It has been a long time since Bioware and Microsoft Game Studios has updated us about Mass Effect on the Xbox 360. Today they send along some new screenshots and some text on the biology of the Krogan Race.

The krogan are a species of large reptilian bipeds native to the planet Tuchanka, a world known for its harsh environments, scarce resources and overabundance of vicious predators. The krogan managed to not only survive on their unforgiving homeworld, but actually thrived in the extreme conditions. Unfortunately, as krogan society become more technologically advanced so did their weaponry.

Four thousand years ago, at the dawn of the krogan nuclear age, battles to claim the small pockets of territory capable of sustaining life escalated into full scale global war. Weapons of mass destruction were unleashed, transforming Tuchanka into a radioactive wasteland. The krogan themselves were reduced to primitive warring clans struggling to survive a nuclear winter of their own creation… a state that continued until they were discovered by the salarians two thousand years later.

Due to the brutality of their surroundings, natural selection has played a significant role in the evolution of the species. Krogan reproduce and mature at an astonishing rate. Their large shoulder humps store fluids and nutrients, enabling them to survive extended periods without food or water. Their thick hides are virtually impervious to cuts, scrapes or contusions, and they are highly resistant to toxins, radiation and extremes of both heat and cold. Biotic individuals are rare, though those who do possess the talent are typically quite strong in their abilities. But their most amazing physiological features are the multiple instances of major organs; these secondary systems are capable of serving as back-ups in the event of damage to the primary biological structures. This redundancy makes them incredibly difficult to kill or incapacitate in normal combat scenarios.