Xindi-Reptilian



The Xindi-Reptilians were a member of the multi-species Xindi race. They were easily the most aggressive of the six species, which shared a genetic ancestry.

Physiology
Xindi-Reptilian faces were scaly and highly textured, including many small wrinkles and ridges. The Reptilians had yellow to brown-colored scales with multiple spikes coming out of their heads and little tusks, one on either side of the face, protruding from close to the mouth. They had yellow eyes with slitted vertical pupils, and were cold blooded. Like other Xindi, they had a characteristic facial feature, involving a small indentation and a series of little bumps on their cheek bones. They also were stronger and had greater stamina than Humans.

Philosophy
Reptilians were perceived as being untrustworthy and impatient by the other Xindi species. A common Reptilian saying was "Patience is for the dead." Nevertheless, the Reptilians were usually the first choice for when force was needed. 

With their easily provoked and opinionated nature, Xindi-Insectoids often sided with the Reptilians on certain issues. (, et al.) They sometimes even shared ships with each other. Reptilian soldiers were surgically implanted with a "suicide gland" that secreted a neurotoxin if they were captured. 

The Reptilians were the species of Xindi that seemed to be most interested in destroying the planet Earth. The Reptilians lived out a militaristic lifestyle and hoped to ultimately rule over all the other species of Xindi. 

Reptilians preferred to be on or near the ground as opposed to up in the air. 

Technology
Reptilian weapons used eel-like power cells. Their biorifles worked on a rotating modulation that self-destructed when accessed by other species (see Xindi technology).

The Reptilians also used thermal chambers on board their ships, due to their cold-blooded metabolisms. 

Commander Dolim was the Reptilian representative on the Xindi Council until 2154. 

Appearances

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Biology
Of all the Xindi, the Reptilians were meant to look especially different from other aliens on Star Trek: Enterprise. Regarding the intentions for the Reptilians, Makeup Supervisor Michael Westmore noted, "[It] wouldn't just be a pullover head and scales – maybe a few little spikes, horny-toadish and nasty." (, p. 54)

Michael Westmore has repeatedly referred to the black spikes ascending from the Reptilians' heads as "porcupine quills," presumably because his idea for the spikes was influenced by the coat of a porcupine. (, p. 54; ) He admitted, "I've always wanted to do a character that had porcupine quills coming out of its head – that's why we twisted them, bent them; it's not just spikes."

Many concept sketches for this species were done by Michael Westmore, before the design was whittled down. Although the first appearance of a Xindi-Reptilian was in, a few modifications were made to the species thereafter. These included the addition of the bumpy facial feature common to all Xindi.

Representing each of the Xindi-Reptilians' faces involved the use of a delicate, full-facial latex prosthetic which was extensively airbrushed to create skin texture, shadows and definition. The small tusks protruding from near the mouth and the black spikes extending from the head were made of resin. The Reptilian makeup also incorporated pointed teeth which, compared to Ferengi teeth, were slightly longer and meant to look more menacing. Contact lenses were worn by the actors who played Reptilians, which is how their eyes were made to seem lizard-like.

The first time Reptilian hands had to be represented in an Enterprise episode, the series' makeup department glued scales onto the relevant actors' hands and gave them long fingernails. When Reptilians started being involved in stunt sequences, though, this approach was no longer viable, so gloves were used to cover their hands. This implied that Reptilian nails could retract, to fit inside the gloves, and extend. Michael Westmore remarked, "It should be interesting to see, at some point, all of a sudden the nails retract as they put a glove on."

The complexion of Reptilian skin also changed during the third season of Enterprise. The first three Reptilians to be shown on-screen all had much the same "neutral brownish tones," in the words of Michael Westmore. He cited the Reptilians, later in the season, as varying with a mix of green, brown and red. (, p. 54)

Clothing
The Reptilians' uniforms were reused Reman costumes from. Costume Designer Bob Blackman recalled, "The idea was to reuse the Nemesis Reman foot soldiers [suits] but make them be entirely different." Originally under the impression that he would be required to create an enormous quantity of Reptilian uniforms under the ever-present time pressure, Blackman came up with the idea of altering the costumes with "cages". "I saw this picture of a cage and thought that would be a good way to do it," he said. Broad cages of wire armor were therefore added for the Reptilians' reuse of the costumes. Explained Blackman, "There's an aluminum tube as a frame; the rest is vinyl hose." The alterations to the costumes included the removal of breastplates which had been part of the Reman configuration of the suits and making them into two pieces rather than a single piece, which meant they were more user-friendly for episodic usage. (, p. 55)

The wire cages were extremely delicate, so a great deal of care had to be taken to avoid damaging them. ( text commentary, ENT Season 3 DVD) Despite this, Bob Blackman thought they were indeed a good addition to the costumes. "We didn't think about them doing stunts in those, and the first time they got rough in them we just held our breath – but they came through just fine." The meshes also echoed the wiry quality of the spikes above the head. "And for all of that – Michael and I didn't really talk about any of that, the quills. So when you look at the quills and you look at the cages and go, 'Well – how did that happen?!' – I don't know how that happened!" (, p. 55)

Trivia
As well as being portrayed by live actors and stuntmen, Xindi-Reptilians were also depicted with a mannequin (in the case of the Xindi-Reptilian corpse in "The Expanse") and computer-generated figures (such as in the first shot of the Xindi weapon's interior, in ). ("Countdown" text commentary, ENT Season 3 DVD)

The look of the Xindi-Reptilians influenced the CGI design of the Xindi-Insectoids and -Aquatics, as well as helping to make the task of designing the Primates easy. (, pp. 51, 52 & 56)

The Xindi-Reptilians gained the approval of Archer actor Scott Bakula, who enthused, "I love the Reptilians... the visual that [the art department] created with the Reptilians I think is spectacular." (, p. 7) In a interview, Michael Westmore cited the Reptilians as one of "two things I loved doing on Enterprise." He went on to refer to the species as "fascinating" and further remarked, "The heads, with the porcupine quills coming out of them, were gorgeous."

One of the prosthetic masks for the Reptilians was sold off on the It's a Wrap! sale and auction on eBay.

Xindi-Reptilianer