Help creating a species?

[MelodicPrincess]

Hello, fellow RPers of RPNation!


I am happily making my own species. I have drawn out the creature, but there is a problem. I cannot think of what to put down for people to know about this species. For instance, I know some aspects like height, weight, appearance. Any other ideas I can express the creatures about?

 

[Saturnity]

As someone who is also creating a variety of species for a webcomic I am creating, I believe I can provide some valuable input here.


Probably the next most essential aspects of a creature aside from appearance are intelligence, social behavior, and survival instincts.


Questions to ask yourself about the creature:


Intelligence:


Does this creature display human-level (or higher) intelligence?


How does this species communicate and has it developed a written language?


Does it display adaptation to new ideas, environments, extreme conditions?


Can it used tools and/or build new objects?


Does it show any inclination toward religion or any belief system?


Will it show educated tolerance of other species?


Will it attempt to communicate with other species?


Social behavior:


How does this creature interact with others of its species?


What environments does this creature prefer, and what nesting habits does it display?


Does it display territorial tendencies, and if it does, what signals does it send to those encroaching on its habitat?


What sort of social habits does this creature display?


Does this creature live on its own, in small packs, or in large herds?


Does this creature's behavior change depending on the seasons, and if it does, how?


Survival:


Is this creature a carnivore, herbivore, omnivore?


Does this species lay eggs or give birth to live offspring?


If there is a short food or water supply, will this species migrate?


If it doesn't migrate, does it gorge on food and hibernate through seasons?


When cornered by a predator or some other threat, how is this species known to react (fight or flight)?


Those are some basic ideas, but I'm sure there are plenty of other things you will come up with just going through these questions. These things are important to think about, and even if you decide not to write it down, keep them in mind when you plan out the species. You may not need people to know all the tiny details about it right away, but having this information on hand will be valuable to your story or whatever you are using this idea for.

 

[Lady Sabine]

You might want to consider the creature's taxonomy and relation to other living beings. If it exists in the world as we know it, you can use the pre-existing biological classifications. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_classification


If it exists in a different world, you might wish to consider the differences between it and our own. Maybe do some cladistics or other forms of diagramming to help others understand its relation to other creatures.


The other major thing you'll need to consider is the creature's relationship with other important species. Do other species exploit it or does it exploit others? Is it prey for anything? Is it a dangerous predator itself? Does it pose a threat to the survival of other species?