Life Forms of the Twelve Colonies

This article is a list of fictional and real 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 the exceptions noted below.

In keeping with the naturalistic science fiction concepts that Ron D. Moore uses 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.

Fictional

Plants

• Fumarella leaf

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. (Water)

An homage to the original series, in which Starbuck's cigars are referred to as "fumarellos". This plant may be similar or identical to tobacco.

• Chamalla

Roslin: I would like to explore alternative treatment. [...] Have you ever heard of Chamalla extract? (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.

Real

Animals

Mammals

• Cat

Adama: ...then grab your gun and bring in the cat. (Mini-Series)

• Dog

Cally: "She said the engine powerup 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." (Six Degrees of Separation)

• Horse

Tyrol: "Take it for a ride. Treat it like a horse." (Six Degrees of Separation)

• Goat

Starbuck: "A horse. Why not a goat? I mean, that's good, right? Think of it as a goat." (Six Degrees of Separation)

• Rats

Birds

• Birds of Prey

While the animals have never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the Raptor is named after them.

• Chicken

Cami makes a mention of having "chicken pot pie". (Mini-Series)

• Parakeet

Jammer: I don't care if they put a giant parakeet in here. If the colonel says build a cell, we build a cell. (Resistance)

• Ostrich

Jammer: "You just want to bury your heads in the sands like Ostriches."

Reptiles

• Viper

While the animal has never been specifically mentioned, it's reasonable to assume the Viper is named after it.

• Pythons (Home)

Fish

• Salmon

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. (Home, Part I)

What Baltar describes, without naming, are anadromous fish - almost certainly a type of salmon.

Plants

• Coffea

Gaeta: Seven other container ships are refusing to release their supplies. Food, medicine, even coffee. (Resistance)

• Licorice

Roslin: Chamalla and Licorice. Would you like some? (Resistance)

• Walnut

(Home, Part I)

Galactica 1980 definition: When John Steadman asks if the Warriors know anything about these creatures, Dillon looks this up ^{(1980: "Space Croppers")}

Galactica 1980 definition: Dillon looks up this term after Jamie Hamilton orders a coffee at a diner, upon their return to 1980 Earth ^{(1980: "Galactica Discovers Earth, Part III")}.