Sunday, February 16, 2014

Wondering about Tardigrades.

If you are like me, when you hear the word "tardigrades" you say "what?".  OK, how about their common name, "water bears"?  Still haven't heard of them?  Me neither.  Then I see this big beautiful multicolored full page picture of one in my "Dicsover" magazine.  I still didn't have the foggiest idea what the heck they are.  So, of course, I had to do a little research.  The picture was a stacking of multiple pictures taken with a confocal laser scanning microscope.  I guess that means that these things are on the small size, but they sure do look fierce.

Look out, this next one is coming to get you:
 

They are less than a millimeter or less than a thirty-second of an inch long.  Just think if they got to the size of grizzly bear?
 

This next one looks like it is laughing at us:

This is actually what they look like :

 

I bet I have a lot of them in my swamp.  They can be found from the arctic to the equator.  They are every where. .  help, they are going to get me. . ..


OK, they didn't get me (as of yet).  Now don't let these little guys scare you, but have a great day today, you hear?

6 comments:

  1. I think i can do without those....

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  2. Looks like they might be related to The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

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    Replies
    1. If you feed them enough of the right mixture (food and radio active waste) they grow up to be the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

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  3. Has anyone figured out what they do? They sure are interesting looking.

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    Replies
    1. I guess they just swim around and look like bears. . (grin)

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