The Orgaff

The Orgaff (from the vorgon words 'Orr' - mighty, and 'Gaff'- beast) is a large animal native to New Albuquerque.  Often used as a pack animal, the Orgaff's enormous body and stout legs store an abundance of water and nutrients for long desert treks.  Their habits are diurnal and herbivorous, grazing on whatever vegetation presents itself.

Before the catastrophe that turned New Albuquerque's climate into a desert, Orgaffs were migratory, returning to the same regions each year for mating season.  As the planet dried and Orgaff populations dwindled, they became asexual, reproducing through parthenogenesis.  Wild Orgaffs are solitary creatures, though they can be fairly social when in captivity.

The high hump on the Orgaff's back is topped with a secondary pair of eyes that constantly scan the horizon for trouble while the creature's main brain is concentrated on finding edible plants.

An average adult Orgaff stands about 3 meters tall (2.5 at the shoulder), weighing around 2300 kg. Rare specimens have been found to exceed 4 meters, some weighing as much as 7000 kg.

Orgaffs give off a pungent odor when wet, and to say someone “Smells like a wet Orgaff.” is a not uncommon insult on certain planets, particularly in and around the Vorgon Empire.

Cielioid Evolution

Cielioids evolved from an ancestor similar to tumbleweeds on Earth.  These lightweight bushes would break off from their roots, and be carried by the wind to distribute their seeds. 

Some of these bushes evolved special leaves that could store water and nutrients after being separated from their roots in order to produce more seeds.  As time went on, some of the ancestor plants also developed specialized parts to digest insects, further extending their uprooted life.

In order to maximize their nutrition intake, and do some basic navigation, these plants evolved basic musculature and nervous systems that could move their branches and leaves a bit.  This proved so successful that the proto-Cielioids now spent most of their lives in an un-rooted state, after a short maturation.

Over a long span of time, the ancestors of the Cielioids lost much of their bushiness.  Their bodies gradually became large, single leaves that could flex to take advantage of the wind.  Some of these adapted to airborne life, while others developed basic limbs, torsos, and heads to live on land.

Gradually, the land-based ancestors of the Cielioids acquired an upright  posture in order to reach food sources that were off the ground and to see predators from a greater distance.

The first anatomically modern Cielioids appeared around half a million years ago.  Overall, their development of culture and technology has proceeded at a slower pace than that of the human race.