Reflect, for a moment, on just how ‘alien’ life on our own planet can be. There are countless species
on Earth that seem commonplace to us, but if you think from the perspective of an interstellar
visitor seeing them for the first time, you’ll realize that much of what nature produces on a
daily basis seems more outlandish than the vast majority of science fiction. So if we were ever
to discover alien life, it’s highly likely we’d find it mind-blowing, and maybe even a little
disturbing. One science fiction project which truly excels at accurately representing these
likelihoods is ‘Snaiad’: which is one of the most detailed speculative biology projects of all time.
The famous fictional world of Snaiad is the creation of the one and only C. M. Kosemen,
author of All Tomorrows and expert in all things alien, who you can follow and support
in the links below. This online worldbuilding project includes more than 200 extraterrestrial
lifeforms from several dozen lineages — and an awe-inspiring amount of detail about each one.
So, for this entry into the archive, I’ll be taking you on a documentary-style tour across
this truly alien planet, and exploring just some of the life that dwells on its surface…
At first glance, the anatomy of most life on Snaiad might confuse the common observer.
To understand the lifeforms that we’ll encounter on our voyage, let’s first take a Kahydron — a
rather average organism by Snaiadi standards — as an example. Examining the inner workings
of the Kahydron, you’ll find a host of surprises. Beginning with the skeletal system, Snaiadi bones
aren’t made of calcium, but a modified hydrocarbon composite that resembles very hard wood.
While massive and durable, these bones burn easily, which complicates things for
Snaiadi paleontologists. Snaiadi muscles are equally distinctive. They work via hydraulics:
moving by pushing instead of pulling — and their bones have evolved to accommodate this difference.
Strange though these muscles may be, they provide their owners with incredible strength relative
to their size. But the strangeness doesn’t end there. Snaiadi creatures also possess a second
set of traditional fiber-base muscles — which cover the entire body and help pump the fluid
of their hydraulic counterparts. The respiratory and circulatory systems of Snaiadi animals are
similarly unique, with the nostrils of most organisms located near their armpits.
These nostrils are connected to lungs that work independently from one another, in a highly
distinctive set-up. Yet the most divergent system in Snaiad animals is their brains. Actually two
organs that work in tandem, the first component of the brain is a dense knot of fibrous nerves
connected to a larger nervous system, and the second is a cryptic structure that seems to be
the root of consciousness each organism, although the author imagines it’s poorly understood. But
perhaps the most noticeable visual deviation from familiar life is that almost all vertebrates on
Snaiads appear to have two ‘heads.’ In reality, the first head contains the organism’s jaws,
eyes, and reproductive system, but isn’t actually connected to their digestive tract at all.
Instead, all food consumption is done via the second head, which is almost like an
exposed throat that leads to the stomach. This unconventional arrangement is a holdover from a
distant ancestor from which most vertebrates on Snaiad are descended. In the Kahydron’s case,
the jaws of the first head are built for hunting, as the lifeform occupies an apex predator role
similar to a lion — just in its own unmistakably alien fashion. Indeed, we’ll find much of the
life on Snaiad bears some similarities to an earthly species… although others truly
defy classification. A great place to continue our tour is in the mountainous forests. Here, you can
find the Urunyx, a relative of the Kahydron and member of the larger Kahydroniform classification.
Like all Kahydroniformes, Urunyx is also a predator, with a short, crushing bite and long
scythe-like claws. The Urunyx is more than just a true carnivore, however, but also a part-time
omnivore like various species of Earth bears. At five meters, or sixteen feet in length, though,
the powerful Urunyx rivals even the largest bears in its sheer size. Within the rivers of
an equatorial jungle, you can find an aquatic Kahydroniform called the Crocahydron. Roughly
the same length as the Urunyx, the Crocahydron paddles on adapted fins, snapping up organisms
with its elongated jaws. A striking mix of a leafy sea dragon and an Earth crocodile, the Crocahydron
is an effective predator — lying in wait before snapping up its unsuspecting prey. But Snaiad is
more than a world of predators. Dotting the endless lush plains, the mainly-herbivorous
Kettleturts wander the grasslands, plucking nutritious plants from the soil with their
second head. The Kettleturts are a member of the Turtiformes, a wide-ranging group that bears some
resemblance to the turtles or tortoises of our own planet. Unlike their earthly analogues, however,
the shells of Turtiformes aren’t external, but are instead encased in a layer of skin.
