The Tardigrade is no doubt one of the weirdest looking animals in the world! This animal is very interesting from the way it looks, to its incredible speed.
The Tardigrade (Tardigrada), also known as the “Water Bear” was discovered in 2007 and is a weird animal. This interesting animal is mostly known for its ability to survive extremely harsh conditions. Tardigrades are also one of the fastest animals in the world. They can move up to 2,200 miles per hour! The Tardigrade is also really small. It is about 1 millimeter (about 0.04 in) in size. Although it being very tiny, it can still be viewed from the naked human eye only with the right lighting. The lifespan of Tardigrades does vary and can almost be anything! For example, the largest living Tardigrade ever in space was 90 million years old! Normally, on earth, it lives for around 3 to 4 months. But some Tardigrades can live for a year or two on Earth! The longest living Tardigrade in a dry state lived 10 years.
The Tardigrade is a weird looking animal too! The Tardigrade has 8 legs, and it is not a part of a popular animal group. The Tardigrade belongs to phylum Tardigrada, which is the group for the 1,300 species of Tardigrades around the world. The Tardigrades mouth almost looks like a small hose, and its “fur” is the color khaki, and it looks baggy. These animals are small and squishy.
In 2007, a Russian capsule went into space with Tardigrades. They were going to see how Tardigrades survive in space. Tardigrades were in space for 10 days and were visible after. These amazing creatures can survive in harsh conditions from lethal diseases to living in space.
These creatures can survive in the deep depths of the ocean too! Tardigrades have a lifespan of 60 years in the deepest parts of the ocean. The location a Tardigrade decides to make its home will affect everything!
The Tardigrade is practically immortal. This animal can survive being boiled, being crushed, and going a decade without water.
They can lay up to 30 eggs at a time!
Pretty much the only thing that can kill a Tardigrade is exposure to hot water.