Gorgodons were a species of large, furry, non-sapient reptile that lived on the snow-covered world of Ilum. They possessed blaster-proof hide, a strong bone structure, and three rows of sharp teeth, all of which made them dangerous foes in combat. Gorgodons had excellent senses of smell and hearing, which they relied upon due to poor vision. Despite being able to survive on eating just plants, gorgodons spent most of their time hunting live prey in groups, preferring to kill it by suffocating or crushing it with an embrace. Members of the species lived in camouflaged nests of shelter, which they held together with their saliva.
Gorgodons sometimes encountered members of the Jedi Order, who traveled to Ilum to find crystals with which to build their lightsabers in the Crystal Caves. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, fought a group of gorgodons outside the Crystal Caves when they traveled to the creatures' homeworld in the year 28 BBY, as did the ex-Jedi Ferus Olin around the year 18 BBY. The gorgodons that fought Olin were later killed by stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire.
Biology and appearance[]
Gorgodons were a non-sapient species of hulking reptilian predators that were native to the icy world of Ilum. Large in size, their backs and forearms were partially covered in gray fur. The rest of their bodies were covered with gray hide thick enough to prevent blasters from killing them, except for the head, which was yellow in color. The face of a gorgodon consisted of two yellow eyes with pupils, four nostrils, and a mouth filled with three rows of yellow teeth. Due to poor eyesight, the predators relied mostly on their hearing and sense of smell to locate prey or other food—which could include vegetation or carrion, as the species was omnivorous.
Gorgodons had a bipedal stance, with a tail and four limbs, standing on their hind limbs and using their forelimbs for attack, although they could also walk on all fours. Each limb ended in a paw that could be equal in size to a gravsled and included several sharp claws. The creatures had incredibly strong bone structures that were covered by thick layers of muscle and fat, making them fairly resistant to blunt force attack, though they had a soft, vulnerable point on the back of the neck. Striking this weak point was the only way to kill the beasts, as doing so would sever their spine and paralyze them. Their large size provided them with power when striking against their prey but also made them clumsy and at times slow. Members of the species were capable of producing a thick, brown, rubbery saliva, which they used in the construction of their nests.
Behavior[]
Gorgodons were most commonly found on the lowland areas of their homeworld of Ilum, where they survived on a diet of lichen, scrubs, and carrion, although it was not uncommon for them to venture into the planet's mountainous regions. They did, however, most commonly hunt live prey, traveling together in family groups of four to eight and using their senses of smell and hearing to locate other animals. When they attacked, they snapped their jaws and rolled their eyes, usually killing their prey by crushing or suffocating them in a hugging motion with their huge forelimbs, although they could use their claws, teeth, and tails to injure their opponents as well.
When they attacked or were injured, the creatures would roar or howl loudly, and if one of their number was killed, a pack would retreat upon picking up the scent of their fellow's death. Gorgodons could also use their claws for climbing the frosted cliffs and mountains of Ilum, at which they were extremely skilled. Gorgodons constructed nests with shelters inside using boulders, sheets of ice, and snow as well as their saliva, which acted like mortar and held the structures together. The shelters were about fifty meters in height and were similar in appearance to a hunched gorgodon's back. The nests could be camouflaged to blend into the surrounding environment, mimicking the steep slopes of the mountains on which they were built.