Species
Water Bear
Other Invertebrates
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Water bears, also called tardigrades, are microscopic eight-legged invertebrates found in nearly every environment on Earth, from deep oceans to mountaintops to the moss and lichen of ordinary gardens. They are best known for their extraordinary ability to survive extreme conditions, including near-total desiccation, intense radiation, and even brief exposure to the vacuum of space, by entering a dormant state called cryptobiosis. When conditions improve, a dormant water bear can rehydrate and resume normal activity, sometimes after years of dormancy.
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