Turtiformes also aren’t able to withdraw their limbs into their shell when threatened.
But Turtiformes don’t just populate the land. In the water, marine Turtiforms like the streamlined
Cylindroides genus have become uniquely adapted to their aquatic environment. Their shell has
become a heavy, hydrodynamic ‘hull’ — and the digits on their limbs have become broad paddles,
which they use to steer themselves through the vast oceans much like sea turtles. On Earth, most
species of sea turtles lay their eggs on land, forcing their young to make a perilous journey
back to the ocean. Cleverly, however, Cylindroides have evolved to birth their young without ever
leaving the water. In the forested mountain ranges bordering the Great Northern Ocean, a
one-of-a-kind hunter is looking for food. This is a Toxoglossos, a member of the diverse Polydactyl
classification and a relative of the Turtiforms. These tiny lifeforms possess a spring-like,
extendable second head which they use to ‘zap’ their unsuspecting prey. This hunting strategy
shows a remarkable degree of convergent evolution with chameleons of Earth: who use their long,
strange tongues to consume insects. Sometimes life on our own planet can be downright alien as well.
And you might find, flattened along the bottoms of freshwater rivers, the peaceful Platymoloch,
a Polydactyl offshoot that have become bottom-feeding lifeforms that spend most of
their time underwater. Not an active bunch--to feed, the Platymoloch drag their vacuum-like
second heads over the muck to scoop up any potential food, sort of like the feeding habits
of some species of stingray: which also have unusual mouths on the underside of their bodies.
Unlike stingrays, however, Platymoloch’s aren’t particularly elegant… nor do they have much of a
defense against potential predators. Burrowing just under the soil, the blind, unassuming
Vermiphagus make their tunnels — content to be ignored by the more fantastical Snaiad organisms
that stomp aboveground. Vermiphagus are our first example of a Haplobrachid — a group that is united
by their lack of limbs, yet nonetheless have been remarkably successful. Most Haplobrachids burrow
in layers of spongey vegetation called ‘sprog,’ which covers large swaths of Snaiad’s surface.
One carnivorous Haplobrachid that tunnels within the sprog are the Citognathus — meter-sized
lifeforms that have evolved a distinctive hunting strategy. Their second heads have
become specialized lures that mimic the appearance of common prey animals. Like the anglerfish or
frogfish of Earth, the Citognathus simply sticks the lure out and wiggles it around in a bizarre
manner that resembles the movement of said prey, luring curious lifeforms right into the
predator’s jaws. A truly fascinating adaptation. Impressively, some Haplobrachids have even taken
to the trees. Among the branches, the large, sluggish Slothsnakes slither slowly towards their
next meal of fruit or vegetation. At a surprising 13 feet, or 4 meters long, Slothsnakes are easily
the largest of the Haplobracheds group. As you can imagine, their nickname comes from their
surface-level similarities to the slow-moving sloths, and limbless arboreal snakes — although
like many creatures on Snaiad, the slothsnakes don’t neatly fit into any earthly category. On the
subject of earthly (or non earthly) counterparts, there are no traditional ‘insects’ on planet
Snaiad. Instead, that role is filled by curious lifeforms like the 4-millimeter long Dactylopus.
These evolutionary oddities are a type of Picozoan: organisms that were once larger,
terrestrial vertebrates but became tiny lifeforms over millions of years. Since
organisms the size of insects require a variety of adaptations to function, this grand shift in size
involved various unusual shortcuts, like bones that never ossify during development and a
worm-like larval stage that allows Picozoans to inhabit different niches as adults and juveniles.
