Cython

A dead Cython.

Created sometime prior to the tenth year of the First Cylon War, these cybernetic snakes and other Cylon "critters" represent another evolutionary step in the Cylons' ultimate goal of merging human and machine. None have been encountered off the icy planetoid Djerba, where they live among the glacial ice, after carving out a network of tunnels.

At least two are encountered by the crew of Wild Weasel, after landing on the planet to rendezvous with a marine special ops team. According to Xander Toth, they are extremely hard to kill without the right weapon. Having been on the planet for sometime, Toth also claims they make for good eating, if the mechanical parts are removed first ^{(TRS: "Blood and Chrome")}.

Script Version Details

The pre-production script for Blood and Chrome provides additional detail about these cybernetic creatures. Described as "giant snake-like armored creatures," they are created through Cylon experiments that combine organic tissue with mechanical components. The script indicates these creatures were part of broader Cylon efforts to create "cyborg critters: half machine, half organic, and very hard to kill." The creatures possess "slabs of muscle integrated with servos" and demonstrate aggressive behavior when hunting, able to burrow through snow and emerge to attack with surprising speed and ferocity. When killed, they emit a high keening sound that can be heard across significant distances, possibly serving as a form of communication or distress signal to other creatures in the area.