Why Do Tardigrades Survive

The tardigrade is an eight-legged micro-animal that lives primarily in water. What makes this creature so unique is its ability to survive in seemingly any possible environment, despite the fact that it is not an extremophile. To be specific the tardigrade is able to survive in conditions that no other creature could survive, such as the vacuum of space or temperatures close to absolute zero and some tardigrades are able to withstand temperatures close to 300℉. The reason that these creatures are not extremophiles is because even though they can survive in such harsh conditions, they do not actually thrive in them and as a result are more likely to die the longer they remain in those types of conditions. The same reason Tardigrades are able