…is the toughest animal in the world?

It can survive extreme situations, including a lack of oxygen, water, or food, and high doses of radiation. This is because the animal goes into a deep sleep when it detects these conditions and can remain asleep for decades.

…can “come back to life”?

When the tardigrade is in life-threatening situations, its body dehydrates, takes on the shape of a little ball and produces a very resistant coat. This is when the animal enters a state of deep sleep. Once the danger has passed, it rehydrates and goes back to normal life. 

…is also known as a water bear?

That is because its size can vary from 0.5 millimeters to one millimeter, it has a chubby body, and eight clawed paws. In the place where there could be a face, the animal has a round mouth. 

…has inhabited the Earth for at least 600 million years?

It has survived Earth’s five mass extinction events, including that of the dinosaurs. The tardigrade lives practically everywhere on the globe where there is water. It has been found in rainforests, in Antarctica, at the bottom of the ocean, and on mountain tops.

… has been part of an experiment in space? 

A 2007 experiment took 120 tardigrades to outer space to orbit the Earth for 10 days. Most of them survived the vacuum and the high doses of solar radiation. 

Sources: BBC, Galileu, Superinteressante, and Instituto Butantan

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