Vulptices, with the singular form being vulptex, represented a non-sentient species of omnivorous canines. These social creatures hailed from the mineral-rich world known as Crait. What set them apart was their distinctive covering composed of white crystalline bristles.
Originating from the mineral world of Crait, vulptices were a fox-resembling species of canids, characterized by their lithe bodies. A defining trait was their protective coat of crystaline bristles or spines, which served to deter predators. The resulting jingling sounds acted as a warning system for the vulptex community.
Furthermore, their facial bristles, or whiskers, aided them in determining their ability to navigate confined spaces. Vulptices possessed exceptional vision in low-light conditions and highly developed senses. As omnivores, their diet consisted of tubers along with small, burrowing mammals that they unearthed from beneath Crait's salt crust. According to Doctor Paqin Mesoli, who documented field observations of vulptices for the Nupayuni Mining Consortium, these creatures may have exhibited sensitivity to magnetic fields.
Vulptices displayed heightened activity during the periods of dawn and dusk, seeking refuge in cave dens during the night. Their habitat consisted of highland caves and canyons. Dr. Mesoli proposed that they maintained summer dens beneath Crait's salt crust and winter dens within caverns. They were communal creatures, living in groups known as skulks, typically comprising three to four families, each with up to ten individuals. However, Dr. Mesoli also noted instances of these skulks forming larger social structures, with as many as one hundred vulptices sharing a particularly favorable den.
Despite lacking sentience, vulptices demonstrated intelligence, forming strong bonds and engaging in cooperative hunting strategies. Dr. Mesoli hypothesized that they utilized their bristles for communication, producing specific sound patterns by shaking them or brushing them against stones. In addition, the safari droid designated as B8-T5 also documented that the sound generated by their bristles was unique to each vulptex pack. Furthermore, they exhibited empathetic behavior, even towards members of other species, as exemplified by the individual that guided stranded members of the Resistance out of their base on Crait.
During the High Republic Era, their presence was noted on the Outer Rim planet named Valo. In 229 BBY, within Valo's Lonisa City Zoo, the Jedi youngling known as Gavi traversed an abandoned exhibit, discerning the sound of a vulptex family's fur tinkling against the nearby underbrush.
Following the abandonment of the Rebel Alliance's outpost on the planet, a skulk of vulptices began to freely roam the deserted structures. In 34 ABY, a notably inquisitive skulk of vulptices was observed in proximity to the base during the time of a battle that erupted between the First Order and the Resistance on Crait's surface. They subsequently retreated into the outpost, remaining inside throughout the duration of the conflict. As the battle reached a stalemate due to a diversion created by Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, the vulptices discovered and utilized an undocumented exit from the base. However, one vulptex lingered behind and directed the surviving members of the Resistance towards the escape route employed by the skulk, a narrow crevice situated within a mound of boulders, unfortunately too small for the desperate rebels to utilize. Fortunately, Rey, a Jedi-in-training, noticed the vulptices exiting the outpost through the blocked passage and employed the Force to clear the rocks, thereby enabling the Resistance members to escape.
The design of vulptices was conceived for Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, the eighth installment in the Star Wars saga, which premiered on December 15, 2017. Their initial unveiling occurred in behind-the-scenes footage from The Last Jedi at the D23 Expo on July 15, 2017, showcasing the animatronics employed to bring the creatures to life. Vulptices made their debut appearance in the Crait segment of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Disney's simulator ride theme park attraction, which was introduced at Disneyland Park and Disney's Hollywood Studios on November 17, 2017.
According to Neal Scanlan, the creature effects supervisor for The Last Jedi, the crystalline fur of these foxes was a result of their prolonged sustenance derived from Crait. In essence, "they've taken on the very surface of the planet they live on." The designers drew inspiration from "crystal glass chandeliers and the sort of luminosity and elements of refraction" they produce.
While the filmmakers initially explored the possibility of creating the creatures partly through practical effects utilizing live animals, the ultimate rendition was entirely CGI, as it was determined that the version incorporating live animals did not capture the beauty of the original design, which was conceived by creature concept designer Tim Napper and subsequently developed by ILM.
Lucasfilm Story Group's Pablo Hidalgo devised their name by combining the Latin term for fox and the name of the fox genus, vulpes, with vertices (singular: vertex), representing the corners of any polyhedron, a shape associated with crystals. In response to a query from Brian Lynch regarding the vulptices' diet, Rian Johnson, the director of The Last Jedi, indicated that they consume a combination of Craithian shrub grass and mole mice, whenever available.