Editing Forerunner fauna and flora

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{{Status|Canon}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Fact cleanup}}
{{Era|CH|H1|H2|H3}}
{{quote|I'm reading thousands of types of flora. The [[Installation 04|ring]]'s ecosystem is incredibly sophisticated.|[[Cortana]]}}
{{FOF-1}}


Many [[Forerunner]] installations and megastructures boast naturalistic environments, complete with diverse populations of plants and animals. In the case of the [[Halo Array]], this was by design of the [[Librarian]], who allowed the population of ringworlds so as to research on the effects of a [[Flood]] outbreak in a controlled environment.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum''', ''page 334''</ref>
Througout the Halo Universe many Forerunner animals, plants and other lifeforms are shown or hinted at. Below are many known Forerunner fauna and flora.


==Fauna==
===Land Animals===
===Avian===
[[Image:Dinosaurs.jpg|thumb|300px|Photos of some Thorn Beasts that didn't make it into the original game.]]
[[File:H2-Delta Halo Quadwings.jpg|thumb|Quadwings on Installation 05.]]
{{Main|Rangmejo}}
On [[Installation 05]] and [[Installation 00]], Rangmejo can be seen flying in certain locations. They have four wings, long trailing tails, and elongated beaks. Because these features, they have been nicknamed Quadwings.


On [[Trove]] in, there were creatures resembling [[list of animals|seagulls and eagles]].
'''Halo Dinosaurs''' are native lifeforms to [[Halo]], possibly exclusive to [[Installation 04]]. They are both bipedal and quadruped in stature and somewhat resemble [[Earth]]'s dinosaurs. <ref>[[Halo E3 2000 Trailer]]</ref> The larger animals' names are [[Thorn Beast]]s and the smaller one has been identified as a [[Blind Wolf]]. <ref>[[Halo 2: Collector's Edition DVD|''Halo 2'' Collectors Edition Disc]]</ref>
The Blind wolf was also meant to be rideable by the player as well as have the ability to bite as an attack. The Blind wolf has 2 very large teeth coming out of its mouth and walks on 2 legs, it may also be seen in large packs in the [[E3 2000]] Halo trailer.


An [[unidentified avian species]] inhabited the gas giant [[Seclusion]], where the Forerunners had a [[Seclusion Spiral|gas mining facility]].
Although they did not make it to the final cut of the game, this does not exclude them from ''[[Halo]]'' as a whole. For example, [[Engineers]] didn't make the final cut for ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' either, but they were depicted in the [[Halo Novel]]s and [[Halo Wars]]. A pack of [[Brute]]s ate a Thorn Beast in ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''. It's unknown if these animals are meant to be there, or if they are even canon to the plot of ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', but just unseen.


===Insects===
The main reason they did not make it into the final game was due to balancing issues as to how they would react, especially to the flood. There were also a lot of glitches.
{{Main|Moth}}


Moth-like insects are seen in the dark swamp areas of [[Installation 04|Alpha Halo]].
===Sea Creatures===


The ''Halo 2'' level ''[[Backwash]]'' contains fireflies.
Originally there were plans for sea creatures to inhabit the water, as seen in [[The Silent Cartographer]] the water is fully explorable in [[Halo: CE]], which would make sense to have sea creatures. In early Halo there was also a spear gun which could be used on the sea creatures and underwater enemies. A few sea creatures have been seen in early videos like sea monsters and fish. The creatures and spear gun did not appear due to balancing problems.


===Sea worms===
===The Dino-Birds===
{{Main|Sea worm}}
''Main Article: [[Dino-Birds]]''


Sea worms are found in the oceans of Installation 04. They float harmlessly on the surface of the water. When exploring the water, the worms can often be seen in the waters edge, floating.
On the levels ''[[Delta Halo (Level)|Delta Halo]]'', and ''[[Regret (Level)|Regret]]'', there are birds flying around in the sky, usually flying in circles or ovals. They are also in the ''Halo 3'' multiplayer maps ''[[Guardian]]'', and ''[[Epitaph]]'' where they can be examined more closely by using Flycam in Theater or Editor Mode in [[Forge]]. At first they seem like dinosaurs, but they are seen in ''[[High Charity]]'', so it is also possible that the [[Covenant]] brought "food," and they are seen on [[Installation 05]] because they would breed quickly. But then, if they are dinosaurs, the Covenant might bring specimens to their holy city. It may never be known if they are dinosaurs or wildlife brought by the Covenant to use as hunting game. This could be confirmed by the existence of the supply ship complete with a hunting preserve, ''[[Infinite Succor]]'' from the ''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]''. [[Bungie]] may very well be the only ones to ever know.
 
