SALT GLANDS, SALT EXCRETION, MARINE, FRESHWATER, DRINK, NASAL SALT GLANDS, NOSTRIL SALT SECRETIONS

PLANNED IN ADVANCE!

Good day all you fine people! How are you doing this week? I had a chance to travel and visit family—about half way to the Salton Sea. We had such a good and blessed time. I loved it! 

The Salton Sea is an amazing place, very similar to the Dead sea in Israel. It is an astounding concept that anything can live in such salty conditions. Yet there is life there. So how do animals live in such a harsh environment. Did animals evolve to be able to bare such conditions? It is pretty obvious they didn’t…they would have died out long before they could adapt. 

However, if it had been planned in advance and certain

Black-tailed gull of Russia, the grooves in its bill are clearly visible.

animals that were created had such adaptations tucked away in their DNA, it could easily have been passed down through generations until it was needed. 

Here is an amazing article written by David Menton PhD, from Answers in Genesis’ Answers magazine, Vol. 11 No. 1, 2016. It is entitled Salt Removal On Demand:

“On Day Five of Creation Week, God created the birds and all creatures that live in the water. While some of these creatures live only in freshwater and others live only in saltwater, some creatures, including many birds, are able to live (and drink) in both freshwater and

marine environments. Since about 97% of the earth’s water is saltwater, the ability to drink seawater presents a big advantage, but also a big challenge.

Seawater has about three times more salt than is found in the blood and other body fluids of most land-dwelling vertebrates. If any of these creatures are to survive drinking seawater, they must somehow rid themselves of excess salt.

“The excretion of salt is one of the main jobs of the kidney,

but few land-dwelling vertebrates have kidneys capable of

handling seawater. Still, some vertebrates, including many birds, can live by drinking seawater. But for birds, it is not just their kidneys that make this possible. Rather, their survival depends on a pair of special salt glands located above the orbits of the eyes that excrete the excess salt via ducts that drain through the nostrils. This explains why some seagulls appear to have a runny nose.

Mongolicus gull of Korea

“Salt glands are present in at least 10 of the 27 living orders of birds, but functional salt-secreting glands are generally restricted to orders containing species that inhabit marine environments. The remarkable thing is that some birds that generally live on freshwater are capable of quickly adapting to live on seawater by developing salt glands. To some this might seem like “fast evolution,” but God has provided them with access to the amazing salt gland, which lies dormant until needed.

“For example, a mallard duck (found throughout North America, Europe, and Asia) living on freshwater ponds and lakes is capable of adapting in a matter of a few days to survive on seawater, permitting it to live in a coastal marine

environment. When exposed to saltwater, small and inactive glands lying over the orbits of the eyes grow rapidly in size and salt-excreting ability. The consumption of excess salt triggers the release of hormones and other factors that promote the full functional development of the salt gland.

Male Mallard duck at edge of freshwater lake

Even in unexpected ways we find marvelous evidence of God’s providential care for birds. God’s Word reminds us that not a single sparrow will fall to the ground apart from our heavenly Father’s will—so don’t be afraid when challenges come your way. You are worth more than many sparrows (Mathew 10:29-31)”.

This is another fingerprint of God. May whoever reads this allow Jesus to touch their hearts and draw closer to Him, the one who loves you so much He died so you can have eternal life in heaven.

God bless and take care,

Willow Dressel