Dewback/Legends

Dewbacks were large, four-legged, omnivorous, cold-blooded reptiles native to the desert wastes of Tatooine. As such, they were well-adapted to the harsh desert climate. This and the fact that they could be easily domesticated, made them commonly employed as beasts of burden by both the inhabitants of the desert planet and the off-worlders wandering its dunes. Due to their numerous useful traits and versatility, they were quite possibly the most respected of all the creatures native to Tatooine.

Biology and appearance
While they had a reputation for being solitary animals, wild dewbacks were also known to roam the seemingly endless deserts of Tatooine in single-file packs of two to five, searching for food and moisture during the day. During the hours between First Twilight and dawn, as temperatures dropped, the dewbacks would become sluggish because they were cold-blooded. To remain warm and conserve energy, the dewbacks huddled together. The dew that accumulated on their backs during the night was both a source of moisture in the morning and the origin of the species's name.



Adult dewbacks stood at 1.3 to 2.1 meters in height and could reach lengths of 2 to 3 meters. Though most of them were green, dewbacks with red, brown, gray and most rarely blue scales were known to exist. It was common for these scales to have a mottled or camouflage pattern to them. The special melanins contained within a dewback's hide, which cut down on the glare from the twin suns of Tatoo I and Tatoo II, preserved vital fluids and gave it the ability to go days without water and endure the extreme heat.

Dewbacks began their days by licking the dew that had accumulated overnight off of the backs of the other dewbacks in their pack. While this ritual provided much-needed moisture for the animals, it also strengthened the bonds between the members of the pack. The omnivorous reptiles would spend the day digging through sand dunes with their large teeth and sharp talons for grasses, underground tubers, desert sages, scurriers and baby womp rats. Solitary dewbacks would have to make do with chewing the roots of cacti for moisture.

Because of their large size, dewbacks could often scare off smaller animals, if it came to a direct confrontation. Dewbacks could also fight if they confronted a krayt dragon, but the outcome of such a confrontation would most likely end in the latter top-level predator's favor, so the dewback's usual instinct would be to either run or hide. Scavengers, such as woodoos were known to steal dewback eggs. It was also rumored but not confirmed that whole swarms of skettos were capable of killing a dewback by draining it of its precious bodily fluids.

Subspecies
Dewbacks originally evolved from aquatic creatures that had lived in the oceans of ancient Tatooine and were said to be distant cousins of thuvasaurs. They could be classed into four subspecies:

The most common and recognizable subspecies was the lesser dewback. They were known for their relatively gentle nature and were the most easily domesticated of all the subspecies.

Unlike the lesser dewback, the mountain dewback preferred to wander the more mountainous regions of Tatooine. Much like lesser dewbacks, mountain dewbacks possessed a calm disposition and could be domesticated.



Grizzled dewbacks were the largest known subspecies of dewback and were further distinguished from their smaller cousins by their patchy hides. Because of what appeared to be an insatiable appetite, they were considered to be dangerous to the other inhabitants of Tatooine. They could often be found stalking the Jundland Wastes in search of prey.

Cannibal dewbacks fell between lesser dewbacks and grizzled dewbacks in terms of size. They were considered to be extremely aggressive to the point of being undomesticable and were notorious for eating newly hatched dewbacks&mdash;a behavior that gained them their name. The deaths of many settlers could be attributed to the fact that there were few differences in the coloration of the hides of lesser dewbacks and cannibal dewbacks.

Reproduction
"It's about that time of year."

- Windy's father, regarding Huey's death during the dewback mating season.



Once every year, dewbacks would cover the sands of Tatooine as they converged on the Jundland Wastes, which served as their traditional mating grounds. The Jundland Wastes served this role for both dewbacks and krayt dragons for one very important reason: The sands of the wastes were the ideal temperature for the incubation of eggs year-round. The dewback mating season would begin just after the krayt dragon mating season ended, thus ensuring that less of their own eggs would be destroyed.

