#i abandoned my real bio hw for this fake bio lets goooo

Comparative physiology of the Iridonian Zabrak (Zabrakii Vulgaris) and Dathomirian Zabrak (Zabrakii Fatalis)

By F. Silvestris, P. Leo, F.S. Cattus, L. Lynx, P. onca

Zabraks are sentient, medium-sized bipedal feliforms native to the outer rim planet of Iridonia. The two extant species the Iridonian Zabrak and Dathomirian Zabrak diverged around 20 million years ago, with speciation continuing after the advent of space-travel. 

Similar to mammals, Zabraks are warm-blooded and have hair (regressed in Dathomrians) but do not lactate, lacking both nipples and mammary glands. The female breast is a result of sexual selection, with fat storage being an indicator of fitness. Infants are born toothless and eat pre-digested food that is regurgitated by adults. 

Dathormirans are obligate carnivores and lack the ability to taste sweet foods. Iridonians are omnivorous and eat small amounts of plant matter. Both species are red colour blind, have sharp canines, and predominantly eat meat, suggesting they diverged from a common carnivorous ancestor.

Dathomirians are crepuscular and sleep up to 12 hours a day, they do most of their hunting at dusk and dawn. Iridonians are diurnal and sleep 7-8 hours a day.

Fossil footprints indicate ancient Zabraks live in packs of up to 10-20 individuals. They are persistence hunters capable of running at moderate speeds over great distances. Modern Dathomrians are able to kill without tools, using their powerful jaws to crush the prey’s windpipe and hold the throat closed until the animal suffocates. This allows them take down animals much larger than themselves. Dathomrians have a hunting success rate of 80% but they are often robbed of their kills by larger animals, such as the Sabre-toothed Fossa.

Zabraks process a sensory ability that is not well-understood by science. Anecdotal evidence show that the Dathomirians are able to coordinate their hunts with incredible precision, locate their prey and avoid predators even when devoid of sight, smell and sound. This ability seems similar to fish electroreception, but the organ responsible has not been identified.* 

In Dathomrians, infants of both sexes are born with disruptive colouration which camouflages them from predators. The female pattern fades with the onset of puberty while males retain their colouration. Males accentuate their naturally-occurring stripes with tattoos, which provides camouflage, tribal identitfiers and aesthetics.
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*1 At the time of writing “the Force” was not common knowledge or widely studied.