All moral rights asserted. Recolouring or alteration of the image is prohibited without permission. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a water bear or tardigrade. This specimen is from the Black Forest National Park, Germany. This species feeds on algae and moss and was found in moss on a dead tree trunk. Water bears are able to withstand long phases of drought. It measures approximately 0.25 millimetres in length. Magnification: x800 when printed at 15 centimetres wide.