Star Trek

Please forgive me, if I've posted this here before, but I had a potentially good idea for a new species.

They could be called a desert-sounding name, such as the Zaharans, or Zarans (Sahara), Gobans (Gobi) or Mojaves (Mojave).  I'll call them Zarans for now.

Instead of being carbon-based, their bodies are silicon-based.  Being silicon-based, they can deliberately change their body-temperature, appearing solid (like a silicon-chip) or transparent ("invisible" like glass).  However, they have solid bodies. They live in a remote part of the Galaxy, so only a few foreigners have ever visited their planet.  Like Ray Bradbury's Martians, they hide from these visitors, observing them.  They live in subterranean settlements or cities.

The Zarans are a matrilineal culture, and their symbols could resemble those of ancient Minoans.  Since they live on a desert-planet, they could also use symbols like the ancient Egyptians, or the people of the world's first temple, at Gobekli Tepe.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%c3%b6bekli_Tepe

They eventually choose to introduce themselves to a peaceful Federation people, like the Bajorans, Vulcans or Zakdorns.

I don't want to make any more suggestions now, so they can remain mysterious and their other aspects can be developed.

What do you think?

That's one of the reasons I like reading the books - lots of ideas for aliens - including a lot of non-humanoids.

I would like to see an advanced plant lifeform, and I will...