Saurian
The Saurian race is reptilian and bipedal. Humanoid in shape, they have ruddy skin and large, yellowish eyes. Their four hearts give them great strength and endurance.
When first contacted by a Federation diplomatic envoy, the Saurians possessed the technology necessary for interstellar travel. However, they showed no interest in moving out among the stars, assuming that life did not exist there. Instead, all of their creative energies were channeled into art and music. Religion was a concept totally alien to the Saurian race, and they were so intrigued by theology that they insisted a chaplain be included in all negotiation sessions with the UFP. The Saurian name for the Terran race became "Kyrrstn’Kwynn," which translates as "those created in the image of God."
The Saurians have an intricate, almost musical native language that is sung and cannot be spoken by most humanoids due to differences in laryngeal structure. However, Saurians have no trouble pronouncing phonetic languages, such as English.
Saurian names are always comprised of three parts and translate into written English with some difficulty. The first two components, the birthname and the clan name, closely resemble the first and surnames common on Terra; the last name is a historical reference that changes continually throughout each Saurian's lifetime. It reflects such things as date of birth, gender, personal achievements, marital status, occupation, and even personal interests. As a result Saurian last names are often more than fifty letters long and for common usage are abbreviated into three representative letters, divided by apostrophes. Saurians often modify their names when dealing with other races, giving them a phonetic structure pronounceable by humanoids. The Saurians' name for their world, "Lyaksti'kton," most closely translates as "supporter of precious life."
Sauria is also well known as the producer of Saurian Brandy, a delicious alcoholic beverage that enjoys a wide reputation as one of the best drinks in known space. The Saurians themselves are immune to its highly intoxicating effects.
Saurians are typically 5 to 6 feet in height and weigh between 100 to 300 pounds. They have two hands, each with three fingers and an opposing thumb. Each foot has four toes. Shoes or boots are typically not worn by Saurians, even in Starfleet. Saurians have very small scales, as per their reptilian’s ancestry, being visible only by magnification, giving the appearance of smooth skin, but they are warm-blooded like mammals. While their diet is typically vegetarian, the Saurian digestive system evolved to handle anything organic: animals, plants, carrion (Bolian cuisine), garbage, etc. Saurians have many abilities, one of them being the ability to breathe several different gases, argon and carbon dioxide among them, which make them useful members of Starfleet away teams. They are very intelligent and make excellent Starfleet officers.
Standard Saurian attire consists of a one-piece robe and hood, intended to keep them warm during the daytime. Non-Saurians would freeze to death if they wore the clothing on the surface. Robe designs vary from island to island.
Saurians have large, extended families. Because their hatchlings develop very quickly (reaching the size and intelligence of a 20-year-old human adult in five years), "nuclear families" tend to be short-lived. Education and socialization of the hatchlings are handled within each clan, or svik, which may consist of hundreds of individuals living within the same general area. Svika may compete with each other over business or personal matters, but violent crime among them is almost unknown.
Saurians tend to be overprotective of their fellow clan members, even as they recognize the importance of standing on one's own two feet. This causes such stress for them that they will not willingly discuss it with someone of another species.
Among friends and svik, Saurians are pleasant, cheerful, and absolutely loyal. But in the presence of a hated enemy, a Saurian’s rage and fury can be frightening (even to themselves). When sufficiently enraged, a Saurian becomes stronger and moves faster and won’t stop from attacking everything moving within sight until exhaustion sweeps over them. Afterward, the Saurian will have no memory of the events that transpired while he was so engaged. A wrong done to a Saurian will not be forgotten by any of them, and making amends can be difficult. (Ron’s Star Frontiers Web Page; The World of Khoras)