Friday, August 22, 2003

Plus, this just in from Kittyspunk ("Thanks, I needed this!")

It's the story of The WaterBear.

So, what is a water bear? Ok, here you go. Well once upon a time, there lived a Family Tardigrada. Yes, many members of my family are organically damaged, but not that kind of Tardo. And it seems this family lives on and on and on. Read it, you'll like it:

"Water Bears are members of a largely unknown phylum of invertebrate animals, the Tardigrada. The first tardigrades were discovered in 1773 after microscopes were invented. Over 800 species have been described since then. The largest tardigrades grow to a size of just over 1 mm, but they can easily be seen with microscopes. Tardigrade bodies are divided into segments, roughly cylindrical and possess four pairs of lobopodial limbs (poorly articulated limbs without joints, which are found in soft bodied animals like Onycophorans). The limbs terminate in four to eight claws or discs. They crawl about with a bear-like pawing motion of the legs (that originated the name water bears) over sand grains in the seas, soil, lichen or pieces of plant material etc...

"Limno-terrestrial tardigrades are regarded as amongst the most indestructible animals that exist when they enter their resistant state—called a tun, and can survive in extreme conditions during cryptobiosis (the most extreme form of suspended animation)."

And, they multiply and grow in your eyebrows. No, they don't. I was just jolting you awake.

Now wait, here's your treat: the super-yummy Water Bear Song. Enjoy, and be a water bear.

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