2012 World's Hardest Creature Competition, Round 1, Group C

[Mellotron]

Pah, tardigrades eat Salmonella.

So it's as hard as a box of anti-bacterial wipes? Shakin' in me boots.

 

[SeagullSongs]

After going through the list, there's a few good contenders.
Just for those of you who don't know about the tardigrade, he's a few facts:

"Tardigrades are cuddly eight-legged animals which have rightly been given the nickname water bears. But they are also the hardiest creatures on earth. The tiny microscopic organisms, up to 1.2 millimetres long, are capable of withstanding the most extreme environments by dehydrating and going into a state of frozen animation. Some species, which live everywhere from moist mosses to the deep sea, can withstand temperatures as low as -253 degrees Celsius, just 20 degrees above absolute zero, while there is anecdotal evidence that some can survive being immersed in liquid helium at -272 degrees Celsius, or just 1 degree above absolute zero. They can withstand being boiled in water, being thrown into pure alcohol and a pressure of 600 mega-pascals, equivalent to six times the pressure of sea water at a depth of 10,000 metres. Even bacteria cannot survive in conditions anywhere approaching that extremity."

Admittedly the nickname isn't exactly 'hard', but the rest of it is.

 

[Mellotron]

After going through the list, there's a few good contenders.
Just for those of you who don't know about the tardigrade, he's a few facts:

Admittedly the nickname isn't exactly 'hard', but the rest of it is.

What about the fact they are described as "cuddly"?

 

[Simster]

After going through the list, there's a few good contenders.
Just for those of you who don't know about the tardigrade, he's a few facts:



Admittedly the nickname isn't exactly 'hard', but the rest of it is.

So there are several species? I can hear complaints from shark, big cat and bear fanboys about this. Just imagine how fearsome they could be if you included ALL species of those genres?

And anyway, this little thing is basically Uruguay 86 - 11 men behind the ball in an effort to get out of the group stages. It might work against opponents as crap as Scotland (or a wasp in this case), but it'll be outclassed without even trying once the big boy rounds get going. And it's winning no friends with this lack of offense.

 

[Silent Bob]

Tardigrades are the hardest bastards on earth. There isn't an animal in this competition who could harm a tardigrade.

There isn't an animal in this competition who could NOTICE a tardigrade.

 

[fork me]

There isn't an animal in this competition who could NOTICE a tardigrade.

Don't 'ave to be noticeable to be 'ard,

 

[Silent Bob]

But you probably have to visible.

And able to do something more than simply exist.

 

[Discodoktor]

i wanted the tardigrade to do well as this was the first i had heard of it. However, its not intimidating enough for me, its an unnoticeable bit of dust. Wheres its aggression. Not even the jellyfish would batter an eyelid when it came face to face with it. Boo the Tardigrade!!

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

The tardigrade sounds hard in an unkillable way. But it seems to lake aggression. If someone could prove that they randomly attack other organisms/creatures for no apparent reason then it would be a contender. Until then it'll do well to get out of the group.

I've gone black mamba for it's wanton aggression and deadliness.

 

[fork me]

Let me give you an example from over here. One of my rugby mates was attacked by a load of bouncers at a club. He was on the floor for 10 minutes while they all put the boot in. When they finished. He got up, lit a fag and calmly walked away.

One of the hardest (and coolest) responses I've seen. And no aggression whatsoever. That's how I see the tardigrade. They just don't give a f*** about anything, at all. Do what you want to them, poison them, freeze them, put them in space, try and crush them, boil them in water, deprive them of water of 10 years, they'll just respond by sucking the juice out of a couple of your cells and wandering off on their stubby little legs.

If they had a middle finger it'd be raised.