Other Interesting Facts About Tardigrada

     There are an amazing number of extraneous bits of knowledge about this phyla, and each of them are even more incredible than the last. I thought this would be a nice catch-all so that you can learn even more about these amazing creatures.

  • Tardigrades are also known as Water Bears, and Moss Piglets

  • Tardigrades have been found in Antarctica, 5m below solid ice!

  • Tardigrades can withstand 1000x the radiation that a human can!

  • Tardigrades can live for over 100 years in cryptobiosis!

  • Tardigrades can survive heat for minutes at 151°C or being chilled for days at -200°C, or for a few minutes at -272°C

  • Tardigrades can survive in the vacuum of space!

  • Tardigrades can survive at pressures 6x greater than those on the ocean floor!

  • Tardigrades can survive being boiled in alcohol!

This image is used with the gracious permission of Goldstein Labs at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill