Chuzekk People

The Chuzekk people are a sentient species native to the planet Chooz.

Overview
They are amphibians, but their thick hides and scaly-looking features lead many humans to mistake them for reptiles. They are hatched from eggs, spend the next several years as aquatic larvae (nymphs), then grow legs and develop into a small version of their future adult form. They are not legally considered adults until they are 36 years old.

Gender
Chuzekk juveniles and adults have two genders, male and female, but a newly-hatched nymph has no gender. An individual's gender is determined by which variety of seaweed he or she eats during the nymph (larval) stage.

Where They Live
Because they are amphibians, Chuzekks can live in water or on land. In fact, many Chuzekk cities are built on the ocean floor. There are strong cultural differences between 'water people' and 'air people', as they are called. For example, water people tend to be more graceful and more of them wear makeup and paint their claws. Air people, both male and female, tend to have what most humans consider a 'masculine' bearing and - except for a few eccentrics - do not decorate their bodies.