Bissop Bissops were non - sentient lizard - hounds used by the sentient Yuuzhan Vong species . Bred by the Yuuzhan Vong to track and hunt living creatures , bissops were carnivorous and had snouts that they used to seek prey . During the Yuuzhan Vong War , bissops were utilized by Yuuzhan Vong warriors to track down both escaping prisoners and enemies who had infiltrated their territory on worlds such as Selvaris and Caluula . Additionally , bissops were used to pull the sled of Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane in 29 ABY , during a ceremony on the planet Yuuzhan ' tar . Biology and appearance . Resembling a lizard - like hound , bissops were bred by the sentient Yuuzhan Vong species for their hunting and tracking abilities . Low - bodied and possessing long snouts that had a good sense of smell , bissops had skeletons , as well as claws on their feet that left distinct tracks in dirt . The creatures had the body strength to be able to carry a grown Yuuzhan Vong in a saddle on their backs , and were agile and fast . Because they were a Yuuzhan Vong - related life form , bissops were susceptible to the effects of the deadly Alpha Red pathogen . Behavior . Classified as non - sentient , bissops sniffed both the ground and the air when they were tracking something , and also brayed and howled when actively hunting a moving target . Carnivorous in diet , bissops were docile enough for some Yuuzhan Vong to ride them with saddles , or for others to use them to pulls sled . However , if attacked by an enemy , bissops would race to strike at the attackers . The hounds were typically accompanied by Yuuzhan Vong minders while hunting , and usually hunted together in groups . Bissops were trained by their masters to return to a base camp if something happened to the rest of the hunting team . History . Bred into existence by 27 ABY , bissops were used by the Yuuzhan Vong during the Yuuzhan Vong War , when the Yuuzhan Vong invaded a galaxy other than their own . Typically accompanied by Yuuzhan Vong warriors while on the hunt , bissops were used as hunters and trackers by the Yuuzhan Vong , and were utilized in the war effort . In 29 ABY , on the Yuuzhan Vong controlled world of Selvaris , bissops stationed there were used in an attempt to capture escaped prisoners of war . The hounds were also used on the world of Yuuzhan ' tar , which had been captured from the New Republic . On Yuuzhan ' tar , bissops were occasionally used to transport high - ranking Yuuzhan Vong in saddles , and it was there that a pack pulled the sled of Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane during a ceremony at the Place of Sacrifice . Bissops were present on the Yuuzhan Vong – controlled world of Caluula , and three of the beasts accompanied a squad of warriors as they tracked a group from the New Republic across Caluula ' s surface in 29 ABY . However , as the entire Yuuzhan Vong hunting squad had been exposed to the Alpha Red pathogen and thus weakened by it , the New Republic group easily killed the warriors and the bissops . Behind the scenes . Bissops were first mentioned in Elaine Cunningham ' s novel " " , which was released in 2002 as an installment of " " series . The hounds later made their first appearance in " " , which was written by James Luceno and released in 2003 as the last book in " The New Jedi Order " series . Bissops also received a small entry in 2008 ' s " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " . In the novel " " , a book in " The New Jedi Order " that was released prior to " Dark Journey " , there is a brief mention of lizard - like creatures being used for mounts by the Yuuzhan Vong . However , as they are not specifically identified as bissops , this article refrains from assuming the creatures are bissops .