Hive Xenomorph

H i v e

The 'Hive' xenomorph is first encountered in Aliens. It is quite like the 'Grey', but has some differences.

Appearance
Height: 2,5 meters
Weight: unknown
Head: The head of the 'Hive' is the part that differs most in the appearance from the 'Grey'. Instead of the smooth corona, the 'Hive' has ridges spreading out from the center of the corona.
Body/Legs/Tail: Like the 'Grey'
Color: Darker and more bluish than the 'Grey'

Social structure

The 'Hive' lives in a hive with many 'workers' or 'soldiers', and a queen that rules the show. Each 'Hive' probably has a special task to do in this collective.
When in a hive, the alien will mature faster, but will be less intelligent than the independent 'grey'.

Hierarchy: All of the 'Hives' are submissed to the Hive Queen. But amongst the 'Hive' themselves, it doesn't seem to be any kind of hierarchy.

Communication: The 'Hive' seems to communicate vocally. Certain kinds of hisses seems to mean certain things. For example: The Hive Queen hisses to the 'Hive' when they are eager to catch Ripley when she is in the Queens Lair. It is a deep hiss that seems to mean: 'Get lost. I can handle this by myself.' The 'Hive' also hisses, but it is a higher sound and more aggressive sound. It might be a way to express excitement and/or anger. It also could be a warning: 'I'm gonna kill you!' Since I guess that the young males are driven from the hive when they reach sexual maturity, the 'Hive' xenomorph must be females. The Queen probably produces some kind of phereomon so that the females woun't reach sexual maturity. If these females reach sexual maturity, they would develop into queens themselves and the hive would break up. The Queen probably uses pheromons and smell for other kinds of control as well.

Age: The 'Hive' develops faster than the 'Grey', but not much. As we can see in Aliens, the 'Hive' is able to 'hibernate'. This might lengthen their life. But the 'Hive' is aggressive, even towards other xenomorphs. I guess that constant quarrel and fights will shorten their lives. All in all, I guess the 'Hive' doesn't live much longer than the 'Grey' - 1 to 2 active years.
But both the 'Grey' and the 'Hive' is able to hibernate, and they can hibernate as long as 200 years!

Hunting Pattern: The 'Hive' hunts in packs of about 3-4 xenomorphs. They mostly hunts at night. In the day they are asleep.

Defense: The 'Hive' defense is that every 'Hive' attacks the intruder of the hive or any potential dangerous being.

History Life cycle Grey Queen Panther Newborn Rez Alien
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