Laciilo

Basic Information

Anatomy

Laciilo are a reptilian race where their heads, and upper torso resemble that of a human in outward appearance only, approximately where a waist would be on a human is a long scaled reptilian body, six legs and fully prehensile tail. The first two legs of the reptile part are more physically comparable to arms, not up to long journeys on flat plains that require being on all fours, (the middle set of legs is kept up on flat plains, arm slings are occasionally used to prevent muscle fatigue of holding them up) their hind legs are sturdy with three pointed toes that secrete a sticky oil to help with stabilizing on irregular terrain and for climbing anything, also their hind legs are powerful springs, they can jump a span of nearly 20 feet with little effort. Their tails are approximately as long as their total length and fully prehensile, and very essential to their balance especially when high up. They use it not only to provide extra support but scattered along the vertebrae in the tail are small nerve bundles that send all kinds of environmental senses to their brains helping them naturally adjust for the best conditions.
Laciilo have scales that cover roughly 60-70% of their bodies, their face, hands and some of their torso are the only places devoid of scales barring mutations. The scales along their spines are harder and typically lighter in color due to this thickness. The palms of all eight limbs are extremely sensitive to temperature, texture and humidity as such most laciilo find it uncomfortable to cover their hands or feet but will also refrain from skin to skin contact with others due to the intimacy of the senses that their hands provide.

Biological Traits

Laciilo have small variances in sexual dimorphism aside from genitalia, being a reptillain race the females lack mammary glands therefore are quite physically similar to the males. They have a slightly slimmer build and tend to be slightly smaller than males the biggest difference is their tails are usually longer and thinner than the males.

Genetics and Reproduction

Female Laciilo are technically fertile year round, however they have a period of 'heat' where they are the most fertile once a year in the mid summer so the eggs will be born in the coolest months. (On Aystina it doesn't actually get cold enough to kill an egg) Off planet this period my adapt or be delayed to adjust to the new planet's temperatures, the eggs may also require an incubator if the ambient temperature is not warm enough to sustain the egg, or be kept under a heating lamp. Female Laciilo carry the eggs for the short period of a few weeks, (3-6) before laying them when laid the egg has a semi soft shell hardening in 2 weeks or so, it is vital that the egg not be moved or disturbed as it could hurt the embryo inside. The eggs incubate for roughly 2 months before hatching. Laciilo lay between 1-6 eggs depending on the female and conditions. Very rarely there will be two embryos in one egg resulting in identical twins (1 in 300 chance), these eggs will hatch prematurely and the hatchlings will also be extremely close, nearly inseparable for the majority of their lives if they survive. The eggs usually take six months or so to hatch, off planet they would need to be kept in an incubator due to the natural warmth of their home planet.

Ecology and Habitats

Very warm, wet, rainforest type situation/climate

Dietary Needs and Habits

[this makes no sense why did I do this lol, pending an update]
Laciilo are classified as omnivores but the lack of fully sustaining plant life on Aystina leads them to be mostly carnivores, with what they can find in edible plant life a rare delicacy. However it is one of their greatest sins to kill anything living (including plant life, insects, fungus etc) so they make sure absolutely none of the animal they kill goes to waste. There is also a ritual cleansing of the animals skulls, which are then dipped in a shiny reflective metal that has an extremely high melting point, it even remains solid in even the hot waters of the ocean, once completely covered the skull is dropped into a pool of still water (which is considered a holy place in the Laciilo society) by the Laciian that killed the animal, with the entire hunting party present as well. For plant life or anything too small to have a ceremony for they simply say individual personal prayers and thank the living spirit for their sacrifice. (Off planet some traditionally raised Laciilo would choose to be vegetarian)

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

• Sight: Laciilo have two sets of eyes the larger primary set located where a humans would be and the secondary set located just above them where a humans eyebrow would typically be. The primary set is comparable to a nearsighted human; Laciilo cannot see far distances away with great detail, their night vision is very poor because they have no need for it as it's almost never completely dark on Aystina. They can see colors separately for some distance though. The secondary set detect movement, they are not consciously controlled they move independently and only focus together when movement is detected, although they do have a limited radius unless the Laciian moves their head.


• Hearing: Because of their limited sight Laciilo's other senses are heightened especially hearing and touch. The Laciilo have three separate ears, the primary middle set is comparable to human hearing between 12-20000 Hz. The secondary set just above the Primary set are smaller and can hear higher frequencies comparable to bats, between 20- 120000 Hz. This set can move independently rotating in nearly every direction and are usually set just behind the primary set and about ½ the size. The tertiary set below the primary set hear much higher frequencies and geared towards hearing underwater, the exact frequencies at which they can hear at with this set is undetermined. However there are mutations that cause this set to be larger than the primary set. Laciilo with this mutation are often seen as spiritual because it's said that they can hear the 'voices' of the gods. These individuals usually become priests or shamans. (Laciilo that are off planet often need to wear hearing dampeners because of their sensitive ears)


• Smell: Laciilo have an olfactory system similar to that of a human and within the same ranges, their sense of smell however has less impact on their sense of taste.


• Taste: Laciilo have a much broader sense of taste than humans, they have a longer tongue and nearly twice the taste buds. All Laciilo can taste bitter.


• Touch: The hands (human and first two leg set) of a Laciian are extremely sensitive; due to their reduced sight they rely on touch to identify things, move, etc. They also have a small level of touch telepathy allowing them to feel the emotions of others whom they are in contact with and depending on the strength of the individual send thoughts or images. Because of this its uncommon for Laciilo to use their hands in greeting or casually, and because its not comfortable for them to cover their hands Laciilo who need to make contact more often will wear shirts or outfits with long sleeves to cover their hands.


• Other: Small level of touch based telepathy.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Laciilo have a first personal name, their same gender parents name (son's have their father's name, daughters their mother's) and a Family surname, after which if they have a clan name its stated.

Courtship Ideals

Laciilo are monogamous once married, its not unusual for a female to mate with more then one male before she is wed in the hope of producing more female children. However once married it is for life. In the case that one spouse passes away culturally they can remarry however they don't always, if a Female was married for love she may choose just to mate rather then re-marry. Males will incite the courting process with the female's father, (Or eldest brother/ Closest male relative if the father has passed away), the courting process can last anywhere from a week to years, its entirely up to the Females representing Male relative who will chaperone the couple for the first couple of 'dates' before allowing them to be together alone. Typically the female's feelings will be taken into account unless she is in the direct clan line and needs to be wed to seal an alliance or bear an heir to the clan. When the Male has the father's permission to propose to the Female he will leave one of his thicker scales hung from a rope that he personally wove, often of a color or material that means something to the couple, and leave it where she will find it. If the female recognizes his scale and accepts, she'll weave a wedding veil with something she thinks represents them both, a favorite flower, color, etc, and that veil will replace her day-to-day one until she has a daughter of her own, also making him a similar pendant with one of her scales on a woven rope. Then there is a secondary ceremony where a priest will wed them and a huge week long celebration for the new couple wishing them long lived happiness and a large family.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Laciilan is the main language although it has a large difference in dialects and slang between continents as they had been separated for so long.

Lifespan

Males: 500 - 650 USS Years

Females: 520 - 670 UUS Years

Average Height

Male: 6'0 - 9'0 Feet

Female: 5'0 - 8'0 Feet

Average Weight

Males: 400 - 500 lbs

Females: 350 - 450 lbs

Average Length

Male: 10'0 - 12'0 Feet | (Length: from head to rump, Tail is approx the same length as their body)

Female: 9'0 - 10'0 Feet (Length: from head to rump, Tail is slightly longer than their body)