Scurrier

Scurriers were a species of small rodents that hailed from the desert planet of Tatooine. They were characterized by their long ears, distinctive snout, and skittish temperament. They normally roamed the desert, but were commonly found loitering outside inhabited settlements.

Biology and appearance

Scurriers were small rodents^[2] that possessed some bipedal ability. They had a semi-upright posture, with their limbs directly underneath their body, their trunk in a near-horizontal position, their neck curving upwards, and their tail sticking straight out behind. They ran on all fours, adopting a fully horizontal posture, but were also capable of standing on their hindlimbs alone, freeing their forelimbs and paws for digging. Their heads boasted two sideways-facing eyes, a pair of long, tubular ears that were usually held upright, and a distinctive snout ending in a disc-shaped nose with four nostrils. Scurriers were covered in naked, wrinkled skin whose color varied from pink (on the underside) and grey (on the back and upper part of the skull).^[5] Some scurriers boasted antlers.^[6] The purpose of the horns was unknown as the species did not use them in defense or fights of dominance.^[1]

Behavior

Scurriers used their forepaws to dig into the sand.^[5] Although they normally lived in the desert,^[4] scurriers could also be found near or even inside inhabited settlements. They traveled in groups, and tended to disperse at the first sign of perceived danger, such as a passing vehicle.^[3] They were named for their swift and nervous movements.^[2]

History

Scurriers hailed from Tatooine,^[5] a suns-scorched, desert planet located in the Outer Rim region of the galaxy.^[4] They were a source of meat for the sentient inhabitants of Tatooine. In the town of Mos Eisley, dead scurriers were commonly seen hanging from food stalls.^[7]

Scurriers on Straight Street-ANH — Four scurriers loitering in the streets of Mos Eisley

When Anakin Skywalker came to visit the Lars family^[8] in 22 BBY,^[9] a pack of scurriers were loitering outside the family's homestead^[8] on the Great Chott salt flat.^[10]

The Volpai Moregi tossed bread crust to scurriers in the capital city of the moon Pantora^[11] in 19 BBY,^[12] the creatures' tails wagging as they ate.^[13]

In 1 BBY,^[14] a pack of scurriers were present just outside Mos Eisley when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived aboard Skywalker's X-34 landspeeder,^[3] entering the city via Outer Curved Street.^[15] Startled by the passing vehicle, the scurriers dispersed with high-pitched squeaks. Mere moments later, Skywalker and Kenobi encountered another group of scurriers as they manoeuvred the landspeeder^[3] into Straight Street.^[15]

Similarly, the Mandalorian warrior Din Djarin caused a group of scurriers to disperse when he arrived at Mos Pelgo on his Zephyr-J speeder bike one day^[5] in 9 ABY.^[16]

While wandering the Dune Sea with only his bantha as a companion, the former bounty hunter Boba Fett fed off of scurriers, even feeding the meat to his riding beast on one occasion. A short time later, Fett met the Master Assassin Fennec Shand and shared roasted scurrier with her after the two had killed the sarlacc of the Great Pit of Carkoon.^[17]

By 9 ABY, Scurriers were an introduced species on the planet Plazir-15. During a banquet hosted by the Duchess and Captain Bombardier, an orange scurrier roamed the banquet table, the scurrier being part of a larger menagerie of animals present at the banquet.^[18]

Behind the scenes

Scurrier concept art — TyRuben Ellingson's studies for the scurriers

The scurriers were created for the Special Edition of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which saw theatrical release in 1997. Along with the rest of the Mos Eisley menagerie, they were designed by TyRuben Ellingson. The concept of the scurriers varied from the reptilian to the mammalian to an indeterminate, Muppet-like creature. The final design was that of a horned rodent.^[19] The computer-generated models of the scurrier that appeared in the Special Edition were in fact heavily modified models loosely based on Velociraptor studies developed for the 1993 movie Jurassic Park.^[20]