Dewback

Dewbacks are roughly rhino-sized reptilian creatures native to Tatooine. Highly adaptable, they live in a number of different sub-habitats, from sand dunes to rugged desert mountains.

Dewbacks get their name from the fact that their skin is adapted to accumulating droplets of condensation during the cold desert night. Being herd animals, the dewbacks then lick this moisture off each other's backs come dawn. Nearly all their water comes either from this dew or from the plants and animals they eat.

While dewbacks have never been domesticated, they are easily tamed and used as beasts of burden. In fact, they can keep pace with most civilian landspeeders over short bursts - and unlike landspeeders, they never break down in a sandstorm. They are a common sight in cities and outposts across Tatooine.

Even tame dewbacks are irresistably drawn to the Great Dune Sea and other sandy regions during breeding season; the sands in such areas provide the ideal temperature for the development of their eggs. Tame dewbacks return to the dunes and join large congregations of other dewbacks, where they mate and then lay their eggs. The tame ones almost unfailingly return to their owners once the breeding season subsides. When the young hatch, they leave the dunes and eventually join herds of adult dewbacks.

Dewbacks will fight when cornered, but are somewhat skittish and prefer to run from predators. Their major predator is the much larger and stronger krayt dragon.

Record 263 - creature - Last update 28 Mar 2007, 23:13:51

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