Ursoid

General

The Ursoids are bear-like creatures particularly notable for their great strength and hardiness.

Appearance

Ursoids are bipedal, with 2 arms and 2 legs, and erect posture. Forepaws have evolved into hands, but powerful and very dangerous claws are retained. Body hair is full and dense, ranging in color from ‘polar bear’ white to buff, brown, and black. Overall appearance is very bear-like, with massive musculature. Ursoids have ‘refined’ body shapes, compared to primal ancestors, and are well adapted to bipedal locomotion. Males range from 180 cm to 225 cm in height and mass of 00 kg to 220 kg. Females are somewhat smaller, but still are significantly larger and heavier than the males of human species, attaining as much as 125 kg mass and height of 200 cm. Ursoids can attain speeds comparable to those of humans both in sprints and over long distances.

Senses

Vision

Ursoid vision is somewhat less sharp than that of humans, but depth perception is good. Cold planet species will have vision as acute as any human’s unlike their warm planet cousins, who are adapted to the ‘close’ conditions of forested habitats. Indeed, some races have vision sufficiently limited to necessitate the use of aids like contact lenses and eyeglasses to attain clear sight over distances of more than a few hundred meters.

Hearing

Ursoid hearing is very acute in forest species, but cold planet races have hearing approaching human norms (their dependence is on eyesight).

Smell

All Ursoids have keen olfactory senses, especially when airborne odors are involved. They cannot follow a scent trail like Canines, however. Ursoid olfactory senses are more of a warning faculty than a tracking faculty.

General

Ursoids are action-oriented beings and tend to prefer the military life. Their great strength permits them to carry heavy loads with ease, and some individuals are able to wear un-powered heavy armour without experiencing undue encumbrance. In close combat, few species can equal Ursoids for sheer destructive capacity. Despite their warlike natures, Ursoids are largely vegetarian, consuming meat on occasion but not as a habit. They have iron-based metabolisms. Life expectancy is about 100 years in advanced races, and about 30 years for ‘primitives.’