Tardigrades are nearly microscopic animals which are often known as water bears. These eight-legged animals have long and plump body like piglets.
These animals have some uncommon features which are very rare to find in the nature. They can survive very high temperatures and can live for many decades. There are over 1, 000 species known of Tardigrade so far.
Tardigrades are considered as the most indestructible creäture as it can survive for millions years under any climatic conditions.
The size of Tardigrades vary from .05 millimeters to 1.2 mm long.
Where are Tardigrades Found?
Tardigrades can be found anywhere in earth. But they prefer to live at the bottom of a lake or found above the film of water. They love to live on moist places or moss or any such place where there is water.
They are found almost everywhere as they can withstand extreme cold and hot temperatures.
They can withstand temperature more than 300 degrees and minus 200 celsius also at the same time. That means they can bear boiling water and polar temperature simultaneously. Due to this the surviving rates of this creäture is very high than others and can adapt to any situation.
Characteristics of Tardigrades
- Tardigrades are also known as space bears of moss piglets
- Tardigrades are eight-legged microscopic animals
- They are found almost everywhere but prefer moist or wet surface
- They live for million of years, that means they can survive even after the sun dies
- They can survive for up-to 30 years without food or water
- Tardigrades can withstand very high and frozen temperatures
Why Tardigrades are so Tough?
Tardigrades are invertebrate animals an considered the most toughest of all the living creatures on earth so fat. They are but indestructible only when they enter cryptobiosis. This is a special state that enables them to live under extreme conditions.
Under very harsh conditions, Tardigrades just pull their legs and expel all moisture from the bodies and called tuns in this state. When they are in this condition of tuns, they secrete trehalose which is a sugar with preservation properties. When this sugar crystallizes, tardigrades become very strong with a glass suit of armor and reduces metabolism by 99.99 percent.
Who can Destroy Tardigrades?
From above it seems that no one can destroy tardigrades and they can live even after there is no life on earth. This seems to be true unless some apocalyptic even occurs that would cause oceans to boil away or some asteroid attack earth.
