Top 13 Reasons Tardigrades Are Super Animals
6. These water-dwelling creatures live all over the world in the most extreme places, such as the Antarctic ice, in the ocean depths of up to 4000 meters, high in the Himalayas at an altitude of 6000 meters, on tree trunks, on moss, in soil, on the beach and anywhere else. All these water bears need is a bit of humidity.
7. Most often, tardigrades feed on bacteria, plants, and even other tardigrades. They penetrate individual cells of their prey, sucking out its contents to obtain nutrients. Inside their weird-looking mouth, they have sharp dagger-like teeth that they use to pierce other living organisms and algae.
8. When tardigrades have enough food and water to support basic functions, they go through a natural life cycle that rarely lasts more than 2.5 years. However, these water bears can live much longer if they enter a state of cryptobiosis when environmental conditions become unbearable. Contrary to popular belief, tardigrades do not live forever. Stress from freezing, radiation, and the high temperature still affect their physiology.
9. Scientists froze them down to -200 °C, and they were able to survive for several days. Then they cooled the tiny dudes down to -272 °C (which is 1 degree above absolute zero), and they still lived for several minutes.
