Six Live Animals on Display Inside the Creation Museum

When you come to visit the Creation Museum, you will notice six kinds of live animals that we exhibit in cages and aquariums throughout the museum.

We chose these animals for the following reasons:

1. We chose the finches to introduce guests to the concept of created kinds, as there is much variability in the group, and many of them interbreed, indicating that they are from the same kind. Though finches are famously associated with Darwin’s ideas, we wanted to clearly show them rightly interpreted through the lens of God’s Word. They don’t show evolution—finches stay finches! They are just an example of the incredible variety God has built into the created kind. Learn more about created kinds.

2. We chose poison dart frogs to answer the question of why there are bad things (like poisons) in a world created by a good God. Learn more about why God’s creation includes death and suffering.

3. We chose chameleons because it is very easy to show how they are irreducibly complex—the shooting tongue would not work unless it was all made at once—the bone that it folds up, accordion-style, for storage; the muscles that propel it out; the suction-cup end and stickiness that help it grab insects; and other special muscles that bring it back in. Just imagine the chameleon trying to eat if just one of these pieces of the puzzle had not “evolved” yet. This is one way to show our guests about God’s amazing creation.

4. We chose the freshwater garfish because they are living fossils. Living fossils are creatures that appear in the fossil record and look basically the same today. The gar is a great example because it has the same kind of scales—ganoid scales—found on many fossilized fish! It’s a good way to display that the fossil record doesn’t show millions of years of evolution. God created the gar—and all other fish kinds—fully formed and functioning. Learn more about living fossils.
5. We chose turtles because they too are living fossils and fascinate children who love to watch them swimming around and basking under a light.

6. We chose the blind cave fish because they demonstrate that natural selection does not equal evolution. Though natural selection decreases or rearranges genetic information, it can’t create brand-new information. But evolution requires the addition of brand-new information. Evolution and natural selection are not the same thing! This exhibit attracts many curious people who wonder how blind cave fish swim around without bumping into the walls. You’ll have to come visit the museum to learn for yourself! Learn more about natural selection.