[[Image:possible halo dinosaurs.JPG|thumb|left|The Dino-birds of [[Installation 05]]]]
Also, since we know that Halo contains a vast multitude of terrains and environments, much like [[Earth]], it is possible that life has been developing on Halo over the 100,000 years that they have been dormant, such animals like the dino birds. Another reason why animals may NOT be seen is because they have the calcium store necessary for the [[Flood]] to infect, so the animals may have been destroyed by the guardians of the construct, and only avian-like animals survive since it was mentioned that [[Drones]] do not have sufficient calcium mass to sustain the Flood.
 
In ''[[Halo 2]]'' and ''[[Halo 3]]'' these "birds" can be shot and killed; they are always moving, and therefore difficult to hit. After being shot once by any weapon they give off red blood and fall straight down. There is only one falling animation.
 
A fun thing to do in Halo 2 is while your on the gondolas on Regret or otherwise waiting for combat you can grab a carbine or Beam rifle, and try and snipe them. This "hunting" is especially fun if you have a co-op friend, and the two of you will try and see who gets the most kills.
 
It is highly likely that they were brought over from another place to the [[Halo Installations]]  because the [[Forerunners]] could have used them as food for the Flood so they could further study them. However the birds could be too hard to obtain for the Flood because of their flight and/or their bodies do not contain enough calcium for the Flood to feed off of.
 
===Moths===
''Main Article: [[Moths]]''
 
These moth-like creatures are only seen in the dark Swamps of ''[[Alpha Halo]].'' They are one of the first animals seen in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.
You cannot interact with the moths and they are not seen in Halo 2 or 3.


===Other===
===Other===
Various animal calls can be heard in the level ''[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]'' along with the moths. The most common sounds were the sound of an [[list of animals|owl]] hooting and cricket chirping.
Animal calls were heard in 343 Guilty Spark along with the moths. One of the most common sounds was the sound of an owl hooting. There were also some cricket sounds. It is unlikely that these sounds are indeed owls and crickets, but perhaps an animal that is similar. It also could be possible that they are artificial sounds made by the forerunners to make it seem more life like.


On Shield 0459, many of the Flood forms infesting the surface appear to be infected wildlife.
On the unkown shield world in halo wars there are creatures resembiling sea guls and eagles, some may possibly be dino-birds. There are no land animals.


Some Forerunners grew [[Merse]], a species of aquatic carnivore, as pond decorations. [[Molaetra]], home to [[Bornstellar Makes Eternal Lasting]], was briefly host to a species of tri-torsoed aquatic reptiles, which a Lifeworker had imported for his experiments.<ref>'''Halo: Cryptum'''</ref>
===Sea Worms===
''Main Article: [[Sea Worms]]''


Within [[Trevelyan|Shield World 006]], there were lizards with narrow, almost birdlike faces and frilled crests. There were also avian creatures resembling birds or bats. [[Olivia]] found a beetle-like insect about ten centimeters long with bright orange stripes and a long tapering spike of a tail, crawling on Dr. Halsey.<ref>[http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/10/halo-glasslands-excerpt?start=1 '''Tor.com-''' Halo: Glasslands- Prologue and Chapter 1'']</ref>
 
Seen on the level ''[[Silent Cartographer (Level)|Silent Cartographer]]'', these Sea Worms floated harmlessly on the surface of the water. When exploring the water, the worms can often been in the waters edge, floating.


==Flora==
==Flora==
[[File:FTrees.jpg|thumb|110px|Various species of trees found on Forerunner installations.]]
===Flood Stalk Plants===
===Stalk plants===
Stalk plants can be commonly seen in the multiplayer map ''[[Backwash]]'', and seen often in the campaign levels ''[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]'', ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]'' and ''[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]''. These plants appear as large, thick stalks, as the name suggests and are often bulbous towards the base, tapering upwards into a thinner trunk, in a similar fashion as an onion grown on Earth. The bulb of the plant has been observed to possess some sort of photoluminescence and emits a neon green glow that repeats in a rhythmic pattern. This same property can be observed on the [[human]] [[Human Combat Form#Human Form|Combat Form]] in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.


