The World’s Toughest Animal

This is the tardigrade aka the “water bear.” Despite being an almost microscopic creature at less than 1 mm large, it’s considered to be the most resilient animal on Earth. Listed under the “extremophile” classification, they’re able to survive not only freezing cold conditions and dehydration (nearly 10 years in a dry state), but radiation (1,000x more radiation than other animals) and the vacuum of space as well. They can withstand temperatures exceeding 300° F and below -458° F, which is dangerously close to absolute zero (absolute zero = -459.67° F). Not only that, but they can also survive in pressure 6x greater than the Mariana Trench aka the world’s deepest part of the ocean.

But what makes the tardigrade so indestructible? When facing threat, it goes into a form of self-preservation called cryptobiosis, or an almost death-like state. They retract their heads & legs by curling into a dehydrated ball called a tun. In this state of being, their internal organs are protected by a gel known as trehalose, while their metabolic rates are reduced to 0.01% of their normal levels. In addition, antioxidants are produced and a damage suppressor (nicknamed “Dsup”) further protects their DNA. The best part is that all it takes for them to be revived is simply water!

Water bears can be found almost anywhere, from beaches to even barnacles. But they’re most commonly found on mosses and lichens, where they suck the fluids and juices out of the plants for nourishment.

Have YOU ever seen a tardigrade in real life? If so, share your experience in the replies section of this post :) And learn more about the tardigrade and other tough animals in the world by checking out my video here: