What Sophonts Look Like

"Territory."

It is easy to remember what Merseians look like:

large;

green;

no external ears;

slightly scaled;

hairless; 

forward-leaning;

a spine ridge down the back;

able to squat on their long thick tails so not needing chairs.

Shalmuans are like small Merseians of a lighter green with tails that can grasp but cannot be squatted on.

An Ythrian is feathered but not beaked, walks awkwardly on claws at the ends of his wings, with former legs adapted as arms, and flaps his wings not only to fly but also to pump oxygen directly into his veins.

Diomedeans fly with bat-wings and are kind of demonic.

t'Kelans...

I forget what most Andersonian sophonts look like except that they are usually two-armed bipeds with recognizable faces on heads at the top. I must re-consult the text.

t'Kelans:

very steatopygous;

150 centimetres height;

four-digit hands and feet;

thick blue nails;

vivid orange whole-body fur;

black stripes;

white chest triangle;

round head;

pointed ears;

two large, yellow, cat-like eyes;

two tendrils to detect ammonia vapour;

broad nose;

one nostril;

lipless mouth;

sharp white teeth;

motile cilia surrounding mouth.

Having reread all that, I think that I would feel uncomfortable in their presence. 

As for close proximity to feathered Ythrians the size of small men... (Tabitha Falkayn was brought up by them in Highsky Choth after her parents had drowned.)

These are just five of the many intelligent species in Poul Anderson's Technic History.