[PUGACHEV]

Life which developed on other planets and adapted to conditions which are radically different, and perhaps unimaginably different, than those existing here, may not be recognizable as life to us. Likewise, intelligent life may exist in other places which are so different from earth that we would not recognize it as life, or realize that it was intelligent, much less have any hope of understanding its behavior or motives.

[Smokin' Joe]

Likewise, intelligent life may exist in other places which are so different from earth that we would not recognize it as life, or realize that it was intelligent, much less have any hope of understanding its behavior or motives.

Yep. The landing party may have it whacked into slices or conveneint chunks and built a hut out of them before it could say "ouch".