Occupying the skies of the gas giant Bespin were crab gliders, creatures that consumed carrion. These scavengers were drawn to the massive corpses of beldons after they were preyed upon by velker packs in Bespin's upper, breathable atmosphere. The crab gliders would feast on the beldon remains as they slowly descended towards the planet's poisonous core. These creatures possessed brown exoskeletons, featuring a tan underside, as well as two antennae and a pair of black eyes located on their heads. They also had ten jointed limbs, connected by webbing and tipped with sharp claws.
Sometime following 34 ABY, a depiction of a crab glider was included on a map of Bespin. This map was believed to have been created by the artist Gammit Chond, relying solely on stories from travelers. The Graf Archive later restored and published this map. No earlier than 35 ABY, Ardis San Tekka, the Director of Creature Cartography for the Galactic Society of Creature Enthusiasts, referenced crab gliders in her journal, specifically within an entry discussing beldons.
The reference book Ultimate Star Wars, published in 2015, marked the initial mention of crab gliders. Subsequently, the reference book Star Wars: Galactic Atlas, authored by Emil Fortune and illustrated by Tim McDonagh, provided the first visual representation of these creatures in 2016.