Mr. Nature: The Indestructible Water Bear

Jambo! Mr. Nature here; and today our safari takes us no farther than the nearest pond or patch of moss.

Tardigrades, aka “water bears” because they look sort of like little tiny bears, are only a millimeter long; but they may be the toughest living things on earth. They can survive inside a live volcano, in the depths of an iceberg, or even for 10 days in outer space without oxygen  or any of those other amenities we take for granted under the atmosphere. When they go dormant, they can last–well, maybe forever. But just add water and they’re back in business!

I discount the speculation that tardigrades originally came here from outer space. The same God who created the Baluchitherium, coral reefs, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Mozart shouldn’t have had any trouble creating water bears. Trouble, no: fun, yes!