Zulgards (Zul-gard)

Zulgards are ape-like species that live in large groups with various variations within the group that have inborn roles of the colony.  They were discovered by the Green Mage Society on planet Viyang in the Gito system.  

Members of the Colony

Zulgard Guardians are the biggest of the members. They tower 13 feet tall when standing. They have a strong exoskeleton-like plating around parts of their body. What parts that are not covered, you can see some white-grayish fur and muscles. They are used as a symbol of the Ironroot warriors of the Green Mage Society due to their strength and the very defensive nature of their colony members. This makes it hard to study the rest of the colony to fill in the gaps in knowledge of this species.
Zulgard Gatherers are the most seen outside of the colony. They are usually the ones carrying items to the colony and ripping apart kills from the hunters that normally don't hunt until night. Gathers usually are only 4 feet tall and are usually always upright. They are also bulky for their size. They lack the exoskeleton protection that Guardians have. They are also a bit fatter than the other members. Their fur is grayish-green. They do help with the fighting if needed but are usually using objects to throw at instead of close encounters. They have been spotted to use simple tools for various tasks when gathering.
Zulgard Hunters are rarely seen. The few that were seen are said to have dark fur and longer and more slender limbs than Gathers. They can stand up to 6 ft but are only seen crouching. They have been seen to use tools that look more like weapons that are probably used during hunting and spotted once when fighting other colonies or invaders. They too lack the exoskeleton of the guardians but seem to have some on their forearms and fingers that look to be shard as claws.
Zulgard Consorts as they are called seems to be what is considered the most mysterious of the members. Observations of the colonies seem to suggest they are all female while all other members seem to be male. They have lighter green fur than the gathers. They seem to vary in size from 3 ft while standing to 10 ft while standing. They socialize with all other members of the colony regardless of the size of the other member and themselves. They have had the smallest Consort grooming the biggest Guardian and the biggest Consort grooming the smallest Gather. They have never been seen, grooming Hunters. They seem to never fight with the other members and seem the biggest are the last line of defense. They also seem to be the only members of the colony that does the digging.

Reproduction

The species reproduce via external hard-shell eggs and are usually placed underground. The newborns are fed milk from the Consorts after hatching. The size and shape of the egg and the milk of the Consort seem to determine the role of the member with the exception of the Consorts. They seem to stay in the eggs longer and don't need to consume milk but eat solid food right away. Depending on the role of the newborn varies in how long it takes for them to get to their full size. Gaurdings take the longest at 20 years. Consorts (with some quicker depending on size) and Hunters are 10 years. Gatherers are usually 3 years.

Basic Information

Genetics and Reproduction

The species reproduce via external hard-shell eggs and are usually placed underground. The newborns are fed milk from the Consorts after hatching. The size and shape of the egg and the milk of the Consort seem to determine the role of the member with the exception of the Consorts. They seem to stay in the eggs longer and don't need to consume milk but eat solid food right away.