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Changes: Tauntaun

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|image=[[File:Tauntaun-SWE.png]]
  
|image=[[File:Tauntaun-SWE.png]]
 
|name=Tauntaun
  
|name=Tauntaun
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|designation=[[Sentience/Canon|Non-sentient]]<ref name="ESB">''[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back]]''</ref>
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|designation=[[Sentience|Non-sentient]]<ref name="ESB">[[Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back|''Star Wars'': Episode V ''The Empire Strikes Back'']]</ref>
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|class=[[Lizard/Canon|Lizard]]<ref name="SWE">{{SWE|characters|tauntaun|Tauntaun}}</ref>
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|class=[[Reptile|Lizard]]<ref name="SWE">{{SWE|characters|tauntaun|Tauntaun}}</ref>
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|subspecies=15 subspecies<ref name="AbEverything">''[[Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know]]''</ref>
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|subspecies=
  
 
|races=
  
|races=
 
|height=1.3 to 2 [[meter]]s tall at the shoulder<ref name="SWE" />
  
|height=1.3 to 2 [[meter]]s tall at the shoulder<ref name="SWE" />
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|mass=
  
|mass=
 
|skincolor=
  
|skincolor=
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|haircolor=[[Color/Canon|White]]<ref name="SWE" />
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|haircolor=[[Color|White]]<ref name="SWE" />
 
|feathers=
  
|feathers=
 
|eyecolor=
  
|eyecolor=
 
|distinctions=
  
|distinctions=
 
|lifespan=
  
|lifespan=
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|planet=[[Hoth/Canon|Hoth]]<ref name="SWE" />
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|planet=[[Hoth]]<ref name="SWE" />
 
|habitat=Snowy plains<ref name="SWE" />
  
|habitat=Snowy plains<ref name="SWE" />
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|diet=Lichen and small ice plants<ref name="AbEverything" />
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|diet=
  
 
|language=
  
|language=
 
|members=}}
  
|members=}}
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{{Quote|I thought they smelled bad...on the outside.|[[Han Solo]]|audio=Tauntaun smell.ogg|Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back}}
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{{Quote|I thought they smelled bad on the outside!|[[Han Solo]]|audio=Tauntaun smell.ogg|Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back}}
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'''Tauntauns''' were a [[Species/Canon|species]] of [[Sentience/Canon|non-sentient]] [[Lizard/Canon|lizards]] native to the snowy plains of [[Hoth/Canon|Hoth]]. Sure-footed and [[Hair/Canon|furry]], the tauntauns were well-adapted to the daytime temperature on Hoth, although they could not handle the chilling extremes of the night. In their natural habitat, they were prey to the towering [[Wampa/Canon|wampa]] ice creatures. As they were swift and docile, they could be used as mounts, and the members of the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic/Canon|Rebel Alliance]] domesticated some of them when they built their [[Echo Base/Canon|new headquarters]] on Hoth.<ref name="SWE" />
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'''Tauntauns''' ({{Pronounced|tän'-tän}}) were a [[species]] of [[Sentience|non-sentient]] [[Reptile|lizards]] native to the snowy plains of [[Hoth]]. They were used by members of the [[Alliance to Restore the Republic|Rebel Alliance]] after they domesticated some of them when they built their [[Echo Base|new headquarters]] on Hoth.<ref name="SWE" />
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{{Stub}}
  
