Ghest

Ghests, also known as swamp demons, were a large reptilian species native to the swamps of the planet Rodia. Instead of bone, the species had cartilaginous skeletons. The sentient Rodians, who feared the predators because they sometimes attacked entire primitive Rodian villages, originally believed ghests to be responsible for carrying away the souls of the dead. Ghests hunted by swimming slowly along the surface of the water and lashing out at their prey, usually large herbivores, often swallowing them in one bite. When mating, ghests performed a courtship ritual that proved their strength to the partner. A ghest mother guarded her young after reproduction, as the sire would simply eat them on sight.

As Rodian culture developed, the ghest population diminished both as a result of hunting, particularly by those Rodians known as ghestslayers, and the industrialization of Rodia's environment. By the time the Galactic Republic made contact with Rodia, the predators were nearly extinct. In an attempt to save the species, some wealthy Rodians attempted to introduce ghest populations onto other worlds. A ghest attacked the crew of the New Republic CR90 corvette FarStar on the planet Danoor in 8 ABY.

Text and facts from the “Ghest/Legends” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.