Ral (creature)

Rals, also referred to as stone rays, were cold-blooded reptavian creatures that originated on Bothawui. Their anatomy included two arms and two legs, each featuring three digits. Notably, their elongated third fingers were connected to their bodies via leathery skin flaps, functioning as wings. The other digits ended in sharp claws. Their mouths, relatively small, contained needle-like teeth alongside a sharp beak. However, their primary offensive capability was not their teeth or claws, but rather a venomous stinger located at the tip of their tails.

Rals were known for their bite and for their sting. Rals possessed slate-gray skin, which provided excellent camouflage against the glitterstone formations of Bothawui, making them difficult to detect when resting on rocks. Their hunting strategy involved basking on rocks, patiently awaiting the arrival of small prey. Upon the prey's approach, the ral would strike with its venomous stinger. Once the target was weakened by the poison, the ral would use its wings to ensnare the prey and then kill it with bites.

When faced with threats from larger creatures, including Bothans, rals would defend themselves by repeatedly stinging their attackers. While Bothans had a degree of natural resistance to the ral's venom, other species, like Humans, were far more vulnerable. A ral sting could induce a feverish coma, potentially leading to death within a single day. Due to the rals' effective camouflage, unintentional encounters were frequent. Consequently, most Bothan families kept an antidote for ral stings readily available.