Post by Red on Feb 4, 2007 15:37:07 GMT -5
The Wookiees, whose name for themselves translated to the People of the Trees, were a species of furred bipeds that were inhabitants of the planet Kashyyyk. One of the most noteworthy members of the species was Chewbacca, Han Solo's friend and co-pilot.
The Wookiees' natural habitat was the dense forests of the planet Kashyyyk (though one source does contend that they were immigrants to this planet). Kashyyyk was covered with massive Wroshyr trees, in which the Wookiees constructed their homes and cities. Reportedly, Wookiees were descended from tree-climbing mammalians.
Adult Wookiees were tall, in excess of two meters in height, and were covered with a uniform, mid-length coat of thick hair in various shades of brown. Although albino Wookiees were rare, they were not unheard of. However, such a birth was generally held to be a bad omen, as white hair did not blend in with the earth-tones of their forest surroundings.
Young Wookiees (pups) were large at birth (averaging slightly less than one meter). Wookiees possessed vicious-looking retractable claws for climbing. Female Wookiees had six breasts and gave birth to live-born young, with their gestation period nearly a year long. After birth, a Wookiee grew very fast, fully conscious and able to walk unassisted within one standard year. The average lifespan of Wookiees was around 600 years. Although Wookiees were sometimes taken to be little more than hairy, savage beasts, Wookiees were intelligent, and were starfaring. They possessed a varied culture, beyond their homeworld, some even rising to the rank of Jedi Master. Wookiees also possessed great strength and exceptional skill in mechanical repair.
Wookiees were often short-tempered. When Chewbacca complained about a move in a game of dejarik that R2-D2 had made during their initial trip to Alderaan, Han Solo told C-3PO that it was not a good idea to upset a Wookiee – because an upset Wookiee would tear a person's arms out of their sockets (though Han and Chewbacca might have been teasing the droid). Despite their temper, Wookiees were usually gentle and affectionate with their friends and family.