Itipurians average between 5’4” and 5’9” in height, have very lithe frames (when healthy), a bipedal posture, and are covered in short, wiry, light brown fur save for on their heads and back wherein some subspecies will have a longer mane. Their feet are digitigrade and end in two hoof-like claws, while their hands end in 3 long, thin, calloused claws. They have smallish, pointed ears and crescent-shaped pupils that allow them to see into the ultraviolet spectrum. Their mouths are the most distinctive feature of the itipurians, as they possess no actual jaws, but rather a prehensile, muscular proboscis and long, scaly tongue (though in ancient itipurians this proboscis was much more pronounced and tongue much longer).

The itipurian diet has historically been comprised of small, soft-bodied invertebrates (which are crushed by the tongue and musculature lining the proboscis), saps, syrups, and necter high in glucose and/or fructose, and pulverized fruit. The structure of their mouths making it largely impossible for them to eat solid foods. It’s likely due to This high-protein, high-sugar liquid diet that the Itipurians have both an exceptionally high alcohol tolerance as well as virtually no cases of diabetes among their species.

More recently, shifting climates on their homeworld has resulted in the receding of tropical forests which is making it increasingly difficult for them to cultivate their traditional staple-foods and in some cases just keeping these food sources from outright going extinct is an uphill challenge for a itipurians whose horticultural development has lagged behind what is typical of a species of their technological level. This new crisis has lead many itipurians to desperately travel to other worlds looking for alternative food crops to replace their now critically endangered native crops.

Historically ancient itipurians were an aggressively territorial species (much like humans) but with the advent of interstellar travel and entry into the galactic community a unified government was formed. However with the looming climate and food crisis the pan-itipurian government has been losing support and control, resulting in smaller political factions and Luddite cults forming and breaking away to establish new nation-states in the far flung corners of known space.

Included: Photo taken of Itipurian spacecraft (unknown location, Peru; circa 1964)