Known scientifically as "tardigrades," are minute creatures ranging in size from 0.1 to 1.5 millimeters. Thanks to their ability to enter a state of cryptobiosis, (suspended animation) when faced with hostile conditions, these creatures have been found in nearly every environment on Earth: from the high Himalayas to the deep oceans, and from the arctic ice-caps to the tropics. Tardigrades are extraordinarily hardy and can survive extremes of heat and cold, high and low pressure, high radiation, and dehydration.

Rick Gillis and Roger J. Haro Department of Biology University of Wisconsin - La Crosse