13 Amazing Reasons Why Tardigrades Are Super Animals

BinaryQuill Updated: 2025-07-11

7. Most often, tardigrades feed on bacteria, plants, and even other tardigrades. They penetrate individual cells of their prey, sucking out its contents to obtain nutrients. Inside their weird-looking mouth, they have sharp dagger-like teeth that they use to pierce other living organisms and algae.

8. When tardigrades have enough food and water to support basic functions, they go through a natural life cycle that rarely lasts more than 2.5 years. However, these water bears can live much longer if they enter a state of cryptobiosis when environmental conditions become unbearable. Contrary to popular belief, tardigrades do not live forever. Stress from freezing, radiation, and the high temperature still affect their physiology.

9. Scientists froze them down to -200 °C, and they were able to survive for several days. Then they cooled the tiny dudes down to -272 °C (which is 1 degree above absolute zero), and they still lived for several minutes.