Look closely at the leaves in the jungles of the east, and you might spot the rare Arbovermis:
a slightly larger and more distinctive Picozoan. Also called Grinchworms, these endangered green
lifeforms shuffle their long, tube-like bodies around on numerous tiny legs. As a result,
their walking gait is likely not unlike the movements of caterpillars or centipedes,
although Grinchworms don’t have quite as many legs. Strange as the Picozoans are,
however, on the isolated island continent of Thalassia, groups have evolved that resemble
no other lifeforms on Snaiad. For an example, look no further than the carnivorous Ophictonos,
a type of Monoanticheran that lacks front limbs altogether. A challenging species to decode,
the Ophictonos possess long, spear-like lower jaws on their first heads that help them jab
their preferred prey which dwells below ground. In ‘fishing’ for organisms with their long beaks,
their hunting behavior is somewhat similar to that of certain birds. On the vast plains of Thalassia
island, you can spot the herbivorous Bounderjaws, a species of Monoanticherans that patrol the
plains in vast herds. These creatures might look a little off-balance, but they actually have a
highly efficient method of specialized locomotion. Their legs contain piston-like hydraulic muscles
that allow them to leap about, storing energy from one bound to another. A bit like a kangaroo…
although clearly only in certain regards. On a nearby island, an equally atypical lifeform
patrols the scrubland. The Red Headbanger is a solitary predator with a strange name
and even stranger hunting method. Charging out of nowhere, the headbanger dispatches unwary prey
with hatchet-like blows of its massive head. While an impressive organism, the Headbanger’s island
isolation is key to its survival, as on a nearby landmass, truly terrifying goliaths are waiting…
Meet the Seismopus. Weighing over a ton, these giants are easily one of the biggest predators on
all of Snaiad. A type of Tromobrachid, Seismopus have fused their second heads with their
‘sternums’ and front limbs — and have evolved the strongest jaw-equivalents in all of Snaiad.
This gives them the advantage of being able to chew and swallow from the same mouth, with their
first heads becoming thin, periscope-like organs useful only for observation. Not surprisingly,
the Tromobrachids have been quite successful. Upon the vast sands of the interior desert, the related
Ammodromeus, or Sandrunner pursues prey to the point of exhaustion. Like the hyenas of earth,
these ruthless hunters often operate in a pack to take down larger prey — although this behavior is
likely the simple result of intersecting interests rather than genuine cooperative behavior.
But even a pack of Sandrunners might be wary of Titaniformes like Z. Urophorus, or Giant
Skipbirds — some of the mightiest herbivores on Snaiad. At almost 20 feet, or six meters, in
length, Giant Skipbirds are well protected while they grind down vegetation with their oversized,
plant-munching second heads. Indeed, their feeding habits are somewhat like an elephant,
although Giant Skipbirds grow to even greater sizes. But surprisingly, they’re not the largest
of the Titaniformes… At last, we’ve reached the final lifeform we’ll be archiving in this video.
At almost 40 feet, or twelve meters long, Legendary Magnodires are one of the largest land
animals on Snaiad. Often simply called ‘Titans,’ the second head of these herbivores have become
super-extended into long, almost drawbridge-like structures. These gigantic animals spend their
days grazing across a large circle twice as wide as their second-head necks. We’ve barely covered
half the orders in the Snaiad project, and there’s many more individual species you can
read about online. In Part II, we’ll investigate even larger and stranger lifeforms… but for now,
our time in this incredible alien world has come to an end. If you want to support the author,
you can follow and support C.M. Kosemen using the links below. He’s also working on a book that
will overhaul many of the species with updated details, which I’m really excited for… Also,
thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this entry, please lend your support and like, subscribe,
and hit the notification icon to stay up to date on all things Curious. See you in the next video.