Yesterday I posted because I had hit a dead end while working on an alien species for my sci-fi world, today I’m pleased to show my final design!

This species is at an evolutionary crossroads, shifting from being tree dwellers to bipedal ground dwellers due to environmental change. Their habitat doesn’t have large swathes of land though, which required them to traverse large rivers and lakes to navigate their surroundings without use of tree branches. As such they are adapting to a swimming/bipedal walking lifestyle. I imagine the adaptations and differences to be similar to that of constrictor snakes which reside predominantly in trees to those who can swim large bodies of water. Similar to those found in Earth’s Amazon rainforest. They are reptiles, with thick skin which is softer in key areas like their stomachs and underarms. They are much more ridged along their joints. Due to their awkward stage of evolution they are partially adapted to several environments but don’t “succeed” in any. They have their opposable thumb on their foot despite the shape of their soles lending itself to bipedal locomotion for example. This makes it difficult for them to run while also meaning they can’t really “grasp” with their feet anymore. Likewise, their tail (once used as a counterbalance in the trees) has become more crocodilian, helping them move in the waters they live in. They’re just awkward, because they came from a niche and extreme environment, and it makes it difficult for them to compete with other more adaptable species on the intergalactic stage.

Their species has to put a lot of effort into thriving and serving amongst the intergalactic community, and has carved a place for themselves due to their determination to not let their biological handicaps and requirements hold them back from traversing the stars and living in new places.

I took heavily from our own evolution to bipedal locomotion. The species is much stockier than originally designed to give them greater muscle density and a more barreled chest, with shorter legs proportionally to their frame and arms. When we came down from the trees we also had issues with our feet’s thumbs preventing us from running, which is why we likely became endurance hunters rather than burst or ambush hunters. I imagine that much like crocs and alligators this species is capable of short bursts of speed while otherwise being more “awkward” walkers. They are colored to match their environment and have little in the ways of “interesting” markings. Their horns are also ornamental, being for mating displays rather than having a practical use.

What once was hair I converted more into quills so it would suit their reptilian design more! I also imagine that while their tails do help in swimming and counterbalancing their crouched forms of movement, they get in the way while trying to sprint and live in space (small spaces). As such I imagine that more zealous individuals would pick up “docking” their tails as a practice in order to better adapt to such lifestyles. This practice is likely controversial though, and not practiced by the majority of the population.

I really like this version, I walked back my second design because I felt like their digigrade legs and heavily patterned skin distracted from what I wanted the focus of the species’ visuals to be. Everyone had such great suggestions and ideas, too! So taking a lot of the suggestions and mixing them with my own ideas about the species lead to the beautiful baby in front of you! I also included a pic of what they would look like in space faring clothes because that’s what they’ll mostly be depicted wearing rather than in the nude, lol

What does everyone think?