No Man’s Sky: How to Tell If a Plant or Animal is Dangerous or Poisonous

Dangerous and Poisonous Plants and Animals – No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky opens up a universe of endless possibilities for players to explore, and that includes thousands of different plants and wildlife. Of course, just like in our own real universe, some of these plants and animals can be dangerous in a multitude of ways, including being poisonous and carnivorous. Being able to tell what you should and shouldn’t approach will become an integral part of your survival.

While it can be as nerve-wracking as real life, especially when you first stumble upon some huge, ursine beast, there are a few advantages you can take advantage of before getting up close and personal. By using your scanner, you can get information on a plant or animal. This information can include their temperament (whether they’re docile, skittish, shy, passive, etc.), what they like to eat, and other facts. If they’re neither skittish nor aggressive you are safe to approach, although they may still run. Skittish creatures in No Man’s Sky aren’t guaranteed to attack, but it is sort of a toss-up. Anything that doesn’t clearly say shy, passive, or docile has a chance to be dangerous. So approach with caution.

You don’t necessarily need your scanner to help you tell what’s dangerous either. You can look at an animal and watch how it moves. If it seems aggressive towards others, steer clear. If it looks as if its guarding an area or seems is territorial, steer clear. More often than not you’ll just find small creatures grazing or pouncing around, those are usually safe to approach.

As for plants, you’ll want to look for two things: color and movement. Most plants don’t move, but if you see one that looks like it’s breathing, give it a wide berth. Chances are it’s going to attack you if you get too close. When it comes to color, bright glowing colors tend to denote a poisonous and therefore dangerous plant. Reds and oranges seem to be the biggest telltale sign, as all growing blue plants we’ve seen thus far haven’t harmed us.

One thing to note with plants, is that even if they are poisonous you can still harvest them. Just don’t get to close or hit them with anything other than a beam from your weapon.

Keeping an eye out and trusting your scanner is a good way to stay alive in No Man’s Sky. It only takes one bad judgement to turn your space faring adventure upside-down. Need more help with No Man’s Sky? Check out our robust wiki full of guides and tips!