Lynx sapiens
The Hri Species (Lynx sapiens)
The Hri are a sapient intelligent feline species. The resemble a cross between a hominid and a bobcat or lynx.
Contents
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Lynx
Species: sapien
Physical Apperance, Biology, and Anatomy
Hri stand roughly 2/3 human-sized, averaging 1.2 metres in height for males and 1 meter for females, and weighing about 30kg for females and 40kg for males. They are descended from fourlimbed, upright, bipedal carnivore originally adapted to an arboreal existence. Hri have two legs, two arms, and a short tail They have short fur over most of their bodies, but not on the face or genitals. The head is large compared with the rest of the body. The nose and jaws are short, so the face seems flat when compared with the faces of humans. The ears are large and flaring at the base. They taper up to rounded or pointed tips and stand erect.
Hri teeth serve primarily as weapons, as well as for tearing food. They have 30 permanent teeth. The strongest and sharpest are the four large, curved, pointed fangs (canines). With these teeth the Hri grasps and tears its food or an enemy. Hri have fewer side teeth (premolars and molars) than do most other mammals. The Hri uses these teeth (carnesals) mainly for cutting. The tongue surface is covered with rasp like projections or barbs that face backward into the throat. Hri use their tongues as efficient tools to strip flesh off the bones of prey. Although a Hri's jaws are short, they are extremely strong. They clamp down upon prey with enough power to crush the bones.
Perhaps among the most striking things about the Hri is their litheness and grace of movement and the amazing flexibility of body. The legs appear short when compared with the length of the body, but they are powerful. Strong muscles produce instant power for leaping upon prey or for great bursts of speed to catch prey on the run. The sharp angles of the knee and "heel" of the hind legs also contribute to the power for sudden sprints, for climbing, and for jumping.
The arms are also powerful and extremely flexible Hri have four fingers, and a thumb, and four toes. Fingers are similar to humans, while toes are short and stubby, with two joints (as opposed to three in humans) Hri also have a highly specialised dewclaw on the outside of the fore-arms, which folds jackknife fashion into a horny covering at the base of the wrist. The retracted claw is held in its "sheath" by an elastic ligament. A muscle in the arm pulls on a tendon, which in turn pulls on the joint to which the claw is attached, and the claw comes out of its sheath.
Hri have a larynx similar to humans, but rather elongated in comparison.
Senses
Hri have a keen hearing and can detect many sounds that humans cannot hear. They usually turn their head in the direction of a sound. This aids both hearing and vision. In the Hri, as in humans, the inner ear a bony structure of fluid-filled semicircular canals contains a complicated mechanism for maintaining body balance. The Hri's large and prominent eyes are placed well forward on the head and, like the eyes of humans, they face forward, thus the Hri have binocular vision similar to that of humans. The size and position of the eyes permit as much light as possible to enter them and ensure an extensive field of vision important factors in hunting and nocturnal prowling. Hri cannot see in total darkness, but it can see better in dim light than can most other kinds of animals. In bright light the contract to narrow vertical slits or small round pupils. But in the dark these slits or small pupils enlarge to round openings that admit a maximum amount of light. The eyes seem to shine in the dark. This shininess results when even the smallest amount of light strikes a reflective area of iridescent green or yellow crystalline needles in the inner lining of the eye. The tip of the nose is a leather and usually black or reddish. It is usually cool and moist. Hri have an acute sense of smell, scenting prey or their favorite delicacies at surprising distances. Three rows of stiff whiskers grow on the upper lip on each side of the nose, serve as delicate sense organs of touch.
Gender and Reproduction
There are two sexes, male and female. The most notable difference is the increased size and mane of the former. Females outnumber males by 3 to 1. They have a gestation of six months. Children are born singularly, in pairs, or trios. They are weaned after about two years. Hri become sexually mature at between ten and twelve years.
