Batarians are a four eyed anthropoid race, much like Humans and Asari. They are one of only two know organic species that have developed more than one pair of eyes, the other being the Yahg. Batarians also exhibit different skin tone colours. Most are a dark, brown-red hue, but some, such as Balak, have a black and yellow pigmentation.
The Batarians were once considered part of Citadel space. They had their own embassy and were accepted, for the most part, by the galactic community. In the 2160s all of that ended when humans started to colonize the Skillian Verge, which was an area that the Batarians were already settling. The Batarians asked the Citadel Council to intervene and declare the Verge an area of "Batarian interest." The Council refused and with that decision, the Batarians closed their Citadel embassy and became a rogue state.
Culturally, the Batarians place social caste and appearance above anything else. Overstepping one's place is frowned upon along with casting aspersions of having greater worth socially. It is strongly believed that a species that has fewer than four eyes is significantly less intelligent. One of the most integral aspects of the Batarian culture is slavery. They believe in it so much that Batarians see the Council's anti-slavery position as prejudice. Body language is another important part of Batarian society. For example, tilting your head to the right is a sign of superiority, whereas tilting your head to the left signifies admiration and respect.