Water bears

- are real
- are very small (typically 0.3 to 0.5 mm) but not primitive
- have a precise muscle control and move like higher animals
- resemble little bears; some have claws like cats
- have a mouth, head, brain, legs, eyes, nerves, muscles ...
- live next door to you (by sure)
- are thought to be extraterrestrials, at least by some authors
- have strange eggs which look like miniature artwork
- can transform into a dry state which can return to life after years
- in dry state need only a drop of water to revive
- in dry state survive acid and solvent attack
- in dry state survive very high and very low temperatures
- in dry state survive high pressure and radioactive radiation
- have been found under 5 m layers of ice
- have been found in oceans 6000 m below the surface
- have been found on mountains, 6000 m high
- are a phylum (!) of its own
- are fascinating to look at under a microscope
- in return seem to look at you from under the microscope
- are a fine topic for biology courses
- are unknown to most of your neighbours, even to some biologists
- have escaped exploitation by man for centuries