Species and Appearance
There are 3 subspecies of Organas leias found today. These are the Organas
leias newhopus, Organas leias strikesbackus and the Organas leias jedius. These
subspecies are identified in the field primarily by body coloring and cranial plumage.
One may note that all of the O. leias newhopus and the majority of O. leias
strikesbackus have similar body coloring and therefore make them more difficult to
identify. But the subspecies can usually be ascertained by noting closely the style of
plumage. Rarely, one will find a newhopus with similar plumage to that of the
strikesbackus and jedius, but differentiation is possible as the strikesbackus and jedius
varieties are usually seen in the company of a mate.
O. leias newhopus
This subspecies is identified by a completely white body coloring throughout its
lifecycle. The only deviation from this color scheme is the occasional hint of silver
points either at the waist in youth and maturity or at the throat in old age, but never
both simultaneously. Occasionally, one may encounter a mature newhopus that
appears grayish or may have spots of brown upon the front of its torso. This is usually
an indication that it has recently been released from captivity and has been climbing
around in dumpsters, most commonly those found behind large government office
buildings.
The cranial plumage of the entire subspecies is a dark brown, the majority found with a style that widens on either side of the head in a bi-geometric circular shape. Occasionally one will encounter a newhopus with more cylindrical plumage with a tail that extends down its back for roughly a meter. All newhopus sport 1977 disco style stay-on-forever-this-aint-never-comin'-off-I-don't-care-how-much-you-threaten-me lip-gloss. For more information on this subject, see mating habits.
O.leias strikesbackus
Strikesbackus can be identified by either coat or plumage, but most often by the
presence of its mate, which accompanies all of the members of this subspecies after
the juvenile phase. Those strikebackus that are not in the company of a mate are
younger members of the subspecies and can usually be distinguished by their hostile
temperament. These specimens are known for presenting an air of deniability and
occasionally can be seen grooming a sibling. (It has been determined, however, that
this grooming behavior is not part of a serious mating ritual.) This subspecies is
colored white (with no silver points) for the majority of its life. However, in maturity, the
strikesbackus changes color to orange and brown. This transformation is short-lived
and it is assumed that reversion to the original white is a result of a brief but fierce
bout of familial infighting with the male parent. Whether this color change is
involuntary or not is unknown, but it does occur in all of this subspecies, after the
acquisition of a mate, but before the end of the lifecycle.
The plumage begins and ends in similar fashion, cylindrically, although without the tail as in the newhopus. During the color change and shortly thereafter, the plumage changes to a cylindrical style, but with plaited appendages that dangle partway down the neck area. This style change has been attributed not to anything intrinsic, but may be due instead to the change in habitat shortly before this plumage conversion. See habitat section for a closer study.
O. leias jedius
This subspecies makes several color and plumage changes throughout its life
span and is easily identified this way. Like the strikesbackus, the jedius is almost
always found in the company of a mate. Interestingly, the youngest jedius are not
recognizable as a species of Organas and, instead mimic another life form altogether,
with a strange call and thick coat. No plumage is visible. As the jedius ages, it sheds
this heavy coat quite dramatically, leaving many bare patches of uncovered skin
visible, while bronze colored patches make up any remaining coat. Plumage at this
level of development is identical to that of an elder newhopus, that is, cylindrical with a
long tail. (However, because of the striking differences in coat color, these two are
never mistaken for one another.) This color change is accompanied by a change in
temperament as well. It is widely reported that jedius juveniles abhor captivity and
have on numerous occasions attempted and even succeeded in doing away with their
keepers.
Following this phase, the adult jedius enters the "green/brown" stages. These jedius can be found with a coat of either splotchy green or solid brown. The green splotches are accompanied by plumage that is either not visible or short, not unlike that of the immature strikesbackus. The brown coat is accompanied by thick plumage that falls roughly a meter down the back of the jedius. Although this combination might be deemed engaging to a mate (or even a sibling), the general consensus among the scientific community is that this look is not one of the more attractive combinations in the jedius repertoire. These stages are accompanied by displays of great anxiety directed toward both mate and family. The jedius maintains the brown color and accompanying plumage throughout the remainder of the lifecycle.
