Kappa Rho IV was an uninhabited planet, the fourth planet of the Kappa Rho system, located in or near Federation space in the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrants.
History and specifics[]
Heavy gravity combined with a hot, thick atmosphere to make Kappa Rho IV inhospitable. It had low iron and mineral resources. Surface features included valleys and rolling hills, and its gray, rocky soil supported sparse green-gray and purple colored vegetation such as thornbush and possibly some types of fruits or vegetables. Animal life included large, ferocious whatever-snakes and benign armored beetles. Its weather patterns included sandstorms, and its red giant star lent a red cast to everything on the surface.
In 2277, two landing parties from the starship USS Enterprise made a preliminary survey for the Federation. Pavel Chekov's team collected air, plant, and insect specimens, while Lex Nakashima's team visited the opposite hemisphere. Both teams rejected Kappa Rho IV as a colonial prospect, with uncomfortably high gravity and the possibility that the highly-dangerous whatever-snakes could be intelligent. (TOS - Star Trek II Short Stories short story: "Intelligence Test")