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They are known as one of the most indestructible life forms on Earth.
But tardigrades are also one of the smallest animals with legs and among the only creatures with soft bodies that can walk.
Now scientists have captured them on a microscopic camera to see exactly how they do it.
Researchers found that tardigrades, also known as 'water bears' or 'moss piglets', have a 'regular gait' similar to much larger insects that changes to a 'gallop' on softer surfaces.
This is surprising because the plump and ponderous creatures earned the nickname 'water bears' when scientists first observed their lumbering gaits in the 18th century.
They are known as one of the most indestructible life forms on Earth. But tardigrades are also one of the smallest animals with legs and among the only creatures with soft bodies that can walk
Tardigrades are microscopic, 0.02-inch-long animals with a similar anatomy to caterpillars and woodlice. They have eight legs with tiny claws (stock image)
Now scientists have captured them on a microscopic camera to see exactly how they walk
'One of the coolest – and initially most surprising – things about tardigrades walking to me was how... good they were at it,' said mechanical biologist Jasmine Nirody of Rockefeller University.
'They have a regular gait, and it looks remarkably like those of much, much larger animals!'
Nirody and her team recorded the tardigrades walking across different surfaces to analyse their gait and leg coordination.
They found that the creatures had a similar stepping pattern to insects that are 500,000 times larger and have hard bodies.
Researchers found that tardigrades, also known as 'water bears' or 'moss piglets', have a 'regular gait' similar to much larger insects that changes to a 'gallop' on softer surfaces
This is surprising because the plump and ponderous creatures earned the nickname 'water bears' when scientists first observed their lumbering gaits in the 18th century
