Cute But Disgusting.. What Is A Water Bear?

#1 This is a Tardigrade.

#2 They are tiny animals that grow up to 1 millimeter long and have eight legs.

They belong to the phylum Tardigrada and the superphylum Ecdysozoa.

Their body is covered with a cuticle composed of chitin. They molt periodically.

#3 They are also know by many as 'Water Bears'.

#4 Their feet look like claws, and up close, their faces resemble a bear or pig.

#5 Scientists and marine biologists speculate that there are well over 900 different species of these Water Bears.

#6 They were given the name Tardigarda by Italian biologist Lazzaro Spawnsoni. They are also known as Moss Piglets.

#7 They usually live in deep mossy areas or lagoons, but can be found about everywhere on the planet. Some even speculate the Water Bears are from outer space.

They can remain in the state of suspended animation for years. When placed in water, they become active again.

#8 When not near water, or if there is a dry period, they can curl into little balls and survive for over 100 years before casually regenerating.

Tardigrades are famous for their ability to perform "cryptobiosis". They can survive for years without water. Normally their body is 85% water. Their body composition can drop from 85% water down to 3% water and still survive.

#9 Some of the tardigrades are carnivorous and some even eat other tardigrades.

#10 They are very resilient and can even withstand over 1000 times the legal human dose ox x-ray radiation.

Tardigrades are the toughest animal around. They can survive in extreme environments that would kill almost any other animal.

#11 In 2007 some tardigrades found their way on to a space shuttle and lived outside the craft in an oxygen deprived vacuum for 10 days, and all but 1 survived.

They can survive extreme temperatures. They have been known to survive in temperatures as low as -273 degrees Celsius and as high as 151 degrees Celsius. Tardigrades have been discovered in hot springs, on top of the Himalayas, and under layers of solid ice.

#12 All of this means, according to scientists, it is probably impossible to kill a Water Cow, and they will survive a holocaust.

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