Greater krayt dragon

The greater krayt dragon was a large species of krayt dragon, predatory reptiles from Tatooine. Using its ten strong legs, it literally swam through the shifting sands.

Biology and appearance[]

The greater krayt dragon was one of several species of krayt dragons, giant carnivorous reptiles found on Tatooine.^[1] They were characterized by their long neck, whip-like tail, horns, sharp teeth, and five pairs of legs.^[2]

Behavior[]

Greater krayt dragons submerged themselves in the shifting dunes,^[1] "swimming" beneath the sands in search of prey to ambush and devour.^[3]

History[]

Kraytbones — C-3PO encounters the bones of a deceased juvenile greater krayt dragon.

The greater krayt dragons evolved on Tatooine, a desert planet located in the Outer Rim region of the galaxy.^[1] In 0 BBY,^[4] C-3PO came across the skeleton of a deceased juvenile greater krayt dragon while lost in the Dune Sea.^[5]

Greater krayt dragons in the galaxy[]

The Jedi Master Wishan once created a clay Force-sculpture representing a greater krayt dragon, as part of a 72nd birthday gift for the Jedi Temple's librarian.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

The greater krayt dragon first appeared, albeit as a skeleton in the Tatooine desert, in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.^[5] The skeleton used to portray the greater krayt dragon consisted of fiberglass replica sauropod bones originally built for the 1975 Disney comedy One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing^[6] and was left in the Tunisian desert after filming was completed. In 1995, Dr. David West Reynolds, archeologist and contributor to the magazine Star Wars Insider, visted the Tunisian location and found the bones untouched for almost two decades^[7] with paleontologist Dr. Micheal J. Ryan, who was investigating the Roman ruins and paleontological resources of Tunisia with Dr. Reynolds.^[8]