COLLECTING TARDIGRADES

Tardigrades are easy to collect. No special equipment is needed; most is available at the grocery store. Limno-terrestrial tardigrades can be found in moss cushions growing on rocks, soil, or the side of houses. Lichens that grow on the trunks of trees and rocks support a good mix of tardigrade species.

To collect moss, simply pull off a clump of the cushion with your fingers and place it in a small paper bag. School lunch bags at work best. Do not use plastic bags since the moist moss will not dry and allow the tardigrades to become cryptobiotic. A pocket knife can be used to scrape lichens into a bag. For precise, comparative samples, use a core sampler, to collect equal areas. A cubic sample of moss can be analyzed for an internal habitat (Miller, Miller & Heatwole 1994).

Collect only a sufficient quantity for plant and animal identifications. Do as little environmental damage as possible. Write your collection code on the paper bag and on a map to mark the location. Enter the collection code in your field notebook along with the description of the location, plant type, substrate, conditions, and other relative data such as exposure, sea spray, or road dust.