Dactillion/Legends

The dactillions were a reptavian native to the sinkhole world of Utapau. An avian cousin of the speedy varactyl, the dactillion served as a mount for the native Pau'an and Utai population.

Characteristics
Dactillions shared both avian and lizard traits, with long, thin wings and thick, scaled hides. A dactillion's pair of wings allowed it to ride the thermal updrafts in a Utapau sinkhole, and its prominent limbs allowed it to scale the rocky side.

History
Carnivorous predators, dactillions once plagued the Utapaun population, until they were tamed using fresh meat. Dactillions often flew into varactyl nests and ate the eggs or hatched young.

The stubby Utai served as wranglers for both dactillions and varactyl dragonmounts, keeping them in corrals in Pau City and elsewhere. Dactillions served as hardy war mounts for Pau'an warriors during the Battle of Utapau. When food supplies within a sinkhole are low or a dactillion is seeking a mate, they will fly to the surface.

The Utapauans learned about the weather patterns on their world by studying the dactillion population. They found that the species would fly out of sinkholes when the winds were low, so that is when it was safest for the people to build upon the surface of their planet.

Behind the scenes
The dactillions were first envisioned as a Jedi mount on the world of Utapau. As the Episode III story was still developing, the concept model of the dactillion had Ki-Adi-Mundi riding the beast, even though he was not to feature on the planet.

The dactillion is most likely based on the prehistoric pterodactyls, also evidenced by its name.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption