How are tardigrades adapted to their environment?

The key to the tardigrade (water bears) survival is its cryptopic stage; because without this, many abilities would be taken away, such as a high immunity to radiation. The Tardigrade is almost dead in the cryptobiotic stage, other than the fact that it can revive itself from this state. Because there is no water in the body of the Tardigrade while in a cryptobiotic state to aid metabolism, the Tardigrade cannot go through any physical changes (from self) while dehydrated.