Friday

The Amazing Belgica Antarctica, One Of The Toughest Creatures On Earth

This complex freezable creature lives in Antarctica in perhaps the harshest land climate on earth with extreme temperatures ranging from –30F to 70F on rock surfaces. There are also extremely high winds, and a very short season with temperatures above freezing. Even in Summer the temperature can go below freezing very rapidly. There's also the problem of extreme dryness in winter, and long periods without usable water.

Acidic content of the coastal surface environment also changes rapidly, and the Ozone layer is thinner letting in intense UV rays. Usable oxygen levels decrease in ice, and Penguin guano covers most usable coastal areas during the summer. Coastal areas are also heavily deluged in fresh water during summer months from snow runoff, and then splashed with salt water from heavy waves. How can a land based insect live here more than a few days?

God equipped this insect to live up to 2 years in this extreme environment! It has been given amazing tools. Chemical anti-freeze is produced and rapidly distributed throughout its body when needed, as is anti-anti-freeze when needed to facilitate safe freezing. It can be frozen and remain unharmed. It also has special proteins to help with heat shock in summer, and can live for weeks without oxygen. It can dehydrate up to 35% of its body weight, and is equipped with special defenses against UV rays, acid, and salt. It also eats selectively and carefully since stomach contents can freeze quickly and burst its digestive tract.

Another complex system designed by our awesome Creator.

6 comments:

  1. ...but will fish bite it?  Sounds like it could be used as terrific bait when ice-fishing.

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  2. Sounds like a good scientific question to me. Maybe someone will fund a research venture this winter for us to go find out. I'd really like to know if fish will bite one of these.

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  3. what does it eat specifically

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  4. is there anything that eats it?

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  5. They have no known predators or parasites

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  6. It eats algae, bacteria, and plant debris

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