Small animals
Tardigrades
Tardigrada (water bears)
Plump little animals with four pairs of stubby legs ending in claws, ambling over moss and debris.
What to look for
- Barrel-shaped body with four pairs of legs; the last pair points backward.
- Claws on the feet; a sucking mouth tube and stylets in the head.
- Slow, clumsy walking, legs paddling in open water.
Size in the field
Often a fifth of the field at 100×.
Where to find it
Soaked moss and lichen are the classic source; also pond sediment and algae.
Clips 0
No clip of this group is on the site yet. The description above is enough to check your own observation.