Questions tagged [creature-design]
For questions regarding the viability of a life-form design. These questions should focus on biologically plausible creatures.
1,936
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How a living creature could develop a way to create high pressures inside its body?
For many creature design ideas with based on science inspiration, their biology requires a way to produce high pressions into their body with the aim of pressurizing gases or containing some other ...
6
votes
3answers
169 views
Is this creature's proportional head size feasible?
I am irritatingly perfectionist and must know things to relax my anxiety.
So this creature here. From the top its head shape is salamander. Its mouth is large and strong and the cranium needs enough ...
6
votes
3answers
101 views
How a living creature could produce “bio” aerogel?
In base to my question about How could a dragon develop blue fire breath?, one of the most interesting solutions is that the dragon could be able to produce aerogel for resist its own fire, so why not?...
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0answers
64 views
What would be the physical properties of feathers made either of molybdenum, tungsten, magnesium or iron compound and how could they exist [closed]
Is a pair of wing with natural metallic feathers made either of magnesium, iron, molybdenum or tungsten possible ? If yes, how and what would be their respective lightness. What would be their ...
4
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2answers
73 views
What would be the practical capacities/endurance of a 1/4 inch rubbery octopus-like skin reinforced with metallic subdermal osteoderm?
As the title of the question say, I would like to know how a rubbery octopus-like skin reinforced with the subdermal osteoderm like those of a komodo dragon but metal-based(magnesium ? iron or else) ...
4
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6answers
223 views
How could a dragon develop blue fire breath?
Is currently hard to find a way in which classic dragons could develop and use the fire-breathing, so find a way in which this could happen for blue fire of complete combustion is even harder. Read ...
25
votes
11answers
6k views
Why is clothing turned inside-out my weakness?
Various mythological creatures have this strange thing where wearing clothing inside out can ward them off, allow them to be outwitted, or be outright defeated? Why could this be a weakness for any ...
6
votes
2answers
89 views
How to avoid respiratory and circulatory problems in a firebreather or flaming creature?
There are already questions like
this (creature which set itself on fire for defense) and this (creature with flaming collar), asking about flaming creatures or creatures which ignite their bodies ...
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2answers
85 views
Quadrupedal super predators [closed]
Could a quadrupedal carnivore reach similar sizes to that of large theropods. I know crocodilians technically count, but they're very low to the ground and have sprawled out limbs, so could a ...
6
votes
2answers
111 views
A skunk that makes you sleep
I am trying to develop an herbivore/rodent which, for the lack of better naming, I have temporarily named "sleepy skunk".
The main feature of this animal is that, whenever it feels ...
asked Feb 26 at 13:44
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4answers
575 views
Fruit and liquivores
Fruit usually works in symbiotic relationship with animals by giving them food to take in and seeds to "deposit" elsewhere. But let's say you had a world where the dominant feeding method ...
4
votes
1answer
130 views
Could my Kangaroo-Monkeys exist?
Kangaroo-Monkeys are a mammalian species from the Euarchontoglires super-order. Some basic characteristics of my kangaroo-monkeys include:
Are excellent bipedal jumpers (they jump from the ground);
...
5
votes
3answers
132 views
What would be the best possible biogenic electric insulator?
Large, intelligent fliers would spell the end of HALO (high altitude – low opening for parachute jumps, often called HALO), jumps and the beginning of dragon-riding Navy SEALs. Obviously, only a klutz ...
-1
votes
1answer
68 views
Kinds of stars and local plant life [closed]
I know how the color of a planet's flora is affected by the light from its sun. But my problem is I keep getting things confused. Does anyone know of a resource that lays it all out in a chart? I'm ...
5
votes
5answers
380 views
Origin of portable armor for a race of creatures
Here's another aspect of gloomstalker biology that has me tripped up. Being avian, female gloomstalkers lay a single egg, rarely a pair, after mating.
Now, adult gloomstalkers possess, in addition to ...
4
votes
4answers
199 views
Making T-rex More Dangerous Part 2: Defenses and Durability
Alright, this is a follow-up to Making T-rex More Dangerous Part 1: Proportionate Arms and concerns one of the most important factors in making a creature dangerous to humans: durability.
Sure, humans ...
