Tauntaun / Legends Tauntauns ( ) were a species of omnivorous reptomammal s who were indigenous to the icy planet of Hoth . Tauntauns were commonly used as pack animals during the Rebel Alliance ' s stay at Hoth . Tauntauns were also used as patrol mounts when it was learned that the Rebel Alliance ' s own vehicles could not cope with the very cold weather . Anatomy . Tauntauns shared similar characteristics with kybuck s , however were genetically different . They featured a mix of traditionally reptilian features , such as a lack of mammary glands and scaly skin . They were also warm - blooded , and had a layer of blubber under fur which ranged from gray to white and covered their bodies . They gave birth to live young ; mammalian characteristics . Known subspecies included the glacier tauntaun , scaly tauntaun , climbing tauntaun , and the giant tauntaun ( also referred to as the common tauntaun ) . Tauntauns possessed numerous evolutionary adaptations to the bitter , cold environments of Hoth . Those adaptations included wide feet for running across icy surfaces , swiveling ears , thick blubber , chambered lungs , two pairs of nostrils , and a digestive system that excreted wastes as oils through skin pores , producing a distinctive odor . Their four nostrils served to warm inhaled air . Their larger pair were used to bring oxygen into the blood stream during physical exertion . When lying down to sleep , the larger pair sealed to keep snow out , and the second pair took over . A well - muscled tail extended a meter from their bodies to help maintain balance . They had clawed feet and hands to gain purchase on the ice . Their feet were also tridactyl , with splayed toes to act as natural snowshoes . The most important feature of tauntaun physiology was their unique blood mixture that was resistant to the tundra winds and kept their organs from freezing . Despite these adaptations , tauntauns sought shelter at night to avoid the extreme nighttime temperatures of Hoth . When shelter was unavailable , they used their evolved ability to hibernate during low nighttime temperatures , maintaining a lukewarm internal temperature . Some tauntaun breeds actually froze to death if awakened after sundown . When not eating the fungus that grew beneath the frost layer or lichens found in glacial caves or valleys the omnivorous tauntauns were also known to eat ice scrabbler s and Hoth hog s . Tauntauns were matriarchal animals and lived in herds of twenty to thirty individuals . Horn - butting matches were common among both males and females who hoped to establish dominance . Tauntauns were able to give birth to two young at a time , which would occur twice within one Hoth year . Though they lacked mammary glands , tauntauns could regurgitate a form of " milk " produced in their crops . They tended to be ill - tempered , a natural result of evolving in such an inhospitable environment . A peculiar form of " attack " among the females , and some of the males , during mating season was their spitting ability . Tauntauns would spit at each other ' s eyes , with surprising accuracy . While their smelly saliva was by no means deadly , it was quite inconvenient to have any liquid freeze near their eyes in Hoth ' s blizzards . Predators . Tauntauns were the primary prey of the wampas . Besides their horns , natural camouflage , and their safety in numbers , tauntauns also relied on their ability to run 90 kilometers - per - hour to survive . The wampas got around this by ambushing their prey - - attempting to kill them before they could escape . Domestication . If domesticated , tauntauns would require a grooming parlor to breed . Such a place would stink like the dirtiest imaginable kitchen to a sentient . Although they were stubborn creatures , tauntauns made ideal patrol mounts for the Rebel Alliance ' s Echo Base in the absence of repulsorcraft , which were unreliable in Hoth ' s extremely cold climate . Personnel such as Corporal Vyn Rolado were responsible for taming the alpha female of a tauntaun pack , which allowed the Alliance to easily train the remainder of the pack . It was discovered that the ultrasonic frequencies given off by certain droid models irritated the mounts , and they would use their tail to swat any of those droids who happened to wander too close . Tauntauns were occasionally attacked by wampas in the ice caves of the rebel base . The Hutt gangster Jabba Desilijic Tiure kept the head of a tauntaun as a trophy hanging on a wall in his throne room . Captain Ozzik Sturn also had a head of a tauntaun in his private quarters on Kashyyyk . Some years after the Galactic Civil War had ended , tauntauns were exported from Hoth to the cold - climate regions of other worlds such as Coruscant . They were used as mounts , beasts of burden and tourist attractions . However , they longed for their old home and became surly and stubborn because of this homesickness . Also by the time of the Second Galactic Civil War , small stuffed tauntauns were available as children ' s toys . The smooth , silky fur of the plush made it pleasant for young children to snuggle with . Jacen Solo had given one to his daughter Allana as a gift to make sure that she and her mother Tenel Ka were not the sacrifice he had to make to become a Sith Lord . The toy inspired her to want a real one from the Coruscant Livestock Exchange and Exhibition , but her grandfather Han Solo denied her due to his experience on Hoth , stating the creature ' s unpleasant smell . The droid L9 - G8 once made tauntaun chowder for the Prince of Tamboon . Behind the scenes . The creatures were represented on screen through a combination of puppetry and stop - motion animation . Before settling on the hairy creature seen in the films , the design of the tauntaun went through several different looks , ranging from a large rodent - like creature to a more reptilian look . In " " the tauntaun is the preferred creature for the Rebel Alliance mounted trooper regardless of the climate of the planet . Players of " Star Wars Galaxies " are capable of obtaining a DNA profile for bio - engineering a tauntaun by completing various tasks in the Battle of Hoth instance . Once the creature is born and trained , it can be used as either a mount or combat pet by the Beast Master profession . In " Return of the Jedi , " Jabba the Hutt has a stuffed and mounted tauntaun head as one of his grisly trophies , right next to the frozen form of Han Solo . In " " , Tauntaun Ram is a minipet given to all players with accounts active since April 21 , 2012 , and Tauntaun Fawn is a limited - edition minipet given to people who attended PAX East 2012 . In Patch 2 . 3 , the game introduced tauntaun mounts and offered the Tundra Tauntaun ( a subscriber exclusive ) or the Mountain Tauntaun . The colors used by the films ' production for the tauntaun were 427U , 467U and 463U .