They appear to have their own language as hinted at by their name which does not resemble Old Solar. They are expert craftsmen and architects who delight in technology and the visual arts. The Pfiffltriggi are miners and artists whose humour is described as 'excelling in practical jokes and personal abuse'. It was rather like a grasshopper, rather like one of Arthur Rackham's dwarfs, rather like a frog, and rather like a little old taxidermist whom Ransom knew in London.' It was much more insect-like or reptilian than anything he had yet seen. Ransom guessed that it was a pfifltrigg – and was glad that he had not met one of this third race on his first arrival in Malacandra. A moment later the whole of the thing came into view with a startling jump. It was long and pointed like a shrew's, yellow and shabby-looking, and so low in the forehead that but for the heavy development of the head at the back and behind the ears (like a bag-wig) it could not have been that of an intelligent creature. It was hairless like a man's or a sorn's. ' The tapping instantly stopped and a remarkable face appeared from behind a neighbouring monolith. It was broad and padded and clearly made to be walked on but upwards from it … went the true fore-arms-thin, strong fore-arms, ending in. part of its fore-limbs on which it was supported was really, in human terms, rather an elbow than a hand. ' Its build was distinctly that of a frog.

Ransom is somewhat biased at first by their appearance, much like that of the Séroni:

Out of the silent planet ransom