Pazensh

The Pazensh are an alien species which is only sapient during their breeding season.

Biology
Pazench are described as hairy and musky four-armed bipeds, and weigh about 130 pounds (~ 59 kg). Their limbs are short and stocky, but strong enough to allow them to jump over 4 meters in length. When they run, they prefer to go on all six. Their toothless mouths look neither insectoid nor mammalian. Their feet have numerous long toes. They locate each other by scent.

For most of the time, Pazensh are not sapient, and rely purely on instincts. When it comes time for them to breed, they develop sapience specifically so that the female can create elaborate challenges to test the male's puzzle-solving abilities.

Appearances

 * "Breeding Maze", by Larry Niven (2006)