World's Toughest Animals: From Whales to Insects

Animals come in all shapes and sizes. They come in many feats and forms. From the biggest whales to the smallest insects, each creature got its own abilities to survive this ever changing planet.

Given that all animals have a trick or two under their sleeves, they don't have it equal, though. In some instances, some are tougher than others.

Tougher, how? For their ability to survive extreme environments or challenging conditions. They also have a distinctive adaptation that helps them to take on these tasks.

For a number of factors, the species featured here are considered tough, from how easily they can protect themselves against bigger predators to their ability to withstand high temperatures. You may be shocked by the species that are considered the world's toughest creatures.

Camels (Heat Endurance)

Tardigrade, also known as the water bear or moss piglet, is one of more than 1,100 free-living species of tiny invertebrates belonging to the Tardigrada phylum. They are known as close relatives of arthropods (e.g., insects, crustaceans).

If you're searching for the toughest in the animal world, you don't need to go deeper than tardigrades. These eight-legged animals can withstand fire, cold, and space vacuum extremes. The extraordinary resistance of tardigrades is due to their capacity to live without water anywhere they are found-the Himalayas, ocean abysses, volcanic mud, or chilling in Antarctica. The animals enter a state called 'cryptobiosis' under intense heat, dehydrating themselves and protecting their cells with special proteins and sugars.

For the latest news from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News!