The water bear (tardigrade) is known as one of the most indestructible life forms on earth. Tardigrades are microscopic, aquatic animals that can survive harsh environments both on Earth and in space, and scientists say this ability could help protect astronauts.
However, according to one study, scientists say that microscopic creatures can suffocate when exposed to snail mucus. However, snails can also be useful for tardigrades that roam on their shells.
The 0.02-inch eight-legged animals, also known as water bears, can live in conditions that would kill most other forms of life, including space.
Tardigrades with small claws have an anatomy similar to caterpillars, woodlice. Freezing in ice for several years, they have features that seem impossible for other forms to live without oxygen or in space. They need water to live actively, but can enter a state of anhydrobiosis where they can tolerate almost complete dehydration for years until the water becomes available again.
But researchers at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland say they’ve found a possible weakness in the animals.
Zofia Ksiazkiewicz and Milena Roszkowska placed several tardigrades in petri dishes and then dehydrated them to enter their protective state of anhydrobiosis.
After 7 days, the two researchers added snails to the pots and left them there for a minute to crawl and contaminate their slime.
The snails were then removed.
At the end of the study, it was determined that 98 percent of the creatures that were not exposed to snail mucus survived. In contrast, 34 percent of tardigrades exposed to the mucus survived.
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