Vaharran

</DynamicPageList>]]UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Physiology

External Anatomy

The Vaharrans were a humanoid type species of similar build to a Human; they were hermaphroditic and externally appeared male. On average a Vaharran stood between 1.9 meters (6 feet 3 inches) to 2.05 meters (6 feet 9 inches) and weighed between 100 kilograms (220 pounds) to 140 kilograms (309 pounds). Their bodies evolved to handle the harsh desert climate of their original and current home world.

Their most prominent feature was their cranial ridges, similar to that seen on a Klingon, made of thick, dense, and hard bone that acts as an armored plate. This cranial armor made up much of the upper half of the skull. It was segmented during infancy but became fused together into a single solid piece by adulthood. This armored bone plating extended further down the back, producing visible ridges on the back neck and along the spine. It was theorized that this armored plating was a holdover from an earlier evolutionary ancestor that used the armored craniums as a form of protection from predators by charging and headbutting them. Further the armored spinal cord made it far more difficult for Vaharrans to receive back injuries or have the spinal cord severed entirely. One further area that possessed this armored plate is the Vaharran sternum, which gave the cleft between their pectorals several pronounced ridges as well. This armor plate is believed to protect the heart, though not fully.

To protect from the harmful UV-rays and x-rays their sun produced, Vaharrans evolved to have rather thick skin. Their skin tones typically ranged from a light olive green color to a dark almost grayish green. Areas where the skin is thinner typically had a prominent reddish hue to them due to increased blood flow in those areas, the reason for this is further explained in the Internal Anatomy section of this article.

Other prominent external features included their ears, which were pointed. Their teeth have several sharp incisors due to their semi-carnivorous diet. Their eyes were fairly typical for humanoids with eye colors that ranged from green to brown and even in some rare cases a goldish yellow. Due to their prominent brow, eye color, and darker eyelids, the Vaharrans were particularly adept at seeing in incredibly bright conditions without the need of shaded lenses, however their night vision was rather poor.

The Vaharrans possessed some hair, mostly in the form of body hair. The hair started out as black then turns gray and eventually white with age.

Internal Anatomy

Vaharrans had a rather high muscle mass that gave them enhanced strength compared to that of a humanoid, their strength being about three times greater than an average human. Though they were omnivores they had to consume high amounts of protein in order to maintain their muscle mass and keep their muscles healthy. An issue that affected some elderly Vaharrans was their bodies could not process protein as efficiently and would undergo significant muscle atrophy, this could be treated with medications.

Internally, Vaharran organ systems were not particularly remarkable, resembling in both placement and composition many other humanoids across the galaxy. The only thing of note was their digestive tract is over fifty percent longer than a human’s allowing them to more efficiently break down food and absorb its nutrients into their body. However, again, owing to their increased muscle mass they still required large amounts of food in order to stay healthy and cannot go without food any longer than an average human.

Due to the very hot temperatures of their planet, the Vaharrans had multiple means to maintain their body temperature and not overheat. They possessed some sweat glands for perspiration, the largest of these is in their armpits, however they did not perspire enough to maintain body temperature. The average body temperature of a Vaharran was only slightly higher than a human’s at 37°C (99°F) and were able to handle fevers far better. The most common method for the body to expel extra heat was through several areas of thin skin with increased blood flow. These areas included the ears, nose, tongue, feet, hands, and groin. These areas could be identified by their reddish hue. Due to their bodies having evolved to exist comfortably in high heat environments, Vaharrans were not able to adapt to other climates. The average temperature that most humans found comfortable, 21°C (70°F) , would feel a bit cold to the Vaharrans who were far more used to a comfortable temperature of 40.5°C (105°F). Not being able to adapt or acclimatize to large colder temperature changes meant that Vaharrans required extra protection in colder environments. A world like Andoria or Efros-Delta would be extremely deadly for a Vaharran even with warm clothing, they would require special arctic exploration protection.

Vaharrans had an increased natural lifespan over that of an average humanoid. Typically they would live on average approximately 200 years. It was not exactly known why they live this long, lacking other sentient species to compare to until recently. Research has been done to determine the cause of the increased lifespan and possible ways using the new technologies and medicines they had acquired from Federation, Klingons, and Romulans to perhaps increase it further; but it was in its infancy and required rebuilding a lot of the knowledge that had been lost with the destruction of their planet and the three centuries traversing space.