see a coin from 656 feet away. vultures, the bacteria dies instead. Vultures
Because a vulture’s eyesight is so good, God has given keep the environment clean of disease and
them protection from the bright sunshine. Vultures protect us from harmful bacteria.
have dark lines around their eyes that reduces glare by
absorbing the sunshine. If you have ever seen football
players with dark lines on their face below their eyes,
that works the same way.

The nose
Vultures’ keen sense of smell also give
them another advantage. They have
nares, which are holes in their beaks.
Vultures can pick up smells when the
wind blows through their nares. Every gust
of wind gives them lots of information, purely
by smell alone. Vultures also have a sizeable olfactory
lobe that God provided them to help them process all
of the smells they pick up.

How do you find carrion?

Fun fact
Vultures do not have sharp talons, as we
During the breeding season, vultures comb one may think. They do not attack or hunt. That
another, perform flight displays, and make calls to draw is why they are not predators. Vultures need
attention to each other. Once eggs are laid, the parents patience to find their food.
take turns incubating them for about two months.
Most animals can find prey because it moves.
Before they each take their turn, they circle and greet
When prey is moving about, it can be easily
one another.
found. Vultures need much more time to find
Vultures are often considered one of the creepiest prey that does not move.
birds on the planet. Because of their gruesome diet,
Two talents help vultures find their
they are often avoided, even feared. Despite this
motionless food — an excellent sense of smell
reputation, they are still among God’s creatures. They
and great eyesight.
are fallen but still have a special purpose — helping
clean up dead animals.
God’s Big Book of Animals 27
 6
Owl kind, Created on Day 5

Owls
Class: Birds Description
Order: Strigiformes Owls are big birds that look even bigger because of
(owls) their feathers. They are usually brown and speckled.
They have short, strong legs covered with feathers,
Families: Strigidae and they have very sharp talons. Owls have four toes,
(typical owls) two facing forward and two facing backward. They
have large, flat heads and forward-facing eyes that
bulge out. They can turn their necks all the
way around.

Ears
Did you know?
Owls have lopsided ear openings on the sides
of their heads, behind the eyes. One opening There are over a dozen types of owls in North America.
is higher and one is lower. They are used as Owls that are commonly found in America include
speakers. One ear opening hears sound a split barn owls and great horned owls. The word “owl”
second faster than the other, letting the owl comes from an Old English-German word that means
know the location of its prey, how fast it is “to wail.” Owls are active at night and their hoots
traveling, and where it is going. sound like wails.

A group of owls is called a

parliament of owls. Baby
owls are often called owlets.

28 God’s Big Book of Animals

God’s Big Book of Animals 29
 Owls
Fun facts
Owl parents share the workload. The female lays eggs and incubates
them. The male teaches the babies and feeds the family.

Owls swallow their food whole. They cannot digest the fur and
bones in their food, though, so they usually cough those back up as
something called a pellet.

The owl is
mentioned in
Isaiah 34:11, Talons
where it says
Owls have four sharp talons that let
owls will remain them grab their prey at any angle.
in the land Their talons are so sharp that they can
after the Lord pierce the toughest skin and not drop
punishes his their prey.
people and makes
the land desolate.
Rotating necks
Owls can rotate their necks in different
directions, almost 360 degrees. They
can turn their heads toward their
backs and, when they do, they rest
their head between their wings. If that
Hunting feathers doesn’t impress you, owls can also
Mice have excellent hearing. They can hear every rotate their heads upside down, with
little noise, but they find it hard to hear owls flying their beaks facing up and their eyes
because God created owls with unique feathers. The facing down.
edges of each feather on their wings looks like tiny God created owls with twice as many
combs that let air pass through in almost complete neck bones as a human has. Those
silence. Little rodents can’t hear owls coming extra bones and flexible muscles
because they can fly very quietly. On the other hand, let owls rotate their heads in every
owls can hear and spot their prey in the dark. direction. We say owls are smart birds,
but in fact, their Creator is the One
who is truly smart.

30 God’s Big Book of Animals

 Birds

Nighttime. All is quiet. A lone mouse is peeking out, afraid,

sniffing the air. It is relieved. It looks like the coast is clear.
It comes out of its hiding, looking for food. All of a sudden,
an owl swoops down, grabs it with its talons, and takes off.

Big eyes Why do owls hunt at night?

You have probably seen that owls have very big Owls are one of the most unique
eyes compared to other birds. If owls were as big animals God created. Their special
as little children, their eyes would be the size of abilities let them hunt at night. They
tennis balls! Their eyes have very unique traits. don’t need to fight over their food with
falcons and eagles that hunt for the
First, they have large pupils. The larger the pupil is,
same food in the daytime.
the more light that passes through, letting them
see better, especially in the dark. A pupil is like a The special abilities that God originally
window with light shining through it, determining gave owls help them hunt at night in
how clear and bright the room looks. our fallen world.
Second, owls have forward-facing eyes,
unlike most birds. This gives them
a wide range of binocular
vision, which most birds do
not have.

Third, owls have three

eyelids. They have
an upper and lower
eyelid and a third
eyelid that cleans
and protects
the surfaces of
their eyes, like a
windshield wiper.

God’s Big Book of Animals 31