What Is a Water Bear?

Water bears are tiny animals. They are as tiny as this dot: .
They have eight legs.

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Water bears live where it is wet. Some live in water. Some live on wet moss. When water bears are wet, they are active. They eat and move.

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What happens when a water bear gets too dry? The water bear dries out. It forms a little ball. The dried-out ball is called a tun. It is not active.

A tun does not eat or move. But it is still alive. If water is added, a water bear becomes active! It can eat and move again.

What Do You Think?    Why do you think these animals are called water bears?

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