• Water Bear is a common name for a group of invertebrates called Tardigrades.
• They are very tiny about the size of a dot made with a pencil.
• The word Tardigrade means "slow walker" which describes their rather sluggish, clumsy movement.
• They are one of the hardiest creatures on earth.
• They have been reported to survive more than 100 years, often completely dried up.
• They can tolerate extreme below breezing temperatures of minus 200 C.
• They are even known to survive in outer space.
• Water Bears are very common in Alaska and 84 species have been found so far.
• To learn more about them in Alaska look at Tardigrades of Alaska by Carl Johansson etc
• They are easy to find, see, and study under a microscope.
• Just grab a chunk of moss, soak it in water overnight, squeeze it, remove the moss and look in the water for them under a microscope.
• To learn more about these fascinating creatures look at Tardigrades: Bears of the Moss by Miller

Water Bear in Action from Bob Armstrong on Vimeo.