Joopa

Joopas, or joopa worms, were a non-sentient species of giant, worm-like creatures that lived below the surface of the dusty planet Seelos and could grow to be 21 meters in length. Their distinguishing features included a crown of bright red eyes, long pink tongues, and carapaces of rigid plates covering their otherwise soft bodies. They had a membrane behind their eyes that caused the retinas to reflect light, making their eyes to appear to glow. Lacking teeth, they swallowed prey whole. They were particularly fond of Lasat meat. They were known to use their prehensile tongue to snatch prey on the surface while remaining underground but could emerge from the ground to attack directly. While Joopas enjoyed the taste of Lasats, a similar beast, the Rishi eel preferred the taste of clones.

Following the proclamation of the Galactic Empire, some clone troopers of the defunct Galactic Republic (Rex, Wolffe, and Gregor) retired to Seelos, where they would hunt joopas, which Gregor described as delicious. Some time after the fifteenth celebration of Empire Day, the rebel team known as the Spectres traveled to Seelos in search of the clones, whose skills could help the fledgling rebellion. In order to help the clones catch a joopa, Spectres member Garazeb Orrelios, a Lasat, agreed to be used as bait.

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