YOUR NEXT CLOSE ENCOUNTER
Meet Xenling, your own pet alien from Earth. A living Physarum polycephalum in a tiny vial. Feed it. Watch it explore. Get a little attached.
A closer look SWIPE OR DRAG ↔
A tiny world, seen up close. Colour and growth patterns vary.
01 / GET ACQUAINTED
Some companions fetch. Some purr.
This one quietly grows its
own network.
Under the alien identity is Physarum polycephalum, a real slime mould from right here on Earth. It spreads, branches, and responds to its surroundings. No batteries. Just biology.
Watch its shape change over time. Every specimen has its own story.
A little care. A closer look. A reason to slow down and notice.
A living culture in a tiny glass vial, complete with its own field guide.
FILED UNDER: BEAUTIFULLY WEIRD
A whole other world is happening.
You just have to look a
little closer.
02 / YOUR FIRST CONTACT KIT
A little life form, and the essentials to help you look after it. Meet the XL-013 kit.
CONTAINMENT KIT / XL-013
A real living culture in its glass specimen vial with a clip.
Simple care instructions for your first close encounter and beyond.
Oat flakes for small, carefully served meals.
For adding water with a little more precision. One drop at a time.
For preparing a fresh growing surface. Follow the field guide.
Your Xenling comes in a random colour. For United Kingdom orders with prepared gel, the gel also comes in a random colour. Your Xenling's shape and growth will vary from the images.
03 / A LITTLE CARE. A LOT OF WONDER.
A COSY CORNER OF EARTH
Keep the vial upright, at room temperature, and out of direct sunlight. Xenling needs air, so do not seal the container airtight. Follow the guide for the correct setup.
SMALL CREATURE. SMALL MEALS.
Offer small, fresh pieces of plain oat flake, sparingly. Remove old food before it spoils. More food is not better: keep things clean and follow the field guide.
DAMP, NEVER FLOODED
Use clean, room-temperature water. Add one drop at a time with the pipette when moisture is needed. Keep the substrate damp, without standing water. The pipette's 0.3 ml size is not a watering dose.
GET TO KNOW YOUR LITTLE ALIEN
Check in regularly and notice changes in shape and growth over time. Keep your Xenling contained. Do not eat it, and wash your hands after handling the vial or care materials.
Living culture. Handle with care. Do not eat. Wash hands before and after care. Do not release into the environment. Adults should help with care and any heated substrate preparation.
BONUS TRANSMISSION / STAY CURIOUS
What happens when food is a little further away? What does a growing network look like up close?
Your Xenling is an invitation to notice, ask questions, and explore the wonderfully strange world of slime mould.
EXPERIMENT INSPIRATION · MAZE & DISH NOT INCLUDED
04 / DECLASSIFIED INFORMATION
A few things Earthlings
usually want to know.
Xenling is a real living organism from Earth. Its pet alien identity is part of the fun: inside the vial is Physarum polycephalum, a living slime mould. It needs ongoing care, air, moisture and food.
Xenling is a living organism to observe and look after. It is not a stretchy toy to squeeze or play with. Do not eat it, and wash your hands after handling the vial or care materials.
Every culture is different. Colour, shape, and growth patterns vary, and the images show different appearances and stages. Your Xenling may arrive looking different and will change over time.
Xenling's clip-on glass vial gives it a keychain pet look. This pocket alien is a delicate living culture: keep the vial upright, protect it from knocks, and avoid direct sunlight and temperature extremes. It needs air and regular care; follow the field guide before carrying it.
The maze and Petri dish are not included. They show a separate experiment for inspiration. The kit contains your selected Xenling specimen in its vial, a care guide, food, a 0.3 ml pipette, and spare alien substrate powder.
We use “intelligent pet” playfully. Physarum polycephalum has no brain or nervous system, yet research shows it can reorganise its branching network to connect food sources efficiently. Its behaviour comes from biology. Read the network research.
You can order a Xenling Physarum polycephalum kit for delivery to England, Scotland and Wales. Choose live or dormant dry culture, with prepared gel or powder. The shop shows current prices, stock and delivery options. Shop the Physarum polycephalum kit.
YOUR WORLD IS ABOUT TO GET A LITTLE WEIRDER.
Choose your little alien.
Check current prices and delivery
in the shop.