Hork-Bajir

The Hork-Bajir are a reptillian race from K.A. Applegate's Animorphs series.

Originally a peaceful, tribal species, they were created by the Arn to peel the bark off of the gigantic native trees with their blades (Years of development on the planet had left the atmosphere unstable and almost chokingly toxic). They worshipped the gods of Mother Sky and Father Deep, believing the stars were flowers and that all Hork-Bajir had come from them.

Despite looking like seven-foot salad shooters (as the Animorphs described them as), they avoided war until they were taken over by the Yeerks. Having been led to their planet by Prince Seerow (an Andalite Prince), the Yeerks infested the confused Hork-Bajir, leaving almost no free individuals left.

Of course, there's a (somewhat) happy ending. The few non-Controller Hork-Bajir were given a valley on Earth, to be protected by the Animorphs and the Ellimist. Invisible to anyone who isn't already inside the valley, it holds a good hundred or so Hork-Bajir. Hopefully, in some unspecified in the books and most likely fan-written way, they'll regain a good, bark-eating life on their planet.