Rana thanekriosii

The Rana thanekriosii is a sentient terrestrial frog native to regions with an arid environment. It is typically characterised by a vibrant green and black patterned body with a pink tinge to the ventral surface and a lighter coloured lower lip. The eardrums are visible and crimson, as are its nictitating membranes. It also has large pink-tinged toe pads, which aid in climbing. Adult R. thanekriosii also secrete psychoactive substances from their skin that, when ingested, can cause hallucinations.*

The R. thanekriosii is omnivorous but highly predatory. Its mostly silent nature, astonishing climbing ability and general dexterity makes it among the galaxy's most dangerous - if deceptively innocuous-looking - killers.

The R. thanekriosii chiefly thrives on beaches and starships, although certain subspecies form an unlikely symbiosis with jellyfish. In general, however, the R. thanekriosii does poorly in wet environments and can in fact die from prolonged exposure to high humidity.

_{* Strangely enough, members of certain sentient species - chiefly female - are notorious for using R. thanekriosii for recreational purposes.}

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For those of you who have never heard of Mass Effect, have a textbook-style nature illustration of a frog carrying a gun. For those of you who are familiar Mass Effect, this picture was the result of the following (bizarre) conversation:

: ... You romanced *Jacob*? ROFL!
: It was either him, or a frog and a cockroach.

And of course I couldn't get the imagery out of my head - and my policy is: When you can't get a picture out of your head, inflict it upon as many people as you can so that you won't be alone. Not going to draw Garrus as a roach for obvious reasons, but hey, Thane Krios *does* make a very endearing frog.


<sub>TECH NOTES

1. Since I based R. thanekriosii upon white-lipped tree frogs, I should perhaps have called it Litoria thanekriosii - only that would imply that it came from Australia/ Bismarck Archipelago/ Solomon Islands/ New Guinea/Lesser Sunda Islands/ Moluccan Islands/ Timor. So I used the more general Latin name, Rana, instead. Feh.

2. Yes, I know the Drell are a reptile-like people, but Jar specifically said "frog".

3. Yes, steel girders would probably be more appropriate than a tree branch, but why ruin the nature illustration feel? LOL. [/irresponsible]</sub>



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