Astalvi
| Astalvi | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Genus: | Povel |
| Species: | P. sefeais |
| Binomial name | |
| Povel sefeais | |
The Astalvi (Zveahe: povell /pɒ̃ˈvelʲ/) are a sapient species native to northern Nagu. They are often brown or black furred (occasionally with a slight purple tinge in black-haired individuals), and are generally shorter than the average human.
Etymology
The term "Astalvi" became synonymous with the species as a result of the fact that the majority of the citizens of Astalva belong to P. sefeais and vice-versa.
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Habitat and population
Astalvis mostly live in and around Astalva, though they are capable of living in many non-arid climates as well. As of January 2017, there are over 40 million living within Astalva, [2?] million living in Lhavres and [some number] more in other parts of the world. Archeological evidence suggests that their prehistorical range spanned most of Nagu as well as the western regions of the Draconic Islands
Biology
Astalvis are members of the [taxon] family of caniforms.
Like most placental mammals, Astalvis have dichromatic color vision, as they lack the long wavelength cone cells of primates and some other species. As such, they are unable to easily distinguish red, green and yellow hues. This is reflected in their languages, which generally tend to distinguish green and blue, but almost always sharing a common word for red, yellow, and green. Compared to humans, however, astalvis have appreciably greater visual acuity, especially in low light environments.
Some studies have suggested that some female astalvis may possess a limited degree of trichromacy, resulting from having two slightly different copies of one type of cone cell pigment. However, while some study participants have reported a "distinct but unexplainable" difference between red and green hues, no conclusive evidence has been found regarding the possibility of fully functional trichromacy.
Astalvis possess a much greater range of hearing than humans, with a range of approximately 30Hz to 38KHz (a range of roughly 10.3 octaves). Unlike humans, astalvis generally do not experience progressive upper hearing loss as they age. They also possess sensitivity at lower volume levels than humans, with their ears also being able to pivot in order to focus in on the direction of sound sources.
On account of their abilities to reason, process complex thoughts, and utilize spoken language, astalvis are one of the six extant species on Sahar that are commonly recognized as sapient legal persons.