6
votes
4answers
2k views
Making T-rex More Dangerous Part 1: Proportionate Arms
I'm sure you have questions, so here's the idea: I want to include T.rex in my world as a "boss" monster, but due to research on Quora on T.rex's ability to survive against modern weaponry (...
16
votes
3answers
1k views
Why would having a lion tail be beneficial to a griffin as opposed to a bird tail?
I know some griffins are depicted with bird tails, but in the majority of fiction, artwork, etc. I've seen, they are depicted with lion tails.
I am wondering, how exactly would a lion tail benefit the ...
4
votes
3answers
95 views
What adaptations would help an animal feed on mucosae that grow on the ground?
What adaptations of the mouth or digestive tract would help a creature to collect and consume mucosae (mucus membranes) that grow over the ground? The membranes have normal proportions and properties, ...
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votes
2answers
86 views
Radially symmetrical sophont? [closed]
Let's say you had a radial symmetry creature similar to a sea urchin or sea star. I'm not sure how many segments, just more than four. It starts out in the water of course, but moves on to land and ...
1
vote
1answer
201 views
Plausibility of Engulfer
Alright, so this is another creature-design question. It's been a while since I've posted one of these, so this is overdue in my opinion.
Engulfers are large (think car or van-sized) caterpillar-like ...
7
votes
4answers
977 views
Overcoming the Square-Cube Law by Miniaturizing Humans
Question
How small could a human scale down to?
Requirements
Must be able to work stone, metal, and wood.
Notes
-If we can assume they evolved in a place with temperatures where they wouldn't freeze ...
0
votes
6answers
140 views
How to defend yourself against blood magic [closed]
How to defend against bloodmancers?
Bloodmamcers are an intelligent agglomeration of multiple microscopic organisms working in a colony.
Those organism can change shape to resemble a liquid or stand ...
3
votes
3answers
186 views
How Do Cold-Blooded Aliens Keep Warm in the Snow?
Note: this question uses third party worlds and species to illustrate
the point, but it is not in any way about them, therefore this question
is not off-topic. I checked.
I have just finished ...
2
votes
4answers
144 views
Genetically engineered tendons that can store and quickly release a lot of kinetic energy?
I think I'm gonna need this one for some of my creatures who need power magnification.
The basic idea is simple, I wanted a biogenic spring that can withstand tensile stress, store and quickly release ...
16
votes
11answers
3k views
Is there other way to perceive depth beside relying on parallax?
I'm creating a unique alien species which sees the world differently from us or the insects.
Our binocular vision helps us to gauge distance and depth while the array of light sensitive compound eyes ...
6
votes
2answers
875 views
Would having only 3 fingers/toes on their hands/feet affect a humanoid species negatively? [closed]
So I have this 3-2 1/2 feet tall humanoid species called Pinokiins that as of the time of typing have 3 fingers(thumb included) and toes on their hands and feet instead of 5. Is this a negative thing? ...
1
vote
1answer
65 views
Natural prosthetics
Many prosthetics work by receiving pressure from small movements and translating them into more complex movements.
Ivan Davis for example has made himself a hand with full control of fingers which ...
2
votes
1answer
71 views
Organic piezo-electric generation
Piezo-electric quarts are crystals used in watches, lighters, etc. to convert elastic energy into electrical charge (and vice versa) by compressing or expanding the spaces between bonds in the ...
3
votes
3answers
138 views
Why do VTOL faerie need a road line plan?
Imagine intelligent yet shy faerie the size of a tennis ball capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) are planning a mass migration from ...
1
vote
3answers
124 views
Both silicon and carbon based lifeforms on the same planet [closed]
Silicon is abundant, let's say life forms when the planet is still mostly fire and volcanoes.
High temperatures and no oxygen, perfect for silicon based life to be able to form.
Let's say then the ...
5
votes
5answers
338 views
Powerful tail swipe with as little muscle as possible. How?
If you look at flying animals, they usually have small tails. For instance, giant pterosaurs. Now dragons tend to be portrayed with more devloped tails. For my dragons, their tails, and the bony spade ...
0
votes
3answers
285 views
How should the human body be arranged, adapted to the lethal level of radiation?
