Have you ever seen an odd-looking animal and thought, “Why did God create that animal that way?” Why did He create ants and then a creature designed to eat them? What is the point of a gnat? Why is the platypus even a thing? True enough: God has formed some crazy animals. That’s what I’m going to focus on: weird and funny (creatures) in God’s creation.

There’s nothing cuter than a hamster or mouse, right? Well, have you ever heard of a jerboa? The jerboa is a desert rodent and looks like a little wind-up toy. Although it is only 2-3 inches (5-8 centimeters) long, it can leap over 10 feet in a single bound. It can freely roam its territory and escape from predators by running at up to 15 miles per hour. It looks like the leftover parts of various animals were put into one—and I’m grateful for it. This thing is adorable! God created this little rodent not with leftover parts but with the exact parts it needs to survive in its environment.

The saiga antelope is a very strange-looking animal. It has an especially unusual nose that looks like something only the writers of Star Wars could conjure up. God, however, is the perfect Creator. That big long nose that looks like it could be the hose from a vacuum cleaner is actually quite helpful to the saiga antelope because it is flexible and inflatable. This helps it to breathe clean air in the dusty summers of the desert and warm air during the cold winters. Even though this nose might be quite unbecoming and a little strange-looking, God had a plan and His way is perfect: “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?” (2 Samuel 22:31-32). Everything He creates is for a perfect and indisputable reason!

Another adorable but slightly odd-looking creature is the dumbo octopus. This octopus lives in the deepest depths of the ocean and can be hard to find. It lives in extremely cold temperatures with the absence of light. The little tube in the center of its face is its mouth. It uses the tube to suck in its food whole—it doesn’t even have to chew! It’s incredible to think about all the things that God put into this sea animal to let it survive in one of the most inhospitable parts of the world.

How about a fish that walks? The red-lipped batfish looks exactly how you might expect it to look. It looks like it’s ready to make its debut on the red carpet! This fish is really bad at swimming. It uses its modified pectoral fins to literally walk on the bottom of the ocean! Scientists say that this is due to evolution, but we know better. A simple answer to the question of why God created it is in Genesis 1:20. “Then God said, ‘Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures . . . ’” Think of how boring it would be if God created just one kind of fish. God made all animals with variety for us to enjoy and gave the animals what they needed to survive.

God created everything for a purpose. He isn’t the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). It’s incredible to see all His creatures—no matter how strange-looking they are—and realize that they all are here for a specific reason. If God puts that much thought into animals, just think about how much more He cares about us. Notice this: “For You formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:13-14). God cares about His animals, but we are more precious to Him because we are to be in His family: “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7). God’s amazing creatures are just one more way to see God’s loving care for all of us.