A Reader Asks a Question: What is Your Answer?

A reader emailed me with a question about language and naming in fantasy, and I thought I would throw it open to the Hive Mind.

Herewith:

When creating a fantasy world using an existing culture that is very different, (for example Mayan) I would populate it with pigs, cows, chickens, sheep as the author in the article recommended to keep the flow. But, what happens if I include a creature that does not exist in our world. A creature with a seahorse body and a slug like tail that they use to travel