The Balana thranta represented just one of the numerous species of thranta that naturally occurred on the planet Alderaan. Tragically, they faced near total annihilation when their homeworld was destroyed. However, these creatures avoided complete extinction because they had been transported to Bespin in the distant past, alongside both the common thranta and its relative, the giant thranta.
A key characteristic that differentiated the Balana subspecies from other thranta was its larger physique and brownish coloration. In addition, their wings had a unique, hook-like shape at the leading edge, giving them a hand-like resemblance. The tail also exhibited a distinct morphology, with the horizontal lobes being noticeably larger in comparison to the vertical lobes. Similar to other thranta types, the Balana thranta could be trained to act as a mount, with an open-seated raft attached to the creature's back for transportation.