Nuna/Legends

Nuna, commonly called swamp turkeys,The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide were reptavian gamebirds native to Naboo.
==Anatomy==
Nuna were diminutive bipeds, mostly covered in scaly skin and sporting a distinctive dorsal ridge. They came in a variety of shades, ranging from greens to browns, depending on the subspecies. They possessed a notably prominent jutting jaw and two large wattles hanging from either side of their mouths. They had large three-toed feet which were quite massive with respect to the rest of their bodies. Though the nuna were flightless, their skeletons were birdlike, as evidenced by a large keel-bone and pelvis. Distinctively, they featured a large anterior body cavity that could inflate the nuna when agitated. A dwarf sub-species existed, the adult of which was approximately the same size as a chick of the common species.
==Behavior==
Nuna often exhibited awkward behavior, running with more of a waddle than a stride on their long legs. When vocalizing, a nuna's wattles erected outwards from their face. When angered or agitated, the nuna could inflate its body to a strikingly larger size, similar to the coexisting Gullipud. Nuna survived on a primary diet of swamp plants, though they exhibited opportunistic omnivorous behavior, occasionally eating amphibians. Although they were non-aggressive, they could effectively defend themselves with kicks from their powerful clawed legs when cornered. Nuna also exhibited a high reproductive rate, laying considerable batches of eggs that also acted as a decent fertilizer if not hatched.
Young nuna could be eaten by pikobis.
==History==
===Origins and Spread===
Nuna were common in the swamps of Naboo, notably in the Lianorm Swamp.Star Wars: Episode I Jedi Power Battles: Prima's Official Strategy Guide Though it is unknown how or when the nuna evolved on Naboo, it is understood, in part, how they spread to other planets. A number of dwarf nunas were exported to Tatooine as pets of Jabba Desilijic Tiure, who enjoyed callously killing the creatures, flicking them off great heights. Over time, the imported population apparently escaped domestication and large numbers of wild dwarf nunas dwelt invasively in the deserts during the time of the Galactic Civil War. Nuna eventually spread to other planets, including Saleucami and Coruscant, where they were considered vermin, game, and household pets.
===Sports===
As a pastime, Naboo Gungans were known to use nunas in their bloated, agitated state for sport, kicking them around like balls. "Nuna-ball" would gain some interest in the rest of the galaxy after the Invasion of Naboo. Thus arose another cause of galactic emigration as nunas were exported to many worlds to meet demand for nuna-ball. On some worlds, nunas were even raced in betting matches. The Committee Against Non-Sentient Abuse, an organization that protested the mishandling of animals, raised its voice against Nuna-ball matches for their misuse of nunas.
===Culinary Use===
Nuna apparently had made it as a dish as far away as Saleucami by 21 BBYStar Wars Annual 2011 as evidenced by Captain Rex's encounter with one at a farmer's dinner table.
Many dishes used Nuna for its meat, including Nuna Gumbo, Nuna drumsticks, Nuna bacon, Nuna sausage, and the Nuna salad sandwich.
==Behind the scenes==
The nunas first appeared in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video gameStar Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game and made their cinematic debut in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. They were created by concept artist Terryl Whitlatch. The nuna was a comical favorite, and was eventually transplanted off Naboo to Tatooine, becoming an omnipresent "rat" of the Star Wars galaxy.
The nuna was developed to essentially be the Star Wars equivalent of a turkey.
==Appearances==
===Non-canon appearances===
*Star Wars: Tiny Death Star
==Sources==
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Creatures of Naboo
Category:Creatures of Saleucami
Category:Domesticated creatures
Category:Food creatures
Category:Herbivorous creatures
Category:Hunted creatures
Category:Non-sentient species
Category:Oviparous species
Category:Reptavians
Category:Swamp creatures