Did You Know There Are Snakes That Can Fly? (Well, Actually They Glide)
This latest installment in the Apologetics Press’ video series “Wonders of Creation” features snakes that can thrust themselves off tree limbs high up in the air and then glide up to a football field of distance to land.
Yes, you read that right. They are located in South Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago. There are five distinct species of these amazing creatures and, fortunately, they are non-venemous. Between them, the various species can grow from 30 to 47 inches in length.
I have to wonder how the evolutionary process of natural selection would explain the existence of these creatures. They can glide because of the unique shape of their scales, but why would the first of them to appear on Earth get the idea of throwing himself off a tree limb to discover if such a move wouldn’t kill them?
And what if the early versions of the scales weren’t shaped quite right and led to the death of the first snakes to attempt to glide from one tree to another? How is this not a case of starting the natural selection process kills the “test pilots” for the species?
Anyway, AP’s Kyle Butt describes this particular wonder of creation:
Easy, fleeing predators is a reason to jump. Those who didn’t survive, didn’t reproduce. Start low, work higher over the EONS as the adaptation increased survivability from ever greater heights. This is just basic evolutionary theory.
So you are saying that a universe that could create these incredible creatures via natural processes is something that is beyond God’s ability to create?
We observe a universe that creates these and other incredible creatures via natural processes. That such a universe exists — and that we possess the intelligence to discern those natural processes — is God’s will. May I respectfully suggest that it adds nothing to our knowledge of God to imagine Him as a “designer” who putters about His garden micromanaging creation.
The primary predator of snakes are raptors, which fly of course. Perhaps there are others in these ecosystems of which I am unaware.