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==Anatomy==
  +
[[File:Tauntaun-TOTS.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Luke Skywalker riding a tauntaun mount on Hoth]]
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Sure-footed and [[Hair|furry]], the tauntauns were well-adapted to the daytime temperature on Hoth, although they could not handle the chilling extremes of the night, which could often reach below -60°C. They featured scaly skin beneath their heavy layers of fur and secreted thick, pungent oils to attract mates. Tauntauns had two sets of nostrils, one large and one small. The large set was used for maximum oxygen intake during intense physical activity, while the small set was used during inactive periods and grazing, to keep out snow. Tauntauns could also alternate breathing between the two sets of nostrils, allowing them to regulate body heat.
  +
  +
Their long claws helped them to climb icy surfaces and scrape away lichen and small ice plants which often grew in glacial caves and grottos, with the crevices often serving as their homes due to heat from the planet's core often coming up through the openings. Sunlight that passed through the ice of the caves allowed the small plants to grow, thus providing a source of food for the creatures.
  +
  +
In the wild, tauntauns often traveled in packs of 25 members, and could burrow into the snow for warmth.<ref name="Lost Stars">''[[Lost Stars]]''</ref> Their tails helped to keep balance while running at fast speeds.<ref name="AbEverything" />
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  +
The creatures had an odor that was unpleasant to [[Human]]s due to layers of fatty blubber that helped them acclimate to the cold temperatures of Hoth, but was apparently nothing compared to the smell from the inside of a fresh tauntaun corpse.<ref name="AbEverything" />
  +
  +
===Predators===
  +
Tauntauns had fifteen varying subspecies of which all were prey to the towering [[wampa]] ice creatures. As they were swift, docile and able to run at speeds of up to 90 kph, they were often able to outrun their wampa predators, however could use their horns for combat if necessary.<ref name="AbEverything" />
  +
  +
===Domestication===
  +
Tauntauns could be domesticated for various purposes. When the Alliance to Restore the Republic established their new headquarters on Hoth, they utilized the native tauntauns as mounts owing to the planet's cold temperatures occasionally shutting down their [[T-47 airspeeder]]s in the morning. Kept in pens, the tauntauns were ultimately released from captivity when the nascent Galactic Empire invaded the planet during the Battle of Hoth.
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  +
==Behind the scenes==
  +
[[File:Early Tauntaun model.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Reptilian-style model]]
  +
[[File:Tauntaun concept.jpg|right|thumb|120px|Rodent-like concept sketch]]
  +
When tauntauns first appeared in [[Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back|''Star Wars:'' Episode V ''The Empire Strikes Back'']], they were represented on screen through a combination of puppetry and stop-motion animation. Going through several design concepts, the current hairy tauntaun was finally decided on after going through several concepts of its appearance, ranging from a rodent-like creature to a more reptilian look.
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The [[Wikipedia:Pantone|Pantone]] colors used by the films' production for the tauntaun were 427U, 467U and 463U.<ref name="instagram">{{InstagramCite
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|author=Star Wars
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|dateposted=15-12-2013
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|timeposted=
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|description=Tauntaun Pantone colors
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|quote=
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|link=p/jMy4WoM_Rv/
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|archive=
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|dateaccessed=16-01-2014
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|timeaccessed=02:39
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|archivedate=}}</ref>
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[[Jabba Desilijic Tiure]] kept a stuffed tauntaun head in his [[Jabba's Palace|palace]] beside Han Solo, who was at the time frozen in [[carbonite]].<ref name="AbEverything" />
   
 
==Appearances==
  
==Appearances==
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*''[[Star Wars: Galactic Defense]]''
 
*{{TCW|Orders}} {{C|as Graffiti}}
  
*{{TCW|Orders}} {{C|as Graffiti}}
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*''[[Lost Stars]]''
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*''[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back]]'' {{1st}}
  
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*''[[Battlefront: Twilight Company]]'' {{Mo}}
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*''[[The Adventures of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight]]''
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*''[[Star Wars Battlefront]]'' {{Corpse}}
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*[[Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back|''Star Wars'': Episode V ''The Empire Strikes Back'']] {{1st}}
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*''[[The Empire Strikes Back: So You Want to Be a Jedi?]]''
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*''[[Epic Yarns: The Empire Strikes Back]]'' {{Nc}}
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*[[Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi|''Star Wars'': Episode VI ''Return of the Jedi'']] {{C|Appears as a trophy head in Jabba's palace}}
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*''[[Aftermath]]'' {{Mo}}
   
 
==Sources==
  
==Sources==
⚫
*{{SW|url=explore/the-movies/episode-v/|text=Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back}}
  
 
*{{SWE|characters|tauntaun|Tauntaun}}
  
*{{SWE|characters|tauntaun|Tauntaun}}
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*{{SWE|groups|rebel-troopers|Rebel troopers}}
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*{{SWE|groups|rebel-troopers|Rebel Troopers}}
  ⚫
*{{SW|url=explore/the-movies/episode-v/|text=''Star Wars'': Episode V - ''The Empire Strikes Back''}}
 
*{{InsiderCite|151|Growing Up with the Force}}
  
*{{InsiderCite|151|Growing Up with the Force}}
 
*{{SW|url=news/sdcc-2014-inside-marvels-new-star-wars-comics-exclusive|text=SDCC 2014: Inside Marvel's New ''Star Wars'' Comics &ndash; Exclusive}}
  
