One of the rarest and most fascinating living beings at the same time, are the so-called tardigrades or water bears. These animals are named for their great resemblance to land bears, whenever we talk about their outward appearance.
These animals are microscopic, that is, they cannot be seen with the naked eye, requiring the use of a microscope. They have a stocky shape and slow gait, similar to that of land bears, but stockier still.
Many fans of the world of microscopes are lovers of water bears, since without a doubt you can learn a lot from them if you observe them carefully. These little animals are capable of teaching us a lot about science and biology, since observing their behavior is quite a spectacle.
Observing tardigrades is a great educational activity for your children, who will be able to familiarize themselves with the microscope that you have given them in a very simple way, without any difficulty. This will make your children have a passion for science, something that most parents want.
Best of all, this task is hardly difficult. Most people think that everything related to the microscope is complex and boring, but nothing is further from the truth. In addition, the microscope that we are going to need is not very powerful, since with a 30x magnification it would be enough to see them.
This is also an exercise in love of nature, verifying that each molecule that it offers us has some living being, which we must respect. I believe that this is one of the best ways to transmit love to nature, while we are learning.
Therefore, whether you are an adult or a child, it is a good idea to have these microscopic pet animals, especially for everything you will learn. The bad thing is that it is not something that is taught in school and it is difficult to find information about it.
However, we are going to lend you a hand, since step by step we will teach you how to care for and keep a tardigrade as a pet.
Instructions for Finding and Petting a Tardigrade
- Search and find a water bear collecting a sample of moss: As we have already said, these animals called tardigrades or water bears are found in microscopic places such as moss, especially if it is a moss that is wet. What we have to do to start is to collect a small sample of this moss, which has to be moist as the main requirement. Really with a very small sample is enough, since this way you will also not harm the environment or the flora and fauna of the place. As for the place where you can get the moss, you can do it almost anywhere, since these animals survive on any surface. It can be on sea rocks, on the riverbank and other places. Once you have collected the moss sample, it is time to move on to the next step and start releasing these friendly animals.
- Freeing the Tardigrades: Tardigrades are microscopic animals that are unable to be seen with the naked eye. Nor can they be seen in this way simply by approaching the moss with the microscope, but we must release them in water, in a small Petri dish with which we will be able to see them. To free them, we are going to follow three basic steps that will allow us to do it right away.
- Get an x30 microscope and a Petri dish: First of all, we need to get a microscope that has 30 x magnifications, which is certainly not very complicated. Any cheap school microscope can go up to 30 as with no problem, so we’re not going to need an electron microscope or anything like that. Microscope sets usually carry a Petri dish, which we are going to use to bring the animals to light.
- Fill the Petri dish with water: The Petri dish must be filled with water, which must be distilled water, since, being totally pure, we will be able to see the tardigrades better. Leave some water in the Petri dish, since right now we are going to need it to free the animals.
- Wet the moss on the plate: Now that we have wet our plate with water, we must wet the moss that we have collected, which will release the tardigrades into the water, so that we can see them correctly. At the moment we are not going to add the moss so that we can see everything better, but let’s not throw it away, since we will need it later.
- Observe the animal: Now we have the tardigrade ready in its container and we will be able to observe it under the microscope. Observing it will not only serve as entertainment and care for the animal, but it will also allow us to observe its evolution, learn to care for it and also look at some interesting characteristics of its anatomy and reproduction. Observing the animal is the essential part, so prepare your microscope as soon as possible.
- Search by its characteristics: Among the water, it is possible that there are many living beings, so we must have a good eye to be able to look for the water bears. The best way is to be guided by the photos that we have posted here, looking for similar animals. The characteristics of most water bears are 8 legs and a chubby body, thus creating a kind of miniature bears that lives in water
- If you can’t find it, try again: If after having searched carefully in our Petri dish, we haven’t found the water bear, we must start again with step 2, that is, wet the moss again so that the tardigrades come out. Many times they are not released correctly and for this reason, we are not able to see them. However, a second attempt is sufficient most of the time. If we do it and it still doesn’t work, I advise you to take a moss sample again, trying different samples until we get to see our image.
- Prepare its habitat: Now that we have located the water bear, it is time to start its care as it deserves, since it is still a living being that needs special care, although obviously not at the same level as an animal. Big, for example. What we have to do is have moss and water, neither more nor less, but with some special indications that we will see below.
- Add the moss to the Petri dish: The first thing we are going to do is add the moss that we have left before to the Petri dish, since the moss is where the animals that our tardigrade feeds on are found. Moreover, we will be able to see them under the microscope without any problem. Simply by leaving the moss in the water, we will ensure that our water bear has enough food, although sometimes even the water bears eat each other.
- Add water when the plate is dry: Being an animal with these characteristics, it always needs enough water to be able to live properly. For this reason, we should never let the Petri dish dry, as our water bear could die. Although it withstands extreme conditions, what happens to humans is that, although we can spend 2 days without eating, it is not ideal. So as soon as you see that it dries, add a little distilled water to the mixture or water from the area where you got it, fresh or salty depending on the place.
- Replace moss every 15 days: As with water, moss should also be replaced from time to time, as it can rot and decompose over time. Moss is what contains the living things needed to care for the tardigrade, so try to always keep fresh moss in your petri dish. The estimated time for changing the moss is between 15 days and a month, more than enough time so that the moss is always in optimal conditions and our little living being lives wonderfully.
- Use the moss from the water where you got the water bear: One important thing is that not just any moss will suffice for the water bear. As there are so many types and classes, the water bear needs moss from its habitat, since it is the best for it. For example, if you took it from sea rock, take only sea rock moss, never river moss. And if it’s the other way around, then just take river rock. This is undoubtedly the ideal for animals, since, in this way, they can live in their natural habitat and have the most optimal development possible.
- Observe their evolution and enjoy them: Now that you have finished preparing the habitat , all you have to do is relax and enjoy them, since that is what we are here for, to entertain ourselves and learn. In this way we will be able to observe its evolution and check if the care we are carrying out is optimal or not. If we see the animal grow, have young, lay eggs, feed and so on, we will be doing things very well. However, if we see that there are some problems or that they die, we will have to change our attitude when caring for them, in order to guarantee proper care for them.
Tips for Finding and Petting a Tardigrade
- Respect the environment: As you may have seen, tardigrades grow in water, but above all in moss. Although we have asked you to collect moss samples, this does not mean that it has to harm the environment. Uprooting too much moss is a crime, as it can seriously damage the flora and fauna of the place. For this reason, collect only a little and superficially, without tearing anything, using laboratory tweezers.
- Nature offers us gifts like these animals and plants, so we must be grateful and not harm the place where we are living. In this way, our future generations will also be able to enjoy landscapes and animals like these, since, without a doubt, they are a gift of nature.
- Observing other microscopic animals: If you have liked this world, you can always dedicate yourself to observing other animals such as protozoa, some bacteria or even viruses, if you have a powerful electron microscope. In the water there are many microscopic animals and bacteria that we can see, as well as fungi and protozoa. Just grab your Petri dish and find out what to do for each living thing, as some need special dyes, some need powerful microscopes, and some are almost visible to the naked eye.
