Water bear

It's been 3.5 billion years since life kicked off on this planet, but the animal kingdom continues to amaze. This year we've been treated to tool making cockatoos, self-decapitating sea slugs and a chameleon not much bigger than a fingernail.

Tardigrade Costume

The dehydrated, minuscule “water bears” were aboard an unmanned Israeli craft that suffered a failed landing attempt.

Tardigrades - Most species live in freshwater or semiaquatic terrestrial environments, while about 150 marine species have been recorded. All Tardigrades are considered aquatic because they need water around their bodies to permit gas exchange as well as to prevent uncontrolled desiccation.

For those who need a tiny reminder to be resilient.

Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are smaller than a millimeter, live in water, and can endure all kinds of harsh environments. A recent research project found that asteroid impacts and nearby supernovae and gamma-ray bursts would wreck humanity but leave tardigrades unscathed. Does this mean we should expect to find tardigrade-like life on other planets and moons? Oxford physicists David Sloan and Rafael Batista joined Harvard astronomer Abraham Loeb to publish in the online journa

Tardigrades are known for their ability to survive extreme temperatures. But new research suggests they might be more sensitive than previously thought.

Say goodbye to that paycheck...and HELLO LEMME HUG YOU to all your cuddly new friends!

For those who need a tiny reminder to be resilient.

Tardigrada (Water bears) Number of families 20 Thumbnail description Microscopic, aquatic, multicellular, segmental animals with four pairs of legs Photo: Colored scanning electron micrograph of a water bear (Echiniscus testudo) in its crypto-biotic tun, or barrel, state. Evolution and systematics […]