*{{SW|url=news/sdcc-2014-inside-marvels-new-star-wars-comics-exclusive|text=SDCC 2014: Inside Marvel's New ''Star Wars'' Comics &ndash; Exclusive}}
  +
*{{SW|url=/games-apps/star-wars-galactic-defense|text=''Star Wars: Galactic Defense''}}
 
*''[[Star Wars in 100 Scenes]]''
  
*''[[Star Wars in 100 Scenes]]''
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*''[[Ultimate Star Wars]]''
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*{{SW|url=news/9-creatures-in-the-star-wars-universe-wed-like-to-keep-as-pets|text=9 Creatures in the ''Star Wars'' Universe We'd Like to Keep as Pets}}
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*''[[Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know]]''
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*''[[Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded]]''
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*{{Databank|tauntaun|Tauntaun}}
   
 
==Notes and references==
  
==Notes and references==

Revision as of 21:50, 31 March 2016

This article covers the Canon version of this subject.  Click here for Wookieepedia's article on the Legends version of this subject. 

Warning: The following parameters in the infobox are unrecognized: members, imageBG


"I thought they smelled bad on the outside!"
―Han Solo — (audio) Listen (file info)[src]

Tauntauns ((pronounced /tän'-tän/)) were a species of non-sentient lizards native to the snowy plains of Hoth. They were used by members of the Rebel Alliance after they domesticated some of them when they built their new headquarters on Hoth.[2]

Anatomy

Tauntaun-TOTS

Luke Skywalker riding a tauntaun mount on Hoth

Sure-footed and furry, the tauntauns were well-adapted to the daytime temperature on Hoth, although they could not handle the chilling extremes of the night, which could often reach below -60°C. They featured scaly skin beneath their heavy layers of fur and secreted thick, pungent oils to attract mates. Tauntauns had two sets of nostrils, one large and one small. The large set was used for maximum oxygen intake during intense physical activity, while the small set was used during inactive periods and grazing, to keep out snow. Tauntauns could also alternate breathing between the two sets of nostrils, allowing them to regulate body heat.

Their long claws helped them to climb icy surfaces and scrape away lichen and small ice plants which often grew in glacial caves and grottos, with the crevices often serving as their homes due to heat from the planet's core often coming up through the openings. Sunlight that passed through the ice of the caves allowed the small plants to grow, thus providing a source of food for the creatures.

In the wild, tauntauns often traveled in packs of 25 members, and could burrow into the snow for warmth.[4] Their tails helped to keep balance while running at fast speeds.[3]

The creatures had an odor that was unpleasant to Humans due to layers of fatty blubber that helped them acclimate to the cold temperatures of Hoth, but was apparently nothing compared to the smell from the inside of a fresh tauntaun corpse.[3]

Predators

Tauntauns had fifteen varying subspecies of which all were prey to the towering wampa ice creatures. As they were swift, docile and able to run at speeds of up to 90 kph, they were often able to outrun their wampa predators, however could use their horns for combat if necessary.[3]

Domestication

Tauntauns could be domesticated for various purposes. When the Alliance to Restore the Republic established their new headquarters on Hoth, they utilized the native tauntauns as mounts owing to the planet's cold temperatures occasionally shutting down their T-47 airspeeders in the morning. Kept in pens, the tauntauns were ultimately released from captivity when the nascent Galactic Empire invaded the planet during the Battle of Hoth.

Behind the scenes

Early Tauntaun model

Reptilian-style model

Tauntaun concept

Rodent-like concept sketch

When tauntauns first appeared in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, they were represented on screen through a combination of puppetry and stop-motion animation. Going through several design concepts, the current hairy tauntaun was finally decided on after going through several concepts of its appearance, ranging from a rodent-like creature to a more reptilian look.

The Pantone colors used by the films' production for the tauntaun were 427U, 467U and 463U.[5]

Jabba Desilijic Tiure kept a stuffed tauntaun head in his palace beside Han Solo, who was at the time frozen in carbonite.[3]

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 StarWars Tauntaun in the Encyclopedia (content now obsolete; backup link)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
  4. ↑ Lost Stars
  5. ↑ Instagram-Logo Star Wars on Instagram
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