Physical Description[]
- Long, tubular body
- Hexadecipedal; has eight pairs of tentacle-like legs
- Each tentacle trifurcates near the ends to serve as hands
- Head resembles a human brain in shape
- Has five mushroom-shaped eyestalks on head
- Jaws on the end of a thicker tentacle-like proboscis extending from the front of the head
- Retractable "mating fangs" on the inside of the jaw
- Blood contains Haemocyanin and Heamorythrin, appearing clear when deoxygenated and a vibrant bluish purple when oxygenated
Culture[]
Yekulra are highly solitary creatures, generally preferring to live alone or in the company of other species. Two Yekulra can rarely stay in the same room for long before one leaves. While the species is highly tolerant and inclusive of other species, they have a fairly nasty reputation within the galactic community due to how the species reproduces.
The Yekulra are cannibalistic parasitoids. In order to reproduce, one member of the species must assault another member, biting down and extending the "mating fangs" within the jaw. The fangs secrete a venom that paralyzes the bitten member and forces it to undergo ovulation. The biting partner will then forcibly mate with the paralyzed partner several times, typically fertilizing three to five eggs. The biting partner will then leave. After an hour or two, the paralyzing venom wears off and the bitten partner can move again.
The hormones released by the eggs seal up the birth canal, leaving the developing larvae to eat their "mother" for sustenance. They eat slowly in a pattern intended to keep the host alive as long as possible. Once they've devoured the "mother" from the inside out, they form a chitinous cocoon to undergo metamorphosis into an adult.