Wampa

Overview
Wampas are a race of highly aggressive predators native to the ice planet Hoth. They are the planet's top predators, and are known to survive extreme temperatures.

Anatomy, Physiology and Biology
Covered with shaggy white fur, standing at heights of up to three meters, and weighing an average of 150 kilograms, Hoth's Wampa ice creatures were lethal predatory beasts. They possessed long, powerful arms, razor-sharp claws capable of carving layers out of ice, and a fanged maw. Aided by an acute sense of smell and a well-camouflaged coat of thick fur, the carnivorous wampas roamed Hoth's icy plains preying on near-helpless animals. Wampas ranged in height from 2.2 to three meters, with an average height of 2.5 meters and they had eerie yellow eyes. Older Wampas possessed short, jagged, curving horns, which were an indication of age. The horns began to appear at the onset of puberty and continued to grow larger as the Wampa aged.

Wampas were classified officially as reptomammals, creatures combining the best defensive characteristics of reptiles with the more adaptable physiologies of mammals—specifically, they were linked to primates. The Wampa physiology was well adapted to conserving heat in the extreme cold. Beneath their protective fur was a layer of blubber for greater insulation. They were also physiologically equipped with a self-regulating metabolism.

The Wampa reigned at the top of the Hoth food chain as the planet's most violent alpha predator. With their strong sense of smell, coat of thick white fur, blending in perfectly with the icy landscape of Hoth, and brute strength, Wampas made excellent natural hunters. A single powerful blow from a Wampa's forearm was enough to neutralize the largest prey, while the creature's bite was deadly. Very rarely were Wampas themselves the victims of predators—in fact, the creatures had no natural enemies except for other Wampas. Wampas typically traveled on two or four legs, preferring four except when stalking or during an attack. The creatures stalked their prey until reaching close enough proximity to make a rush attack. A Wampa would take a final sighting of its target by rising on its hind legs and then springing forward in a deadly pounce with claws outstretched.

In terms of the creature's diet, Wampas subsisted primarily on Hoth's many varieties of omnivorous tauntauns, although they also hunted antlered mammals called rayboo and other, smaller unwary creatures—as well as attacking anyone or anything else they encountered that might seem to be a source of food if particularly hungry. The powerful Wampa required large amounts of food to sustain itself, and a single tauntaun was enough to nourish one Wampa for a considerable period. Wampa family groups, in particular, required a substantial supply of meat, since a female Wampa could birth up to three cubs at once. However, the competition among Wampas for Hoth's relatively small number of prey animals formed a limit to the numbers of the creatures existing on Hoth, keeping the Wampa relatively scarce.

Wampas were particularly sensitive to high-pitched noises, sounds that were similar to those made by a female in search of a mate. While Wampas were naturally well-insulated against the Hoth elements, as a result of their dense fur, they were made almost invisible to and failed to show up on most standard life-form sensor scans, which is how they managed to avoid public detection for so long.

History
The Wampa ice creatures have always been indigenous to Hoth. The first time they were ever encountered occurred when a group of hyperspace explorers crash landed on the planet after being attacked by space pirates. There, they found an abandoned Republic research facility littered with mutilated corpses. Soon, it was discovered that a herd of ravenous Wampas were responsible for the personnel's deaths, and the explorers themselves soon became prey for the creatures. Not one of them survived.