Water bears are tiny animals with a hidden superpower. These cute creatures are nearly indestructible.
Though they are sometimes called “bears,” the tiny animals are actually more similar to insects and spiders. Water bears have a segmented body and eight legs. Water bears can be found in many wet environments. They need a thin layer of water to be active.
Water bears are known for their ability to survive extreme conditions. If the environment of a water bear dries out, the water bear changes form. It squeezes most of the water out of its body. It shrivels up, rolls into a ball, and becomes dormant [inactive]. The dried-out water bear is known as a tun. A tun can be brought back to active life when conditions improve.
In its tun state, a water bear can survive temperatures far below freezing and above boiling. It can survive pressures greater than the deep sea. It can even survive in space. Scientists have successfully brought tuns back to active life after exposing them to these conditions. Scientists call water bears extremophiles due to their ability to survive extreme conditions.
What Do You Think? What is a water bear’s superpower?
Photo Credit: (t)STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images, (b)McGraw Hill Education
