Vulptex

Vulptices (singular: vulptex) were a species of fox-like creatures that lived within burrows and tunnels beneath the surface of the salt-covered mineral planet of Crait. They were distinguished by their white, crystalline fur.

After the Rebel Alliance abandoned their outpost on the planet, the foxes had come to roam free through the abandoned structures. Decades later, the vulptices were present on Crait around the time of a battle that broke out between the First Order and the Resistance on the planet surface.

Behind the scenes
"The theory is they've fed off this planet for so long that their fur has become crystalline. They've taken on the very surface of the planet they live on."

- Neil Scanlan

Vulptices were designed for Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, the upcoming eighth film in the Star Wars saga, which is scheduled for release on December 15, 2017. They were first revealed in The Last Jedi behind the scenes footage from the D23 Expo released on July 15, 2017, displaying the animatronics that were used to bring the creatures to life. The vulptices made their first appearance in the Crait sequence of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Disney's simulator ride theme park attraction, which debuted at Disneyland Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios on November 17, 2017.

According to Neal Scanlan, the creature effects supervisor for The Last Jedi, feeding off Crait for a long time was the reason behind these foxes' crystalline fur. In this way, "they've taken on the very surface of the planet they live on." The designers took inspiration from "crystal glass chandeliers and the sort of luminosity and elements of refraction" they create.

The Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo came up with their name from the Latin word for fox, and the name of the fox genus, vulpes and vertices (singular: vertex), or the corners of any polyhedron, a shape associated with crystals.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Battlefront II
 * Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi

Non-canon appearances

 * Star Tours: The Adventures Continue