A crystal snake was a venomous reptile native to the moon Yavin 4.
The crystal snake had curiously translucent flesh that, with the naked eye under typical lighting conditions, could barely be seen. One sign that a crystal snake was present would be the small shimmer of light that reflected off its scales, or its deep black eyes. The venom that crystal snakes secreted when they bit was nonlethal. However, it could be extremely dangerous, since the victim of a crystal snake bite would fall into an hour-long deep sleep.
Hooded crystal snakes had the ability to flatten their neck.
Jacen Solo captured a crystal snake in his first month at Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum. Because it escaped often, one of Jacen's fellow students, Raynar Thul, wanted Jacen to get rid of the small zoo that he kept in his room. As a result, Jacen often used the threat of the crystal snake escaping to get his mechanically-inclined sister to build better cages for him.
During the first hours of the assault on the Jedi Praxeum by the Shadow Academy, Jacen freed his crystal snake along with the other animals he kept in his room. The crystal snake somehow made its way to the Great Temple's Grand Audience Chamber. Later, after Imperial Commander Orvak set up his detonators in the chamber, he was bitten by the crystal snake. Orvak woke up just in time to see what it was that caused his unconsciousness, and just before the detonators he set in the Grand Audience Chamber exploded. It was likely that the crystal snake died in the explosion as well.
- The New Jedi Order Sourcebook
- The Official Star Wars Fact File15
- Star Wars Galaxies: The Total Experience: Prima Official Game Guide
- Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Guide: Prima Official Game Guide
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Prima Official Game Guide
- Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption Expansion: Prima Official Game Guide
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia