Water Bear Tardigrade Plush

You can boil them, bake them, deep-freeze them, crush them, dehydrate them, or even blast them into space. It doesn’t matter—tardigrades can survive practically anything. These eight-legged aquatic animals may be small, but they’re nearly indestructible. (We don't recommend trying it out on this plush, though!)

Despite being smaller than a poppy seed, tardigrades look pretty fierce when you view them up close: They have claws like bears and daggerlike teeth that tear into and suck the juices out of moss and algae. They’ve even been nicknamed “water bears” for their resemblance to the furry predators.

Tardigrades can be found almost anywhere on Earth, from the top of the Himalaya mountain range to the bottom of the sea, from icy Antarctica to bubbling hot springs. The teeny-tiny creatures can survive extreme temperatures, ranging from minus 328°F up to 304°F. Tardigrades need only a drop of water to thrive.