Outward Appearance: From a distance they’ll look like any other squirrel in the rodentia family.  Obviously height wise they aren’t exactly the same, but more or less are identical outwardly. They are both Bipedal and Quadruped when chosen to be so. The general consensus among them, however seems to favor Bipedal movement in passive environments and Quadruped-like movement in hostile areas. Their body is slim at the top, leading to a concave section in the middle, with a sort of chubby appearance at the bottom.  Their paws are elongated and usually end in a sharp tip. This change was made to scale the giant trees and harvest their bark. The paws however are sensitive to touch and adjust to the surface of the object. This prevents them from harming themselves of other species they make peaceful physical contact with. This applies to the feet as well. The hinges allow for easy squatting and elevated jumps and strides at increased speeds. The teeth can break the shell of any type of nut or acorn. The squirrel tooth can be stored inside a pocket on the roof of bottom of the lips inside of the mouth if the squirrel wishes to do so.

Curiously unlike many other species there is a universal height of 8ft for each member. This height can be adjusted via any one of the numerous augmentation techniques but is generally kept at 8 and never changed.

Diet:  (regular) nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi and green vegetation,(on occasion or emergency) insect eggs, small birds and young snakes.

Fur: The fur of these squirrels covers the body entirely, and comes in several colors: Black, White, Grey, Brown, or beige. The volume of the fur on the Cognito is large, but smooth due to an adaptation to store or release heat in accordance to the weather in their area.

Tail: The tail is the longest part of the body for any Cognito. It has bone imbedded inside of it for extra defense. It is commonly let stretch upwards of behind the creature, but it may be retracted into a swirly state if chosen to. It can also be filled with venous blood to stiffen and be used as an offensive and defensive weapon also in thanks to the bone.

 Eyes: The eyes of a cognito are fairly large and bulbous in appearance. It helps them to see in areas of low light. The additional Wiring to the brain helps them to see the different spectrums of light as well as different mediums of vision entirely(life, chemical, elemental ect… ). They are master deciphers as well, bearing connection to phonetic roots in all languages.

Ears: Their hearing is above average but nothing special. The way the cochlea, hairs, and eardrum are specifically aligned allow the ears to willingly select frequencies under normal conditions. The way frequencies are differentiated is by the speed and pitch. A high pitched speedy cry will be more likely to be addressed than a low slow pitch. Like they eyes, verbal phonetics is also implemented to allow easier communication.

Internals: All in all, there is no general difference in terms of organs: 1 heart/brain/stomach/liver/small and large intestine and 2 kidneys/lungs. Almost every organ has a special little perk however all leading back to the brain. The bones are all laced with adamantium, and diamond with a chromium layer spread across. This ensures sturdiness during combat for oneself or allies The ribcage takes to form of small dodecagons to reinforce the vital organs inside it and to further complicate piercing or stabbing attempts. The liver is a biological wall. Along with the immune system, it helps ward off a biological attack of almost any magnitude. The reason for this being is that the liver has been in this case conjoined entirely into the endocrine system, the system responsible for the body’s production of hormones. The enzymes of the liver infused with Testosterone/Estrogen, create a small mass; lipid like in nature. It is incapable of attaching to any part of the body and acts as drainage of excess energy. The species is highly favored for tests involving radioactive elements for such ability.

 In addition to this, due to the variety of species known to come into contact with it, has developed multi-purpose chemicals synthesized from each of the main androgens. For example, if swallowed by a taur such as chakat(friendly or not), where BOTH stomachs perform digestion, the body excretes an oleophobic  chemical known as ionisis, which wards off the H+ ions that induce digestion, allowing the squirrel itself to just sit around and watch everything else  go(NOTE: 1. does not work in the second stomach, and 2. This is not the only way they can escape or relax during said situation). The Brain is the core of any being, taken much more seriously with the cognito. It hosts anything and everything having to do with ability. The primary function of the brain is to provide security and ability to its cognito host. Another feature is the nickel lined hypothalamus, which can act as a barometer and help predict the weather. The neurons that connect to the body, as well as the spinal cord and skull are covered with an enhanced version of the myelin sheath, which offers additional protection from weaknesses. In case of blood loss, the heart and lungs can immediately slow down their rate of their activity, while the brain gathers energy from alternate sources to keep alive and heal the damaged areas.

Weakness:   As mighty as any creature is, every last one has at least one weakness. A list of weaknesses for this species includes:

EMP’s or just electricity in general: Much like a machine, because the brain is central to their lifestyle whatever it is weak to, so is the cognito. In this case rapid or extreme electrical currents are more often fatal, due to the mass destruction of key neurons and/or parts of the brain in the process.

Neurotoxin: A neurotoxin circuits through the body rapidly and whose main target more often than not includes the brain. This is the most fatal method often employed against the species in general.

Artifacts of decay: Evident in causing conflicting will formed from dementia. It itself is not fatal instantly, but prolonged periods of exposure may kill the cognito exposed, from induced stress.

Cognitive dissonance: Layman’s term can be reduced to-conflicting thoughts (think buyer’s remorse). If one can successfully induce opposite conflicting thoughts it will create distraction and weaken the resolve of which at that point is left open for counter attack.

Trauma: If enough Trauma is induced, damage may become irreparable and the squirrel will die from the resulting damage.