Character mistake: Shatner fluffs his line when asking the mining engineers whether they've posted sentries. He asks if they've posted "centuries" instead. (00:05:20)
Deliberate mistake: Here, as in nearly every other ST episode featuring caves, caverns or mines, all the floors are perfectly flat and the lighting adequate-to-see-by or even brilliant. These configurations are easily found on soundstage sets - but not in nature. (00:16:30)
Revealing mistake: The Horta's round tunnels have perfectly even striations and are obviously factory-manufactured tubes. Acid secreted by an elliptical creature burning through solid rock would not create a perfect circle. The Horta is visibly not chewing, sculpting or smoothing the sides. No acid burning method would leave patterned stripes on the walls, either. (00:18:15)
Continuity mistake: When Kirk is facing the Horta he has his phaser in his right hand when seen from the front but when seen from behind he has his communicator in his left hand and no phaser. (00:31:00 - 00:38:00)
Revealing mistake: When Kirk holds a golden egg, a seam can be seen on it. (00:43:55)
Revealing mistake: A straight and level seam connecting the top and bottom halves of the tunnel Spock is crawling through is visible.
Suggested correction: Views of the tunnels made before the creature was wounded by Kirk and Spock appear almost perfectly smooth. It is explained that the creature exudes a powerful acid to dissolve the rock. This tunnel was made after the creature was wounded, so it is logical that the wounded portion of the creature would secrete less acid thus leaving an imperfection as the creature tunnels. This could be a case of incredible attention to detail by the set designer rather than an error revealed.
This correction is too much of a stretch to explain a perfect seam by the wounded Horta. Plus, if the Horta was secreting less corrosive substance, then that area would be less eroded, not more. If attention to detail was paid, then the area would have an outward seam, not an inward one.
Character mistake: Spock says that Vanderberg said there were thousands of these silicon nodules, but Vanderberg actually said there were millions of them. Not a mistake Spock would make.
Character mistake: When Spock and Kirk pursue the Horta, they come to a fork in the tunnel. Kirk points right and tells Spock to go left. Then he points left and says he'll go right.
Continuity mistake: After his initial mind meld with the horta, Spock tells Kirk, "That's all I got, Captain: waves and waves of searing pain." A minute later, he says that it's "a highly intelligent, extremely sophisticated animal" that calls itself a horta. Apparently, waves of searing pain were not all that he got after all. Unlike Spock to be so imprecise.
Plot hole: Spock has absolutely no way to know, yet, that the horta only secretes her corrosive substance when tunneling: he hasn't had time to examine her or to do more than determine that she does indeed secrete a substance that cuts the tunnels. So he should at the very least scan the piece of her that falls off before he picks it up with his bare hands. Major lapse of logic, which given his character goes beyond a character mistake.
Character mistake: Kirk informs Spock via communicator the Horta is ten feet from him, and Spock insists Kirk kill it. First, both know they cannot kill it with their phasers, and second, Spock's demand for Kirk to kill the Horta runs counter to the Vulcan philosophy of respect for all life. Spock would never want to harm, let alone kill, another life form.
Suggested correction: At this point they don't have any proof that they can't kill it, and since Kirk is in danger, it's logical to try. Also, Spock is half human and he's concerned about his best friend being killed. Logical or not, he'll want Kirk to protect himself at all costs. Other episodes have shown where Spock doesn't always behave logically when his friends are at risk and he lets his emotions come out.
Continuity mistake: After McCoy checks the Horta, he approaches Kirk with his tricorder in his left hand. The scene cuts to McCoy and Kirk and now McCoy's tricorder is in his right hand.
Continuity mistake: Spock and Kirk both arrive at the sizzling remains of a red shirt crewman, standing close together, but the next shot of the crewman's remains shows only one set of legs at the site (presumably Spock's), not two.
Continuity mistake: As Kirk is crawling through the tunnel leading to the Horta's nest, a tight view from his left side shows light shining on his face and darkness behind him. When the shot changes, though, to the view from the nest, there is light behind him and darkness on his face.
