SWG Tales

(All the text contained in this post and the suqsequent ones in this thread posted by myself are from The Wildlife of Star Wars A Field Guide by Terryl Whitlatch and Bob Carrau, copyright 2001, unless otherwise noted.)

Overview of Tatooine:
Terrain: Deserts
Species: Humans, Jawas, Tusken Raiders
Language: Basic, Bocce, Huttese, Jawa, Tusken
Atmosphere: Oxygen Mix
Points of Interest: Mos Eisley Spaceport, Jabba's Palace, Mos Espa

Tatooine is tucked into a far corner of the Outer Rim in the Tatoo system. Tatooine has the unique distinction of being a planet solarized by two suns. As a result, Tatooine's environment is extremely harsh. Intense heat and strong wings constantly buffet the dry and barren surface. Water is scarce, food scarcer. It is a wonder life exists at all in such a severe and demanding place, but exist it does and with surprising richness and variety, particularly with the larger fauna who seek shelter in the sand dunes, arroyos, and canyons. Most creatures are thick-skinned or otherwise armored against the suns' heat and the planet's environmental hazards. Many have developed intricate heat regulation systems, and a large percentage can go long periods without water. Most also have developed unique strategies for gleaning moisture from a variety of unusual sources. Adaptation on Tatooine is quite amazing " so much so that the more time one spends exploring the planet, the more one marvels at the ingenuity of biology and nature.

THE BANTHA
Species Facts:
Lifespan: 80 " 100 years
Weight at birth " 50 kilograms
Weight at maturity - 4000 kilograms
Gestation period " 30 months
Age at sexual maturation " 20 years

These large and furry mammals, indigenous to Tatooine, are seen in high numbers and are well integrated into planetary life. Remains have been found that predate most recorded civilizations.

The bantha tongue is highly sensitive, extremely strong, structurally complex, and dexterous. Contains olfactory glands and used for holding and carrying, eating and drinking and, in various configurations, a signifier.

Highly intelligent and extremely social, banthas travel in matriarchal herds of up to 25 individuals. The matriarch, the oldest, strongest, and most capable female in the herd, keeps an ever-vigilant eye (and tongue) trained for bantha predators (e.g., krayt dragons and anoobas who prey on young). As the matriarch ages, she relinquishes control of the herd to the next qualified candidate. If a herd grows too large, it splits, with the second oldest and strongest female become matriarch of the new branch.

Bantha horns grow a new segment each year and they can indicate the creature's environment and health: thick, crenellated segments usually signify ample food and good health while thin, cracked, or partially developed segments often signify drought or famine. Male banthas develop thicker and longer horns than females, with males typically completing two horn spirals before they die while females average one complete cycle per lifetime.

Bantha horns sometimes become locked during a fight, which means death for both. Eventually collapsing with exhaustion, the adversaries are unable to move as the blowing desert sands cover them.

The common bantha was once the only known species on Tatooine, but scientist are discovering others:

The dwarf bantha is much smaller, more skittish and shy; sure footed, it lives in the canyons and cliffs of the remote, outer deserts.

The dune bantha is rangier, more slender, and less furry; it lives in the equatorial zones and can survive very high temperatures and the relative unavailability of water.

Bantha graveyards: Banthas show a curious fascination with the bones of their ancestors, gathering the together in special areas and fondling them. Mothers have been known to carry a deceased newborn many kilometers to such sites. Considered extremely bad luck to enter a bantha graveyard.

Banthas and Tusken Raiders: A mystical, symbiotic bond

When a Tusken Raider youth reaches the age of seven, a bantha of the same sex is ceremonially presented to the child as its partner in life. The young Raider learns to care for, raise, and ride its rapidly growing fried. Upon bantha maturity, Tusken Raider males saddle up their bantha and head into the desert for initiatory ceremonies and tasks.

When Tusken Raiders marry, the couple's banthas also mate, and afterwards the bonds between the species become inexplicably close. When a Tusken Raider couple has a son or daughter, then their banthas often produce equivalent male or female offspring; upon the death of a Raider or it's bantha, sympathetic suicides and depressions often occur in the species left behind.