Jumping Chakat. Public domain image, used with permission of the artist Bernard Doove.

A chakat (Taurofelis adamo) is a fictional creature, a genetically engineered hermaphrodite feline-based centauroid, that resembles a wemic. Forming the basis of the Stellar Federation universe, chakats were originally created on Earth in the aftermath of the Gene Wars, but by the time of Forest Tales, and the other related stories (circa 2300) the species had colonised a planet (Chakona) orbiting a star called Chakastra. A jumping chakat, image in the public domain autorized by the artist Bernard Doove. ... A taur (metanalyzed from centaur), also called a centauroid, is a modern creature of science fiction and fantasy literature. ... A wemic is a fantastical creature found in role-playing games (such as Dungeons & Dragons) and in a small amount of modern fantasy literature. ...

Created by Bernard Doove and originally intended as on-line personae, the species quickly became one of the more popular in furry fandom, with over a hundred artists drawing illustrations and a dozen authors working on related works. Notable artists include Roy D. Pounds II, and Mayra "Huskie" Boyle, who between them pinned down exactly what chakats look like. Notable writers include Terry Knight and John R. Plunkett, who broadened the setting from a single family of characters into a universe filled with worlds, ships, species, and history - thus paving the way for those who followed. Look up Furry on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Furry is slang used by gay lifestylers which refers to hirsute men. ...

Physically, a chakat resembles a leopard with a humanoid's torso in place of the leopard's head, and with an enlarged cat's skull in place of the human's head, with a human-sized brain. The whole body is covered in fur, with human type hair extending down the upper back to form a mane; the well muscled tail structured to be fully prehensile, and the forepaws modified to also serve as a crude pair of hands. The quality and coloration of the fur is wide-ranging and not limited to traditional feline or even mammalian patterns, and serves as the principle way of identifying individuals. Prehensility is the quality of an organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. ... Subfamilies Felinae Pantherinae Acinonychinae Machairodontinae (extinct) All cats are members of the family Felidae. ... Orders Subclass Monotremata Monotremata Subclass Marsupialia Didelphimorphia Paucituberculata Microbiotheria Dasyuromorphia Peramelemorphia Notoryctemorphia Diprotodontia Subclass Placentalia Xenarthra Dermoptera Desmostylia Scandentia Primates Rodentia Lagomorpha Insectivora Chiroptera Pholidota Carnivora Perissodactyla Artiodactyla Cetacea Afrosoricida Macroscelidea Tubulidentata Hyracoidea Proboscidea Sirenia The mammals are the class of vertebrate animals primarily characterized by the presence of mammary...

Chakats have a complete set of male and female organs, which like many features is intended as an aid to enhanced survival. The pronouns used are shi (shay) or "sie", hir (herr) and herm in place of him and her and male/female. They have a chemically engineered calm mental disposition, a high tolerance of poisons and a dual stomach arrangement that allows them to digest many more foods than most other omnivorous species. The species was built using the knowledge gained building slave-races and war-beasts in the period that led up to the Gene Wars. An intersexual is a person (or individual of any unisexual species) who is born with genitalia and/or secondary sexual characteristics of indeterminate sex, or which combine features of both sexes. ...

Like many works of contemporary technological fantasy, the series owes a lot to Star Trek. Their creator and curator is aware of this comparison and seeks to distance himself and his creation from it at every opportunity. Aside from this notable example, the series feeds off of furry fandom and its associated society, and so anything that influences that can also be said to influence the chakats as well. Star Trek collectively refers to six science fiction television series spanning 726 episodes, ten motion pictures, and hundreds of novels, video games, and other works of fiction, all set within the same fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry in the early- to mid-1960s. ... Look up Furry on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Furry is slang used by gay lifestylers which refers to hirsute men. ...

External links

• Chakat's den the reference site about Chakats.
• An Introduction to Chakats most you need to know about them.
• Lonely Stellar Guide to Chakona Information about planet Chakona.
• Infrequently Asked Questions about the Chakat Universe.