Ronto/Legends

"Stay out of this, Tenel Ka. You can't possibly know anything about it. You have the emotional depth of a ronto."

- Jaina Solo

Rontos were large, quadruped mammals that were commonly used as beasts of burden by the Jawas of Tatooine. They are known for their loyalty and strength, being able to carry hundreds of kilograms of weight. They were large enough to frighten off Tusken Raiders, though they were easily spooked by machines, such as speeder bikes. They were commonly used on Nubia and Benja-Rihn.

Characteristics


Like the native dewbacks of Tatooine, the ronto were easy to train and became quite fond of their masters. Rontos had superb senses of hearing and smell, although they had poor vision, which is why they were startled by sudden movements. Rontos needed large amounts of water, although their skins shed excess heat, allowing them to function well in desert conditions. They were rarely exported, though, because offworlders thought their skittishness made them unreliable in urban areas. Another reason the ronto was popular with the Jawas is that Jawas did not usually visit urban areas, so it was ideal for desert travel.

When in heat, female rontos gave off a powerful, musky scent much like the smell of a Rodian. During mating season, Rodians on Tatooine were encouraged to stay away from male rontos, as they may inadvertently become the target of a ronto's affections.

Subspecies
A subspecies of the rontos appeared to exist on the planet Kashyyyk. Unlike their Tatooine cousins, they had a darker coloration, a more elongated cranium, and their ears were much smaller. Also unlike their cousins, they appeared to be less easily spooked and were in fact quite aggressive if they should come under attacked. While typically encountered in small groups, how they came to the planet is as of yet unknown.