Once there, male dewbacks would attract the attention of females by rolling on their backs and displaying their bellies, which would change to a color resembling that of a clear, blue Tatooine sky. Some time after mating, female dewbacks would dig holes in the sands of the wastes and begin to lay a large number of eggs. Once the laying of the eggs was finished the dewbacks would once again disperse into the deserts of Tatooine to return the next year. This tradition was so firmly ingrained in the behavior of dewbacks that it was impossible to breed them scientifically or even on different worlds. Nonetheless, transplanted dewbacks could be found on other dry planets like Breeka and Benja-Rihn.

Dewback eggs were usually sand-colored and the size of a Human fist. Once the eggs hatched half a year later, the young dewbacks would set out on their own with no parents to guide them.

Domestication
While it was simple to domesticate a dewback, it was far easier to domesticate one if it was raised from the egg. A properly trained dewback would return the affections of its masters but the master would need to free it from captivity during mating season or it might hurt itself or others while it tried to escape to the Jundland Wastes. After mating, domesticated dewbacks usually would willingly return to their owners.



Mount and beast of burden
Though they were a primitive means of transportation, dewbacks were considered by the settlers of Tatooine to be better than walking if a landspeeder was unavailable at the moment. In some cases, dewbacks could be more reliable than mechanical means because they more easily endured the scorching heat of the desert and didn't have engines and intakes that could be clogged by blowing sand. They were employed by moisture farmers, local security forces and even offworld military organizations, (also due to the Dewback's ability to repel sand ticks) such as Imperial sandtroopers and a desert specialist team from the 4th regiment of the Alliance Special Forces as mounts and pack animals.

Dewbacks were capable of speeds as fast as 50 kilometers per hour for short periods of time&mdash;a speed at which a sandcrawler could be overtaken. Settlers also preferred dewbacks over banthas because they did not shy away from the challenges presented by sandstorms. However, using a dewback for transportation did have an important drawback: as the local temperature decreased at night time, the reptiles became sluggish.

Source of food and raw material
Dewbacks were also considered to be a source of food and clothing for the inhabitants of Tatooine. Dewback ribs were a popular foodstuff in Mos Eisley and dewback hides were used to make clothing, accessories and tents. Settlers and Tusken Raiders alike hunted them, but unlike the settlers, Tuskens did not distinguish between wild and domesticated dewbacks. This practice did nothing to endear settlers to the Tuskens. Filet of baby dewback with caper sauce and fleik-liver pâté was a luxury meal.

Audio clips
[[Media:Dewback ANH.ogg|Hear the cry of a dewback]] (A New Hope)

Behind the scenes
Dewbacks were employed by sandtroopers in Episode IV: A New Hope because George Lucas believed that the use of an organic means of transport instead of mechanical means, such as a landspeeder would give the desert search scene an "element of surprise." However, the dewback that was eventually produced for the movie was not created with movement in mind so it was relegated to the background.



In 1995, additional footage for the scene of the sandtroopers searching for the droids was filmed in Yuma, Arizona for the 1997 Special Edition of A New Hope. Computer-generated imagery was used to add dewbacks to the scene.

Though many early reference books stated that the dewback is herbivorous, the second edition of the Star Wars Sourcebook stated that dewbacks were omnivorous. With the publication of The Essential Guide to Alien Species, readers would learn that dewbacks would eat small animals and were still herbivorous. The New Essential Guide to Alien Species once again designated the dewback as an omnivore.

There are a few points of conflict between the information presented on dewbacks in The Wildlife of Star Wars and other reference books. The Wildlife of Star Wars contradicts the majority of other sources when it provides illustrations and information claiming that dewbacks group in herds. Additionally, The New Essential Guide to Alien Species claims that female dewbacks lay thousands of eggs instead of the fifty to eighty-five eggs per year as claimed by The Wildlife of Star Wars.

Non-canon appearances

 * In the Beginning
 * Smuggler's Blues
 * LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga
 * Trooper
 * Skippy the Jedi Droid
 * Star Wars: Yoda Stories