Tardigrade

Natural Habitat

Semiaquatic environments like moss, lichen, soil, and leaf litter; also found in marine and freshwater sediments.

Diet & Feeding

Most species eat plant cells, algae, or bacteria using specialized mouthparts to pierce cells and suck out contents. Some are carnivorous, eating smaller tardigrades or rotifers.

Behavior Patterns

Known for 'cryptobiosis', a death-like state where they dehydrate and become 'tuns' to survive extreme temperatures, radiation, and the vacuum of space. They move slowly on eight legs.

Risks & Benefits

Harmless to humans. They are vital to ecosystems as pioneers in new environments and serve as essential subjects for biological and space research due to their extreme resilience.

Identified on: 1/4/2026