===Forerunner trees===
Flood Stalk Plants can be commonly seen in the multiplayer map ''[[Backwash (Level)|Backwash]]'', and seen often in the campaign levels ''[[343 Guilty Spark (Level)|343 Guilty Spark]]'', ''[[Gravemind (Level)|Gravemind]]'' and ''[[High Charity (Level)|High Charity]]''. These plants appear as large, thick stalks, as the name suggests.
Forerunner trees are aesthetically similar to modern trees on [[Earth]]. They are found on Forerunner Installations and seem to be quite abundant.<ref>'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign levels, ''[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo]], [[Assault on the Control Room]]'', and ''[[Two Betrayals]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign levels, ''[[Delta Halo]], [[Regret (Halo 2 level)|Regret]], [[Uprising]],'' and ''[[The Great Journey]]''</ref><ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign levels, ''[[The Ark (level)|The Ark]], [[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]'', and ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]</ref> The trees would help keep a balanced ecosystem and make artificial worlds such as the [[Halo Array|Halo]] rings seem more natural. [[Shield world]]s also have a variety of trees, such as [[Ugparassa tree]]s that can be found on [[Requiem]].


Forerunner flora is usually similar to that of Earth, since Forerunners and humans are both species that depend on the same type of ecosystem.
===Forerunner Trees===


==Deleted fauna and flora==
[[Forerunner]] trees are aesthetically similar to modern trees on [[Earth]]. They are found on Forerunner Installations and seem to be quite abundant.<ref>''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' levels ''[[Halo (Level)|Halo]], [[Assault on the Control Room (Level)|Assault on the Control Room]]'', and ''[[Two Betrayals (Level)|Two Betrayals]]''</ref><ref>''[[Halo 2]]'' levels ''[[Delta Halo (Level)|Delta Halo]], [[Regret (Level)|Regret]], [[Uprising (Level)|Uprising]],'' and ''[[The Great Journey (Level)|The Great Journey]]''</ref><ref>''[[Halo 3]]'' levels ''[[ The Ark (Level)|The Ark]], [[The Covenant (Level)|The Covenant]]'', and ''[[Halo (Halo 3 Level)|Halo]]</ref> The trees would help keep a balanced ecosystem and make [[Halo]] seem more natural. There are many different trees seen on Halo throughout the trilogy.
===Land animals===
[[File:Dinosaurs.jpg|thumb|200px|Photos of some Thorn Beasts that didn't make it into the original game.]]


In original trailers for ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', Installation 04 was inhabited by [[Thorn Beast]]s and a species of bipedal animal known as a [[Blind Wolf]].<ref>[[Halo 2#Halo 2 versions|''Halo 2'' Collectors Edition Disc]]</ref> The Blind Wolf was also meant to be rideable by the player as well as have the ability to bite as an attack. They can also be seen in large packs in the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3 2000]] Halo trailer.
===Terrain===


The main reason these creatures did not make it into the final game was because the developers wanted the surprise introduction of the [[The Flood|Flood]] to be shocking to the player, who had seen no hint of them before encountering them. It was determined that ultimately the presence of other non-Covenant aliens lessened the impact of the Flood's arrival.  
A majority of the terrain on Halo is grass with masses of trees. Even parts where it is snowing there are at least a few trees and patches of grass. Halo has various environments and seasons, and weather might differ on different parts of the ring.
All of the plants and trees and other flora seen on Alpha Halo, Delta Halo, and the Ark were obviously easy for the Forerunners to obtain or else these wouldn't have been able to get on the rings.
If there really are no fauna on the different Installations, then it is likely that the flora on the Installations are less advanced from an evolutionary point of view than the flora on other planets because the flora on the Installations wouldn't have to compete with fauna for nutrients, and thus would have less of a reason to evolve.


===Sea creatures===
==Sources==
Originally, there were unfinished plans for sea creatures to inhabit the water- as seen in [[The Silent Cartographer]], where the water will not kill the player.  In [[Pre-Xbox Halo|early ''Combat Evolved'' production]] there was also a spear gun which could be used on the sea creatures and underwater enemies. A few sea creatures have been seen in early videos like sea monsters and fish. The creatures and spear gun did not appear due to balancing problems.
<references/>


===Flora===
[[File:HW Flytrap.jpeg|thumb|200px|The fly trap-like plant creature cut from ''Halo Wars''.{{Ref/Reuse|shannon}}]]
A Venus fly trap-like organism was cut from the development of ''[[Halo Wars]]''.<ref name="shannon">[https://shannondees.tumblr.com/post/161667961446/work-i-did-on-halo-wars-while-at-ensemble ''Shannon Dees on Tumblr:''] ''"Work I did on Halo Wars, while at Ensemble Studios/Microsoft"''</ref>
==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}


[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Animals]]
[[Category:Deleted Material]]
[[Category:Halo: Combat Evolved]]
[[Category:Halo 2]]
[[Category:Halo 3]]
[[Category:The Forerunner]]

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