Ok so my Tardigrade post now has way more likes than i thought it would, sooo.....
Here's some Tardigrade facts!!
They can survive in extreme areas due to curling up into a little ball called a tun. Tun formation requires metabolism and synthesis of a protective sugar known as trehalose, which moves into the cells and replaces lost water. While in a tun, their metabolism can lower to less than 0.01% of normal.
Tardigrades are also known as water bears or moss piglets! (And gummy bears in the Wild Kratts episode)
The lil guys were first described in 1773 by the German pastor J.A.E Goeze.
They were given the name Tardigrada, which means "slow stepper," in 1776 by the Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani.
They have four pairs of legs!!!! 8 whole legs!!!!! :)
They can reproduce by asexual or sexual reproduction.
Live tardigrades have been regenerated from dried moss kept in a museum for over 100 years
Tardigrades are believed to be related to Arthropoda (insects, spiders, and crustaceans) and Onychophora (velvet worms).
They're only 0.05 - 1.2mm long!
They have little claws at the end of each leg (as seen in picture below 💙)