The carrion spat was a non-flying avian species that originated on the planet of Corellia.
These creatures possessed characteristics typical of ratites: they were large, incapable of flight, and featured a beak reminiscent of a raptor, along with two lengthy legs. Distinctively, similar to the kaadu from Naboo, carrion spats lacked any upper limbs, a trait uncommon among many of the galaxy's creatures. While largely featherless, both male and female individuals exhibited plumage emerging from their upper pelvic areas.
Carrion spats displayed a range of plumage and coloration, varying from shades of crimson and brown to greens. Frequently domesticated, they were often equipped with harnesses and bridles, making them favored mounts for sentient beings throughout the galaxy. Some could even be located on Boz Pity. Much like the tauntaun, the carrion spat's exceptional speed and terrain mobility led to its use as a military mount by various factions.
Carrion spats were tamable and employed as transportation mounts.
A larger variant, known as the "giant carrion spat", also existed on Corellia. Aside from its increased size, this subspecies closely resembled the common carrion spat in appearance. However, giant carrion spats were far less prevalent and typically only observed in the wild at significant altitudes.
The painted spat represented a mutated carrion spat variant that was larger, stronger, more resilient, and more aggressive.
Following the Battle of Yavin, a group of carrion spats established themselves in Corellia's Riverlands. In 1 ABY, these agitated creatures launched attacks on farms situated on the periphery of Coronet City, including Pol Handerin's farm. CorSec Lieutenant Mack Jasper deployed a recruit to eliminate the pack's leader, Gravefeather, along with the majority of the pack.
During the Galactic Civil War, Volo Madine, a miner, possessed a carrion spat named Betsy. In 1 ABY, Madine and Betsy were present on Dathomir during the Blackwing virus outbreak. He narrowly escaped the attacking undeads, but lost his carrion spat in the process. Later, a spacer rescued Betsy alive from the Quarantine Zone and reunited her with her owner.
Carrion spats were featured in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Sony Online Entertainment and released by LucasArts, before its discontinuation on December 15, 2011. With the release of "Publish 4" on November 13, 2003, players gained the ability to craft carrion spat mounts. This functionality was subsequently removed with the launch of "Publish 25," also known as the "New Game Enhancements," on November 15, 2005. Ultimately, it was reintroduced through the "Chapter 6" update, which went live on May 22, 2007.