This article is a list of fictional and actual animals and plants mentioned in the Re-imagined Series as existing on the Twelve Colonies. For the most part, the Colonies appear to have the same organisms as present-day earth, with some exceptions.
In keeping with the naturalistic science fiction concepts that Ron D. Moore used to model the series, it is unlikely that we may see any life forms outside of those found on any of the Earth-like planets of the Twelve Colonies.
Ron D. Moore initially chose to avoid addressing the issue of the types of live animals planned to appear. In the commentary for the Miniseries, Moore elaborates:
..."David and I, we had discussed, at an early point; well, do they have dogs and cats and things like that? And we said, "No, no, no," let's not go there, 'cause that locks us into a whole Terrestrial-kind of like thing. We'll just avoid any mention of it. Nobody will even, like, register that we had "Chicken pie" the whole time, and in retrospect "Oh, I guess there are chickens"."
Over the course of the series, however, not only have the terrestrial names of flora and fauna been used extensively, but twolive dogs and a cat have also appeared somewhat prominently. Rats and bats can briefly be seen in "Bastille Day" and "Litmus" respectively.
Roslin: "I would like to explore alternative treatment. [...] Have you ever heard of Chamalla extract?" (TRS: "Act of Contrition")
Resembles (somewhat) herbal cannabinoids and opioids in its pain-killing and hallucinogenic effects, which are found in the plant cannabis and the opium poppy, respectively.
Baltar: "A parting gift: hand-rolled from some of the finest Fumarella leaf on Caprica. It's also one of the last left in the universe." (TRS: "Water")
Cally: "She said the engine power-up sequence began by squeezing something that looks like a red ligament with blue veins on the right side coming out of a sack of gooey fluid, shaped like a... dog." (TRS: "Six Degrees of Separation")
Baltar: "I will be the President, all right, but without the military support, I might as well be an anointed dog catcher." (TRS: "Epiphanies")
Roslin: "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog [...]" (TRS: "Miniseries")
Cliff Hooper's friend: "He's a real-deal war hero, Hoop. Can't be seen drinkin' with a bunch of low-life freight monkeys." (TRS: "Scattered," deleted scene)
Cami: "We're going out for dinner, and I'm having chicken pie, and then we're going home, and then Daddy's going to read to me, and then I'm going to bed." (TRS: "Miniseries")
Colonel Tigh imitates a chicken when mocking Starbuck's nickname, "Starbuck-buck-buck." (TRS: "Miniseries")
Adama: "Betrayal has such a powerful grip on the mind. It's almost like a python. You can squeeze out the thought, suffocate all other emotion until everything is dead except for the rage." (TRS: "Home, Part I")
Baltar: "There was an off-road bridge, over the Euclid river. I used to go there, when I was a boy. Watch the fish try and swim upstream. They were mesmerizing." (TRS: "Home, Part I")
What Baltar describes, without naming, are anadromous fish - almost certainly a type of salmon.
When Six comes "home" to Baltar's house carrying the metal suitcase, one can see three different glasses on a table in the front of the scene. They contain only water and one living, small, long-finned, black fish each, a way aggressive Siamese fighting fish are kept (TRS: "Miniseries").
Caprica-Sharon: "I remember the first day I met you, Starbuck. You were puking your guts out in the head after you ate some bad oysters." (TRS: "Scattered")
Roslin: "I need you to send my ID code on the exact same frequency: D, as in dog, dash, 456, dash, 345, dash, A as in apple." (TRS: "Miniseries")
In the commentary for the Miniseries, Ron Moore stated that the officer at Armistice Station was originally supposed to take out an apple and eat it while studying his notes; in keeping with the new series's emphasis on naturalism.
"Q: Boxey's been more or less written out of the series, but there's always a chance that we might one day see the return of Muffit, or some other form of Man's Best Friend. Might we see the introduction of animals (including Cylon animals) into Galactica universe? Where would Cylon animals fit in with the Cylon plan (especially in light of "The Farm")? Can Cylon animals reproduce?
RDM: The presence of animals in the rag-tag fleet was something that came up in early discussions, but we kinda dropped it from the conversation as the year went on. I don't know if we'll ever get around to doing something in this area or not. It mostly depends on finding a story that supports it in some interesting fashion other than Gaeta finds a kitty. I don't think the Cylons are creating animals as we would define them, but they certainly see the Raiders and other craft as animals vis a vis their relationship with the humanoid Cylons."
In a curious footnote to Moore's comment, eventually the character of Felix Gaeta finds not a kitty, but a dog and his water dish.
