Kate Solbakk

Mikroliv

Tardigrade

Tardigrades (Norsk: bjørnedyr), or "water bears" are famous for their ability to survive the most extreme conditions, and for their resemblance to tiny bears.

I've never seen a tardigrade show up in an agricultural soil sample (however the first one I ever saw came from grass roots in a gravel driveway of all places). They can live in soil, but the easiest place to find them is definitely moss. You can go just about anywhere and pick up a small handful of moss, gently squeeze out the water and there's a good chance you'll find tardigrades in it. I've even found them living in clumps of moss on the roof of my house!

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