Q&A for How to Create Your Own Alien Species

If you want them to reproduce in the same way as Earth mammals, or you could develop an entirely different means of reproduction. It's your world, you can decide.

Try linking them to their natural habitat. How does it eat or drink, and how does it survive in its environment? Does it breath through gills or lungs? Does it have antennae to help it perceive its surroundings? Use your imagination.

Do research into the effects of planetary conditions (proximity to sun, air composition, strength of gravity, etc.) on life. There are a few YouTube videos that I've found talking about how species could appear. Also, figure out how they got their appearance through both evolutionary and religious means - do they have antlers for greater sound perception, combat, or both? For example, Togrutas from Star Wars have huge hollow horns for heightened auditory/spacial awareness, specialized patterning for camouflage, and fleshy tendrils that can be used for communication. Just remember, in science there is a reason for everything.

Big-headed and green-skinned with big black eyes. Also that they are four feet tall and have three fingers.

Make yourself look less human or wear things that may not be worn by humans.

They can be anything you like. They are aliens, so they don't have to look like humans.

It doesn't matter how many eyes it has. That doesn't affect its intelligence.

Sure. It could be the product of bioengineering done by other aliens. This sort of story is common enough (it all started with Frankenstein), but the bioengineers are usually humans. Making the bioengineers extraterrestrials could be a cool twist!

Go by their physical traits or how they act. Polar bears have the name 'polar' because they live where it's cold. An alien that lives in hot climates might be called something with a hot or firey name.

Research adaptions and mutations of animals on Earth. Make sure to know what planet your aliens are from, as well as what the planet is like. What is the climate? The scenery? What are the aliens beliefs? Are things that could help. If the climate of the planet is very, very, hot, they probably wouldn't have heavy fur to keep warm, for example.

Look at existing aliens. You can also research strange animals that exist on Earth, or design them based on the planet they are from.

Earth, but it is largely debated as to whether or not we actually came from God or from evolution. The world may never know.

This largely depends whether or not they are territorial plants. If they are, I would guess they wouldn't grow close to each other or the largest one which grows the fastest eats the smallest one before it has a chance to grow as a matter of self defense.

The name of an alien race should have to do with the sounds those aliens are capable of making. For example, I once made an alien race which did not have vocal cords, and had closed throats a lot of the time, so could only make clicking and guttural sounds. They were named the 'Ldlck' because that is what they could name themselves. You also have to take into account who is naming them. If it is humans, it will probably have something to do with a scientific part of them and their origin, but if it is the aliens themselves, then you should take into account dialect and language origin.

This creates more challenges for you to make as you write this species, as you will have to put a lot of design and thought into these weapons if you want them to make sense. Largely, it is up to you, but it will increase your workload by a lot and if you can't decide it probably doesn't matter that much to the plot of the story, if they are involved in one.

It mainly has to do with the alien's home planet, or where they live. This would largely affect what color they are through evolution, as it would in general fit the color of their home environment. For example, if they need to be a certain color for camouflage, coping with sunlight or for reproductive purposes.

There are no rules on what alien species have to be, apart from the rules of a particular narrative. Consider, for example, Vulcans in Star Trek, or Star Wars' diverse cast of aliens actually portraying the full spectrum of humanity. It would be great to have more stories featuring friendly aliens!

You can make your aliens to be any colour you like. It's your decision, as well as than on how plausable you want them to be.

Try starting with the planet and environment and then design species that live there. Environment determines the features necessary for adaptation. For example, in my WIP I have one planet that is mostly covered in water, so it is inhabited by amphibians that live both in water and on land. And another planet has both oceans and adjacent lush lowlands inhabited by peaceful herbivore race and harsh highlands inhabited by an aggressive carnivorous bird-like flying race. All three are adaptations to a particular environment - ocean world, lush lowlands by the ocean and harsh highlands respectively. Although, first was the role in the story for each particular race, then came planet and environment, but particular features came after the environment.

That is not an original idea, there are many incarnations of caring aliens. Aliens can be any way However, to make the species interesting, don't make them too goody-goody, make sure they have their own reasons for being altruistic, along with misunderstandings that show an intention to be good but occasionally mess up.

The aliens should have large eyes to take in more light and be short to be able to squeeze into underground tunnels. Their skin should be thin to take in more heat.

As long as they differ from the actual animal(s) enough, then they could be aliens. There is a book series called Endling the Last about the last of a dog-like species that could walk on two or four legs glide and detect lies. The series isn't a sci-fi but you could do something like that.

Some ants farm a types of fungus that is their only source of food and some ants "farm" aphids so they can obtain their sweet secretions, so since ants have farming, your alien speices can have ranching.

I don't see why not! Aliens can be slimy, fluffy, scaly, feathery, etc. Do what you want!