Kelpien Kelpiens were an intelligent humanoid species with a tall , lanky build , a brownish orange skin , and no facial hair . Tendril - like threat ganglia splayed out from the back of a Kelpien ' s head when they sensed danger . The Kelpien population was low . ( ) The species map on their homeworld did not have food chain s , but instead was a binary of predator or prey . Kelpiens were the latter ; they were hunted , bred , and farmed , like Human s ' livestock of old . ( ) According to Saru , Kelpiens lived in a constant state of fear from the moment of birth . Due to being a prey species , Kelpiens tended to prudently avoid risk or dangerous situations , giving them a reputation as being somewhat cowardly . When faced with a novel situation , their default assumption was typically to consider that it might be hostile – i . e . if it was unknown what had destroyed a relay satellite , and it could plausibly have just been destroyed by an asteroid impact , a Kelpien would first assume that it was hostile action by a nearby threat , until proven otherwise . This did not mean , however , that Kelpiens would enter a fit of panic when faced with danger ; rather , when faced with a fight - or - flight situation , they would calmly insist that flight was the wiser course of action . This heightened sensitivity was trained into Kelpiens through their culture , but the species was also biologically determined with heightened senses , a hyper - vigilance to detect approaching danger in order to flee it . This had been honed to the point of essentially a sixth sense warning that a situation was dangerous – as Saru put it , the ability " to sense the coming of death . " Besides having more developed senses , Kelpiens were also faster and stronger than Humans . ( ) " In the mirror universe , the species was both slave and livestock to the Terran Empire . Their entrails were dined on , and their ganglia were prized particularly . " ( ) Appendices . Background information . The portrayal of the Kelpiens was originated by a collaboration between the writing staff of and Saru actor Doug Jones . The opportunity to develop a new species was extremely exciting for Jones . He was glad he didn ' t have to play an already established species , because doing so would have had some pressure that , if he didn ' t get the portrayal right , " Star Trek " s fan base would have hated him . By contrast , he said , " " This is like , ' Well , no one is going to know if I ' m getting it right or wrong because , it ' s starting right here ! " " On the other hand , he did feel that the responsibility of establishing the Kelpiens was somewhat " daunting , " because he wanted to do so in a way that was " right " and could be " emulated in later incarnations down the road through someone else . " Doug Jones likened the Kelpiens to gazelles , saying that was " the best analogy in nature . " He remarked , " " We have our moments where we ' re chewing on something green and at peace . " " However , Jones also pointed out that Saru ' s people were meanwhile ever aware ( by necessity ) of danger , the actor comparing the species that hunts them to lions . The Kelpien makeup primarily consisted of a silicone prosthetic cowl covering . A facial appliance and separate lower jaw and lower lip pieces were then added and blended together to complete the head . Prosthetic gloves were used to modify the hands . ( – " Becoming Saru " ) The Kelpien makeup scheme was designed by Neville Page . However , the makeup scheme included only one digitally enhanced component ( the threat ganglia ) and no mechanically enhanced parts . " " Nothing else has to be mechanically enhanced , " " Doug Jones clarified . " " There ' s no servos , there ' s no joysticks , there ' s nothing that needs to be puppeteered or CG enhanced , except for the threat ganglia " [ . . . ] " This is a " [ real ] " gift to the budget , to not have to use that much CG . " " The absence of CGI enhancement accentuated the importance of the actor ' s performance in how the alien was portrayed . According to " Star Trek " author David Mack , the color of Kelpien eyes was added in post - production ( at least for Saru ' s first couple of appearances ) and wasn ' t visible in the initial set photography . The depiction of the species was influenced by Doug Jones devising Saru ' s physicality , such as the actor deciding how the character would stand , walk , and move his hands . For example , Jones decided Saru would walk " very much like a supermodel " and have hand gestures which he described as " very fluid " and " very much like an animal . " Jones found developing the look and physicality of the species was " really fun . " This physicality was enhanced by the use of special boots which lacked a heel , putting Jones up on his toes and adding an additional five inches to his height . This had the effect of changing Jones ' center of balance , leading him to develop the " supermodel " walk . ( – " Becoming Saru " ) In fact , according to Jones , they were meant to suggest that a hoof was inside . ( ) According to Doug Jones , no other members of the species apart from Saru had served as a Starfleet officer prior to him doing so . ( ; – " Becoming Saru " ) Jones is unsure but curious about what happened to this species after the events of " Star Trek : Discovery " . " " I don ' t know if it can live on after this series because this is 10 years before " " , so we ' ll see . It will be interesting to see what happens " [ . . . ] " because , if this species never showed up anywhere after this in the timeline , the question remains , ' What happened to the Kelpiens ? " " Apocrypha . According to the novel " Desperate Hours " by David Mack , Kelpiens are from a world known as " Kelpia " . The novel suggests they spend much of their time living underground , having been driven there " by the coming of the " t ' rrask " " and that Saru was rescued from the world by Starfleet officers .