FUN STUFF

- Water Bears

Less than 300 microns long, water bears have four pairs of stumpy legs with tiny claws and a slow lumbering gait that makes them look like a microscopic bear (see video below). They can survive such extremes as hot springs, mountain peaks, being buried under 5 meters of solid ice, and even frozen in liquid nitrogen. But their most typical homes are moss cushions.

If dehydrated, they have devised an interesting "antibiotic state" to survive. The water bear becomes inactive, almost like hibernation. Then, with a tiny droplet of water, it comes back to life.

Sometimes, water bears can be in an antiobiotic state for several years.


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Despite the scaly appearance in this photo, water bears more closely resemble transparent jelly bear candies.

KINGDOM Animal
PHYLUM Tardigrada
CLASS Heterotardigrada
ORDER Echiniscoidea
FAMILY Echiniscidae
GENUS Echiniscis
SPECIES Echiniscis (over 100 species)

More information available at: Martin Mach's web page