Behavior
The behavior of the newhopus subspecies is assured, determined and fiercely
independent. The average newhopus would not give ground for anyone, which is
curious, as this subspecies is most commonly found in captivity. Newhopus passes
through two short but very powerful periods of anxiety, once as a juvenile and again in
older age.
The behavior of the strikesbackus, aside from its youthful hostility, is more docile than the newhopus. The second half of the strikesbackus' life appears to be psychologically stressful, resulting in the resigned-type behavior displayed in the latter part of the lifecycle. One can only attribute this to the typical temperamental changes usually associated with taking a mate. Strikesbackus usually chooses to spend the waning years of life with family while pining away for a lost mate. As a special note of interest, while in the latest stage of life, the strikesbackus demonstrates rudimentary psychic ability.
The behavior of the jedius is varied, with a combative early youth, followed by an almost compliant lemming-like attitude toward events with the exception of the brief period of anxiety described above experienced in middle years. During all stages of life the jedius shows a propensity for large quantities of cosmetics. It is unknown as to the reason for this, but it has been hypothesized that rather than reasons of mate-attraction, this feature is a not-entirely-successful attempt to capture the "youthful" look more indicative of the newhopus subspecies. The jedius also displays psychic ability late in life.
Habitat
The entire life span of leias newhopus is spent indoors. Indeed, the majority of
life is usually spent in captivity. The earliest years are spent in moving vehicles. (The
University of Correllia recently published a paper expounding the developmental value
of vehicular movement. One must, however, question the motives of such research.
This is not only due to the fact that all of the vehicles being tested were of domestic
design but also because of the recent and large endowment made to the university by
the Corellian shipbuilding industry.) The newhopus then normally passes the majority
of life in a rodent exercise ball-like structure, although it is unknown for what purpose,
as this habitat seems to generate a considerable amount of anxiety. The latter years
of life are once again spent on either a moving vehicle or a ball-like structure, although
during this time, the newhopus prefers to roam wild.
Leias strikesbackus begins life in the tundra, which may account for the aforementioned ill temperament. Vehicles also play a large part in the favored habitat of this leias, although they may or may not be moving. This throws into contention the Corellian theory that the movement of these vehicles holds some evolutionary merit. The latter part of the strikesbackus' life is spent at high altitudes, which corresponds with the increasingly anxious behavior and radical color and plumage changes. It is also the habitat where psychic ability first presents itself in this subspecies. The final stage of the life is once again spent in a moving vehicle.
The leias jedius has the widest range of habitats of all of the leias subspecies. They can be found in climates ranging from temperate forests to deserts. Those observed in deserts are usually representatives of younger members of the subspecies, whereas those found in forests tend to be more mature. Like the other two subspecies, jedius also spends part of its life in moving vehicles, although for far less time. This does not seem to impair the jedius developmentally, once again calling into question the accuracy of the Corellian theory.
Dietary Habits
All subspecies of O. leias appear not to eat. Although the strikesbackus has
been observed in the presence of comestibles, this usually occurs during the dramatic
color/plumage change and subsequent run-in with family. It is assumed that the
underlying stress of the situation precludes the consumption of food. Jedius can also
be found at times with edibles, but this subspecies chooses to offer any sustenance it
may accrue to neighboring wildlife in order to maintain good interspecies relations.
Mating Habits
Leias newhopus spend the majority of their adult lives under close supervision
by the male parent and do not seem to obtain much opportunity to engage in mating
behavior. To this day, the perpetuation of this subspecies remains a mystery, although
experts agree that the display of industrial-strength lip-gloss may play some role in its
continuance. Although erotic grooming behavior between siblings is occasionally
surveyed among younger members of juvenile newhopus and young strikesbackus,
academics agree that no serious mating rituals are being instigated. Both
strikesbackus and jedius prefer to mate outside their species, although they tend to
vocalize frequently to the contrary. As far as present research indicates, O. leias
mates for life.
END