Why Don't Facehuggers Impregnate Deer and Bears in the Forest [Alien v Predator: Requiem]

Many fans of the Alien and Predator franchises have pondered why facehuggers, those iconic creatures from Alien, have not been shown to impregnate other animals in the forest or jungle environments. While it's true that the facehuggers in Alien 3 and Prometheus (and now A.P. R: Requiem) do target other organisms, deer and bears are notably absent from the list. Let's explore why this might be the case.

Deer and Bear Absence in Alien v Predator: Requiem

It's a valid question: why would facehuggers leave deer and bears out of their reproductive targeting scope? The answer lies primarily in environmental factors and the anatomy of these creatures.

Environmental Factors and Resource Allocation

A key factor is the environment in which the Alien v Predator: Requiem events take place. When the Yautja ship crashes, it likely creates a very hostile environment for any potential prey. The crash would have sent out a shockwave that could have scared away deer and bears for miles. Additionally, the crash would have caused significant destruction and potential toxicity in the surrounding area, making it an inhospitable zone for large terrestrial mammals.

Simple Physics and Anatomical Adaptations

Digging deeper into the biology, it's not just the environment. The physical anatomy of deer and bears also presents a significant challenge for facehuggers. Facehuggers are specifically adapted to grip and impregnate human-like face structures, as evidenced by the anatomy of a facehugger. The outline of the facehugger perfectly fits the flat-faced human species.

Deer: Too Much Elongation

Deer have long and often thin snouts, horizontal necks, and completely different internal configurations than humans or even the Predalien. A standard facehugger would have difficulty gripping a deer's neck with its tail or using its legs to grab the muzzle. This anatomical disparity would make the process of impregnation considerably more challenging and possibly even impossible. As seen in Alien 3 with Spike, who was injured during the facehugger attempt, it’s clear that non-sapient prey face significant challenges.

Trial and Error with Other Organisms

While Prometheus and Predator show that facehuggers can indeed impregnate non-human organisms, the success rate appears to be lower for non-sapient creatures. The facehugger that attacked the dog in Alien 3 struggled to complete the process, as evidenced by the dog's clawed-up face. This suggests that these creatures are not as adept at impregnating animals with less human-like anatomy.

Conclusion

The absence of facehuggers impregnating deer and bears in the forest is due to a combination of environmental and anatomical factors. The limited presence of suitable prey in the Yautja crash site, the simple physics of the facehuggers’ design being more suitable for humanoid hosts, and the challenges posed by the anatomy of deer and bears all contribute to this intriguing mystery.

References

Credit: Ken Taylor/NCWRC