Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies
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This article discusses an aspect of the Re-imagined Series version of the Twelve Colonies. For information on the Original Series version, see The Twelve Colonies of Man.
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This article documents flora and fauna of the Twelve Colonies as depicted in the Re-imagined Series. In keeping with Ronald D. Moore's naturalistic science fiction approach, the Colonies feature predominantly Earth-like organisms with minimal fictional species.
Design Philosophy
Series creator Ronald D. Moore initially avoided addressing Colonial animal life to prevent limiting the show's creative flexibility. In the Miniseries commentary, Moore explained the production's evolving approach:
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".
—Ronald D. Moore, Miniseries audio commentary
Despite these initial reservations, the series eventually featured live animals prominently, including two dogs and a cat, along with brief appearances by rats and bats.
Taxonomic Organization
Mammals
Domestic and Companion Animals
Cats
- Romo Lampkin carries a cat named Lance with him during Lee Adama's trial (TRS: "The Son Also Rises").
- William "Husker" Adama uses "cat" in radio protocol: "...then grab your gun and bring in the cat." (TRS: "Miniseries")
Dogs
- Jake, a Landseer Newfoundland, appears on New Caprica. Felix Gaeta flips Jake's water bowl to signal Galen Tyrol about intelligence drops (TRS: "Precipice"). Jake is the first live animal to play a significant role in the series.
- Caesar is kept at the Graystone Estate 58 years before the Fall of the Colonies (CAP: Caprica pilot, "The Imperfections of Memory," "Ghosts in the Machine").
- Billy Keikeya mentions owning a dog named Jake, described as a "big shaggy thing" that "takes 20 pills a day" (TRS: "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I," deleted scene).
- The callsign "Bulldog" for Daniel Novacek implies the existence of Earth's bulldog breed.
- Multiple colloquial references appear throughout the series: Baltar's comment about being "an anointed dog catcher" (TRS: "Epiphanies"); Cain's remark "you look like I just shot your dog" (TRS: "Pegasus" and "Pegasus"); and Roslin's radio protocol "D, as in dog" (TRS: "Miniseries").
Livestock and Working Animals
Bovines
- Tauron Bulls are a sports team in the Twelve Colonies circa 58 BCH (42YR).
- Sam Adama has a Tauron bull dashboard ornament in his car (CAP: "Gravedancing").
- The presence of meat in the fleet strongly suggests Colonials raised cattle or similar bovines for food.
Equines
- Galen Tyrol advises treating a Raider "like a horse" (TRS: "Six Degrees of Separation").
- Helo and Sharon Valerii are shown in what appears to be horse stables (TRS: "The Hand of God").
- A horse appears on a picture on the memorial wall (TRS: "Maelstrom").
- Daniel and Amanda Graystone ride horses in an altered New Cap City (CAP: "The Heavens Will Rise," "Here Be Dragons").
Other Livestock
- Goats: Mentioned by Kara Thrace in comparison to horses (TRS: "Six Degrees of Separation").
- Pigs: Referenced by Phelan, who calls Fisk "a pig" (TRS: "Black Market").
Wildlife
Bats
Camels
- Gaius Baltar displays a camel statuette on his desk while serving as president (TRS: "Precipice").
Dolphins
- Traditional Picon engagement necklaces sold by CSN depict two dolphins (CAP: "Retribution").
Elephants
- Messenger Baltar points out the elephants on Sharon Valerii's coffee table to Caprica-Six (TRS: "Downloaded").
- William Adama displays a tapestry with two elephants in his quarters.
- John Cavil uses a carved wooden elephant to activate Sharon Valerii's Cylon sleeper personality (TRS: "The Plan").
Gorillas
- Mentioned metaphorically by Starbuck: "I'm gonna need some of those gorillas you call Marines" (TRS: "Sacrifice").
Jackrabbits
- Starbuck compares the Viper Mark II's maneuverability to a jackrabbit (TRS: "Act of Contrition").
Monkeys
- Referenced in deleted scene dialogue about "freight monkeys" (TRS: "Scattered," deleted scene).
Otters
- An otter appears on a picture on the memorial wall (TRS: "Taking a Break From All Your Worries").
Panthers
- Adama identifies as a Picon Panthers fan (TRS: "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II").
Rats
- Rats appear on-screen in abandoned areas of Caprica. Helo exclaims "Frakkin' rats!" upon encountering them (TRS: "Bastille Day").
- Another rat appears in a Galactica storage area (TRS: "Litmus").
Squirrels
- Xeno Fenner describes Cabott as "squirrelly," though this may be purely figurative (TRS: "Dirty Hands").
Tigers
- Felix Gaeta has a tattoo of a tiger on his upper right chest (TRS: "Final Cut").
Weasels
- The Raptor in Blood and Chrome is named "Wild Weasel."
Birds
Birds of Prey
- The Raptor spacecraft is presumably named after raptorial birds.
- A bird of prey is heard and mentioned by Tyrol and Socinus on Kobol (TRS: "Valley of Darkness").
Blackbirds
- The Blackbird experimental stealth fighter takes its name from the blackbird (TRS: "Flight of the Phoenix").
Chickens
- Cami mentions having "chicken pie" for dinner (TRS: "Miniseries").
- Colonel Tigh imitates a chicken while mocking Starbuck's callsign: "Starbuck-buck-buck" (TRS: "Miniseries").
Ducks
- Palacios uses the phrase "like ducks in a Cylon shooting gallery" (TRS: "The Hand of God").
- "Duck" is the callsign of Lieutenant Tucker Clellan (TRS: "Flight of the Phoenix", "Scar", "The Resistance", "Occupation" and "Precipice").
Geese
Parakeets
- Jammer references "a giant parakeet" (TRS: "Resistance" and "Resistance").
Pigeons
- Lee "Apollo" Adama chases a pigeon in his apartment (TRS: "Daybreak, Part I").
Sparrows
Swallows
- The Colonial drone weapon Swallow is named after the bird (TRS: "Occupation").
Turkeys
- Colonial pilot jargon for a Cylon Heavy Raider (TRS: "Maelstrom").
Vultures
- In a deleted scene from "Downloaded," Karl "Helo" Agathon calls D'Anna Biers a "stupid frakking vulture."
Reptiles
Pythons
- Adama uses a python as metaphor: "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").
Vipers (Serpents)
- Laura Roslin experiences a vision of "serpents two and ten" as prophesied, which she and Elosha interpret as representing the Viper fighter craft (TRS: "The Hand of God").
- Roslin sees snakes on her podium during a press conference, believed to be a side effect of her chamalla treatment (TRS: "The Hand of God").
Fish and Aquatic Life
Betta or Guppy
- When Number Six visits Baltar's house, three glasses containing small, long-finned, black fish are visible—a display method typical for Siamese fighting fish (TRS: "Miniseries").
Salmon
- Baltar recalls watching anadromous fish (almost certainly salmon) attempt to swim upstream in the Euclid River during his childhood (TRS: "Home, Part I").
Sharks
- ECO Lyla "Shark" Ellway presumably takes her callsign from these predators (TRS: "The Captain's Hand").
Invertebrates
Ants
- Crashdown complains of feeling "like they have ants crawling behind their frakking eyeballs" (TRS: "33").
Cockroaches
- Starbuck notes that "even a cockroach needs to breathe" (TRS: "You Can't Go Home Again").
Oysters
- Caprica-Sharon recalls Starbuck "puking your guts out in the head after you ate some bad oysters" (TRS: "Scattered").
Plants
Fictional Flora
- A medicinal plant with pain-killing and hallucinogenic properties. Laura Roslin explores it as alternative cancer treatment (TRS: "Act of Contrition").
- Effects resemble herbal cannabinoids and opioids found in cannabis and opium poppy, respectively.
- Gaius Baltar describes it as "hand-rolled from some of the finest Fumarella leaf on Caprica. It's also one of the last left in the universe" (TRS: "Water").
- An homage to the original series, where Starbuck's cigars are called "fumarellos." This plant may be similar or identical to tobacco.
Food Crops and Produce
Fruits
- Apples: Roslin uses "A as in apple" in radio protocol (TRS: "Miniseries"). In "The Plan," Cavil cuts an apple for a young boy.
- Blueberries: Starbuck tells Tyrol "You look like a blueberry" (TRS: "Flight of the Phoenix").
- Grapes: Amanda-A sets down a bowl of grapes in Daniel Graystone's holoband simulation (CAP: "False Labor").
- Lemons: Colonel Tigh mentions "A couple of lemons, we could make lemonade" (TRS: "Bastille Day").
- Oranges: The Adama family drinks orange juice (CAP: "False Labor").
Vegetables
- Beans: Mentioned in fleet food supplies.
- Carrots: Baltar uses "stick and carrot" metaphor (TRS: "Pegasus"). Daniel Graystone cuts carrots (CAP: "End of Line").
- Celery: Appears in resistance supplies (TRS: "The Resistance").
- Chili peppers: Decorates Lee Adama's drink (TRS: "Sacrifice").
- Maize (Corn): Available in survival rations (TRS: "The Hand of God").
- Peanuts: Helo finds peanut butter in survival supplies (TRS: "The Hand of God").
- Potatoes: Kendra Shaw is threatened with demotion to "peeling potatoes in the ship's galley" (TRS: "Razor").
Nuts and Other Plants
- Walnuts: Adama cracks walnuts while reviewing potential CAG candidates (TRS: "Home, Part I").
Medicinal and Flavoring Plants
Algae
- Mentioned as a potential food source. Tyrol references finding a "hot fudge planet" as alternative to algae-based meals (TRS: "The Eye of Jupiter").
Burdock
- Used by Sagittarons as a calmative (TRS: "The Woman King").
Cocoa
- Tyrol's reference to "fudge" implies the existence of cocoa plants (TRS: "The Eye of Jupiter").
Coffee
- Gaeta mentions container ships refusing to release "Food, medicine, even coffee" (TRS: "Resistance" and "Resistance").
- Evelyn discusses coffee availability (CAP: "False Labor").
Licorice
- Roslin offers "Chamalla and licorice" (TRS: "Resistance" and "Resistance").
Narrative and Production Significance
The gradual introduction of terrestrial animals and plants served multiple narrative functions throughout the series. Dogs, particularly Jake on New Caprica, provided emotional grounding and normalcy to resistance operations. Lance the cat humanized the enigmatic attorney Romo Lampkin, while the presence of familiar foods connected Colonial culture to Earth despite their separate origins.
Moore's initial hesitation proved prescient—the appearance of Earth-identical species raised questions about parallel evolution that the series never fully addressed. However, the naturalistic approach ultimately enhanced the show's accessibility and emotional resonance, allowing viewers to connect with Colonial society through familiar touchstones.
Official Statements
In a December 28, 2005 interview with BattlestarGalactica.com, Ronald D. Moore addressed the potential for expanded animal appearances:
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.
—Ronald D. Moore, BattlestarGalactica.com interview
In an ironic footnote to Moore's comment, Felix Gaeta eventually encounters not a cat, but a dog and his water dish that becomes integral to resistance intelligence operations.