A lethal dose is considered to be 6 Sievert and above, but absolutely lethal exposure to a dose of over 10 Sievert. The main reason for cell death under extreme environmental influences (in our case, ...
5
votes
1answer
178 views
Can a planet dream of sheep?
I had a peculiar dream...
There is a terrestrial planet orbiting an unknown multi stars system, that planet in fact is alive as in its a living planet. Just like the Portuguese man of war it is ...
3
votes
3answers
170 views
How to map a world that changes continuously?
This world is made of living creatures instead of land. Many, small or big, some as big as Scotland, moving around the world.
What they eat doesn't matter, how they are alive doesn't matter.
The ...
2
votes
1answer
90 views
How should the respiratory system of a person adapted to high-mountain conditions be arranged?
As known because of the rarefied air, the blood in the mountainous regions is less saturated with oxygen. Because of this, the inhabitants of the lowlands who got there often feel weakness, malaise ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
Plant that transforms into a conscious animal
This animal experiences this lifecycle:
Plant $\to$ worm $\to$ flying animal $\to$ humanoid $\to$ plant
It basically never dies and can only be killed if the plant is killed. If it dies in any other ...
34
votes
21answers
8k views
Why would a land animal need to move continuously to stay alive?
A quadruped the size of a mountain tiger which never stops moving, even in their sleep they walk and wander around.
What benefit would the animal get from wasting so much energy moving every minute of ...
7
votes
0answers
154 views
Evolution of sexual parasitism in a species with small and intelligent females but large and “brute” males?
So, I had this idea about a sapient alien specie paritally based on the reproduction of the schistosoma
A flat worm specie in which the male is notorious bigger than the female, and this have a ...
4
votes
2answers
156 views
Vampires that suck your fat away as an energy source?
I want a vampire that instead of sucking blood as a mechanism of quickly sucking fat off people.
It has to be quick potentially leave the victim with a reasonable chance to survive.
I understand that ...
3
votes
3answers
205 views
How to use something you can't touch?
In this world there's a most peculiar defense mechanism, just like normal poison once it is ingested or touches you... You are kind of screwed.
But this poison works differently, everything that it ...
3
votes
4answers
103 views
A fire predator
I need a predator that specializes on getting energy from fire and high sources of heat.
It doesn't get burned easily, kind of like a camel is able to eat hard cacti and probably even razors due to ...
6
votes
1answer
172 views
Would dragons be able to purr?
My dragons have a... "difficult" personality.
They're very catlike. Sure, they're more like KrimsonRogue's cat (somewhere around chaotic good). But, if I want to make my dragons smug, blue-...
5
votes
4answers
195 views
How to deal with too many arms?
Every time one arm is cut off, two more grow in its place.
The two new grown arms have 70% of the strength of the previous original arm and 100% of the control and dexterity.
It's just that the arms ...
4
votes
3answers
152 views
How can a boneless creature make temporary supports?
I have this adaptable canine ish shaped animal. Its legs are longer though. Its body's flesh is like regular animals with fur; not sluggy.
It can alter the "hardness"(there's probably a ...
4
votes
1answer
30 views
Flying arboreal theropod venom mimicry
I have an idea for an alternate world where "mythical" creatures exist, but are based on biology. For instance a unicorn is more closely related to ovines (sheep/goats/deer) than to horses ...
5
votes
4answers
224 views
Designing muscles that push
Usually, on Earth the 4 most popular ways to move are:
get dragged by the waves or winds
grow towards the place you want to reach
pump liquids onto tubes making them move
contract fibers one onto ...
4
votes
2answers
185 views
How Would a Six-Winged Angel Fly?
This image by the DeviantArtist "jerica128" presents what I believe to be the best demonstration of angel anatomy:
Source for the image above
That said, they are actually not the only ...
13
votes
9answers
4k views
Wearing living armor
I need an armor which can stop being pierced by arrows and bolts, stops blunt trauma from maces and swords and also stops stabs and cuts.
But how would a living armor work and not get killed from the ...
4
votes
3answers
661 views
How would my creatures detect presence?
In my world, there is no light. The only light will be from the equipment the protagonist brings through. The creatures are alien/eldritch/Lovecraft'ian, and has no eyes, so they cannot see when ...
