Litinsects

Litinsects #58: Tardigrades Anyone recognize these weird-looking little guys? They are actually not insects, as a matter of fact they are not even arthropods but they are cool enough to deserve a post. These are TARDIGRADES, also known as water bears or moss piglets. They are best known for their bizarre abilities to survive some of the most extreme conditions imaginable... © Science Faction Images -As always, the name’s etymology describes them a bit. It comes from the Latin “tardus” meaning “slow” and “gradior” for “step/walk”. Their common name comes from the fact that their walk looks a bit like a bear’s -Tardigrades are a PHYLUM of animals consisting of around 1,300 species. (Side note: the TAXONOMIC LEVEL of a group has nothing to do with how many species it contains. For example phylum Arthropoda, a taxonomically equivalent category consists of around 1 million described species and possibly millions more not yet described!). -These animals are all microscopic, ranging in