Dactillion

Fauna: Reptilian: Squamata

Dactillion, also known as dactyls or dactilloids, were large, winged, carnivorous reptavians native to the planet Utapau.

The creatures used their wings to catch thermal updrafts from within the massive sinkholes they called home, allowing them to fly up and out toward the surface. They could also use their claws to scales the walls of the sinkholes. They sported two pronged horns on the end of their beaked mouth that they used in both defense and combat.

Basic Information

Dietary Needs and Habits

Carnivore

Additional Information

Domestication

Domesticated

Wild

Uses, Products & Exploitation

• The species were domesticated as flying mounts. The Dactillion were capable of flying at great speeds, which made them valuable aerial mounts. 
• The Utapaun Security Force eventually used them as a mount as well. 

Geographic Origin and Distribution

• In addition to their homeworld of Utapau, Dactillion could be found on the Mid Rim world of Shantipole. 

Civilization and Culture

History

The native Utai of Utapau managed to tame the Dactillions, just as they did the Varactyls. Before taming them, the Utai were hunted by the wild Dactillion.
The people of Utapau originally learned about weather patterns on their world by studying the Dactillion population, who seemed to sense shifts in the winds before they actually happened. Most life on Utapau made their homes in large sinkholes that dotted the planet's surface because the winds at the surface were strong enough to be dangerous. The trouble was that construction efforts often required traveling back and forth between sinkholes; potentially deadly during high winds. Eventually, they observed that the Dactillions waited until the vicious Utapau winds were low to fly out of their sinkholes; always timing the shifts perfectly so as to maximize their allotment of travel time. Learning to properly analyze Dactillion behavior helped the people predict weather patterns, which they used to inform construction operations. When the creatures returned en masse they knew that the high winds were coming, which meant construction would no longer be safe. It took some time to perfect, but they eventually developed a streamlined system that allowed them to react quickly to the cues they derived from Dactillion behavior. Suddenly construction efforts were much more feasible to complete, which had vast economic and infrastructural impacts that helped the planet flourish.

Idiosyncratic Classification

Reptavian

Homeworld

Utapau Shantipole

Average Height

19' 8"

Average Length

78' 9"

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Skin color	Blue Blue-green Gray Purple
Eye color	Blue  Gray