Gilamar Skirata
The most important step is always the next one
- Intent: To make a good water boy
- Image Credit:
First Image Found here - Second image of Hulk from DarkDynasty and wonderfully manipulated in PS by [member="Nibsani"]
[*]Canon: No
[*]Links: None
GENERAL INFORMATION
- Name: Tortuga Hound
- Designation: Non-Sentient
- Homeworld: Naboo
- Language: None
- Average Lifespan: 40-50 years in captivity; 150~ in the wild
- Estimated Population: Inter-Planetary
- Description: The Tortuga Hound is a semi-aquatic reptomammal predator native to the water ways and wet plains of Naboo. Utilized as guard hounds, war beasts, and for ancient primitive medicines they are an important part of Naboo's ecosystem.
- Breathes: Type I + Under Water
- Average height of adults: 1.6 Meters when standing on hind legs (1.9 Meters when neck stretched out) in captivity
- Average length of adults: 1.5 Meters from nose to tail (1.8 Meters when neck stretched out) in captivity
- Skin color: The head is always black, however skin colors range from black to light brown
- Hair color: No hair, spines along back are black, same as the head
- Distinctions: The tortuga hound is a massive predator native to the forested waterways and ocean deep marshes of Naboo. Standing at about waist height of your average adult when fully grown, the tortuga hound's body was incredibly muscular and coated in thin, slimy scales which was a defense measures against some of Naboo's larger aquatic predators. The slimyness was a toxin the tortuga hound excreted that caused slight numbness when it made contact with the skin and had a pungent odor and taste. In the wild its muscular tail also grew into a long, scaly, sniped appendage, utilized for swimming against the rough currents and large waves of the rainy seasons on Naboo, though its rudder-like tail is often cut, shaved, and shaped into a more mammalian look in captivity to make it more intimidating. Its eyes are set on either side of its head, its paws were webbed, and its head is covered in a thick carapace. Within its mouth tortuga hounds had worm-like flaps of flesh that when its mouth was agape in the currents of its natural habitat floated about like worms or small insects, luring prey into its mouth. The beast lacks teeth and instead swallows its prey, or chunks of its prey, whole by utilizing its powerful jaw muscles to simply cut and snap flesh and bone into its maw. When laying in wait, its neck could quickly shoot out and snatch prey as it swam or walked by. It has the same aquatic adaptations as the Gungan, meaning that when their heads were submerged their nostrils closed. Their compound lungs boasted an impressive lung capacity and failing that held the ability to take in limited amounts of oxygen from the water in dire straights, though this still ran the risk of the animal dying from dry drowning, a phenomenon in which leftover water remains in the lungs, restricting airflow and effectively causing the hound to drown even if not in water. Despite being a primarily water dwelling animal, the tortuga hound was also common in the shallower marshlands and wetlands and took a more active role in hunting in these places. It was able to chase down nuna and other herbivores native to the planet.
- Races: None
- Strengths:
Fast Swimmer - Can outrun humans speeds
- Limited aquatic breathing ability
- Powerful bite force (just shy of Crushgaunt levels of strength)
- Numbing secreted toxin
[*]Weaknesses:
- Dry places can cause it to dehydrate quickly (keep a pool handy!)
- Can suffer from Sandlung, a disease where dry air over the course of its life causes the hound's lungs to deteriorate
- Its thin hide make it as susceptible to blasters and weaponry as a human without armor
CULTURE
- Diet: Carnivorous
- Communication: Barks, yips, howls
- Technology level: N/A
- Religion/Beliefs: N/A
- General behavior: Generally found in small packs or pods of around 3 or four(called packs in the wetlands and shallow marshlands, called pods in places with deeper water), the tortuga hound was assumed to be an active predator for many years as it was most often found in the shallow marshlands and wetlands of Naboo. It was noted for its pack-intelligence and hunting prowess along in the wet plains. However, it wouldn't be discovered until sometime after the Clone Wars that it was also an ambush predator found in the deep waters of swamps, along ocean beaches, and generally most waterways on the planet. In places where water is slow moving or still it can wait for days with its mouth open, only coming up to breathe occasionally, waiting until something either walked or swam close enough for it to shoot its head out on its flexible neck and snap its jaws around it. In deeper waters again they are observed to be active hunters, chasing prey down in the water even though it was generally understood to be a slightly slower swimmer than most aquatic animals of Naboo. Packs and pods found on plains or in deep water tended to live in dens made of mud and other vegetation, sometimes even finding and utilizing underwater caves and dens abandoned by other creatures as their homes. Their intimidating appearance, canine tendencies, and powerful jaws have made them popular pets among bounty hunters and pirates, especially Mandalorians who use them as guard dogs, pets, and hunting companions as a slightly less stinky alternative to the strill, and much bigger. Their intelligence makes them easy to train and domesticate, however domestically bred tortuga hounds are markedly smaller than their wild cousins and often live much shorter lifespans due to the humidity difference often found on the starships and homesteads they find themselves on.
Originally hunted by the Gungan for their organs to be used in ancient medicines, the tortuga hound was eventually found to be a much more useful war beast and hunting companion for the amphibious species. Sometime after the battle of naboo they were noted for being one of the only good things about being stationed on naboo as the domesticated hounds proved to help many a clone trooper with the traumas of war and proved to be loyal friends. A large amount of hounds were purchased from the Naboo royal family and used as guard animals on aquatic Republic worlds, their tales of bravery and their cool, intimidating appearance shooting them into popularity. Tortuga hound breeders began popping up all over the galaxy, with the biggest planets for breeding them being Naboo and various Mon Cal worlds. They saw extensive use in Mon Cal police and peacekeeping forces and became populare pets among the various badasses of the galaxy. Some old gungan medicine recipes still called for the animal's organs which would drive the native population almost to extinction during the gulag plague as these medicines were thought to reduce the pain of the Gulag Plague and even cure it, neither which claim held any scientific weight. After the Gulag Plague had taken its toll on Naboo and hunting slowed to a halt, the native population shot back up and it once again has become one of the most common predators of Naboo.
