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Journalism of Courage
One would imagine that a wildfire or the unimaginable force of a nuclear explosion would cause most living creatures to succumb to them. But there are exceptions.
Here’s a list of these animals:
Often called “water bears,” tardigrades are microscopic animals found in moss, soil, and even deep-sea vents. They are nearly indestructible. Scientists have dehydrated them, frozen them, boiled them, and blasted them with 1,000 times the radiation a human can handle, and they still survived!
Most impressively, tardigrades were sent into space, exposed to the vacuum and cosmic rays, and still lived. Some researchers believe they could even survive a global extinction event. According to studies published in Nature Communications, they might be Earth’s last survivors.
Cockroaches have long been the poster creatures for nuclear survival, and there’s some truth to it. While they wouldn’t thrive in nuclear fallout, particular species can survive up to 10 times more radiation than humans. That’s roughly 1,000 rads, compared to the 100 rads that could kill a human.
After the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, cockroaches were among the insects seen crawling through the debris. While not immortal, they’re famously hard to kill (except, of course, when you step on them with all your body weight).
Wood frogs in North America survive harsh winters by freezing solid. Their hearts stop beating, and ice forms inside their bodies. When spring arrives, they thaw out and hop away.
While not immune to fire or radiation, their ability to pause life itself demonstrates the remarkable adaptability of biology.
Some parasitic wasps in the braconid family have shown unusual radiation resistance, according to research published in The Journal of Heredity.
Their rigid genetic structure helps them withstand cell damage from ionising radiation. This helps explain how certain insects bounce back so quickly after nuclear events.
In a bizarre real-world case, scientists discovered an entire colony of wood ants surviving in an abandoned Soviet nuclear bunker, living without light or food, sustained by fallen comrades.
This astonishing case, documented in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research, reveals how ant colonies can adapt and survive even inside radioactive environments.
Believe it or not, certain beetles seek out fire. Pyrophilic beetles, such as those in the Melanophila genus, are attracted to forest fires because they lay their eggs in freshly burned trees.
Their heat-detecting sensors allow them to spot flames from miles away, and their tough exoskeletons help them survive close to the blaze.
Scorpions have survived for hundreds of millions of years, enduring everything from volcanic eruptions to mass extinctions.
They can withstand intense heat, radiation, and starvation for months. While not fireproof, they’re highly tolerant of toxic and radioactive environments.
