Ranat

The Ranats were a species characterized as diminutive rodents. They exhibited shared traits with sentient species, including distant relatives such as the Tintinna, and other sentient mammals with comparable physiology, such as the Chadra-Fan and Squibs. Nevertheless, the question of whether Ranats were truly sentient or merely semi-sentient remained a subject of ongoing galactic debate for centuries.

With few exceptions, Ranats typically stood around one meter in height. This relatively small stature often led to an underestimation of their capabilities by those who encountered them. Their limbs were short, muscular, and well-developed, featuring four digits on each forepaw and three on each hindpaw. All four paws exhibited dexterity and were capable of precise manipulation. Ranats possessed short, robust, retractable claws that, while not particularly effective for hunting or defense, enabled them to excavate through as much as one meter of soil and loose rock in a mere 15 seconds.

The Ranat body was resilient, wiry, and somewhat flattened. Exceptional flexibility allowed Ranats to navigate through narrow openings that would prove impassable for other beings of similar size. The Shi'ido shapeshifter Mammon Hoole frequently adopted the form of a Ranat to exploit this specific ability. While a typical Ranat possessed a long, scaly, hairless tail, their bodies were predominantly covered in fur, ranging in color from dirty blond to dark reddish or grayish brown. While some Ranats engaged in grooming, the majority exhibited coats that were filthy and emitted an unpleasant odor. Consequently, many non-Ranats found the species to be visually unappealing. Ranats typically stooped when standing and moved with a scampering, scurrying gait when running. Their attire typically consisted of simple cloth hoods, leather belts, and ornamental tooth bands. However, those Ranats who integrated into galactic society often wore full-length tunics and footwear.

The Ranats' eyes, positioned on the sides of their heads, varied in color from beady and black to red. Their hairless, pink ears were small, round, and typically held close to the head. A Ranat's elongated, pointed snout was filled with sharp teeth and terminated in a yellowish-white nose surrounded by long, black whiskers. Their senses were highly developed: they possessed the ability to see in darkness and detect the emotional states of others through scent. Ranats communicated through a series of squeaks and screeches.

A Ranat's lower two incisors were sharp, pointed, and discolored yellow or brown due to tartar and dirt accumulation. The act of gnawing stimulated glands in the Ranat's jaw, resulting in the production of growth hormones. If left unchecked, this process could cause the incisors to grow at a rate of up to one centimeter per standard hour. The only means of mitigating this growth was to engage in even more gnawing to wear the teeth down. While some members of the species managed to maintain these teeth at a size that allowed them to fit within the mouth, others exhibited incisors that protruded and overlapped the upper lip, resembling tusks. In conjunction with their sharp teeth and powerful jaws, these incisors provided Ranats with a formidable bite.

Ranats exhibited high fecundity. Females entered estrus at least twice per standard year, during which they mated with as many males as possible. Following fertilization, the fetuses gestated for approximately 120 standard days. The mother then gave birth to a litter of three to six young. The species' characteristic incisors began to develop during adolescence. Members of the species were considered adults at three standard years of age, and the average Ranat could expect to live for approximately 20 standard years.

While not considered highly intelligent by conventional standards, Ranats demonstrated resourcefulness and cunning. They lacked the complex emotions associated with other species, driven instead by the fundamental desires for food and combat. This made them highly adept at survival, excelling at scavenging, foraging, and infiltrating restricted areas. However, it also resulted in them being perceived as belligerent, temperamental, self-centered, and obstinate by outsiders. Concepts of honor and adherence to promises were subordinate to the pursuit of sustenance. Ranats asserted their superiority over other lifeforms, referring to themselves as Con Queecon ("the conquerors") in their own language. The term Ranat was an exonym used by other species, referencing their rodent-like appearance. A small number of Ranats developed more individualized personality traits, often exhibiting paranoia. They gnawed incessantly to manage the growth of their incisors.

Ranat culture was otherwise simplistic. While Ranats employed basic tools, such as rocks for defense, they did not produce any goods of their own. Only a small fraction of Ranats ever acquired advanced technological skills. Nevertheless, they readily adopted technology from external sources, particularly valuing shiny trinkets that they could attach to their clothing or store with their personal belongings. Unlike most other sentient species, Ranats lacked art, diplomacy, poetry, philosophy, or advanced technology, and they struggled to master complex devices or fields requiring abstract reasoning. However, they were capable of performing relatively simple tasks, such as operating a blaster. For instance, Ranats enjoyed a game involving throwing dice at each other and attempting to catch them in their jaws. Ranats familiar with the concept of credits were willing to work for minimal compensation.

The acquisition of food was central to the Ranat existence, overriding all other impulses. Ranats were omnivorous and capable of consuming virtually anything. Their definition of food encompassed a wide range of items, from carpets and tapestries to sentient beings. They were particularly notorious for consuming the young of species such as Humans. Meat was their preferred food source, and they dedicated much of their time to hunting prey.

The species typically hunted in packs of at least five individuals. Their preferred prey were mammals, particularly the roba, a large, porcine creature native to Aralia. Upon locating their target, Ranat hunters would surround it and initiate the kill. One by one, the hunters would approach their prey, bite it, and tear off pieces of flesh, retreating before the quarry had the opportunity to retaliate. Once the prey succumbed to its injuries, the hunters would descend upon it, consuming it voraciously and transporting the remains back to their settlement to feed the rest of the tribe. This hunting strategy proved so effective that the Ranats rapidly depleted the populations of several game species upon their arrival on Aralia.

In addition to the pursuit of food, combat was a primary motivation for Ranats. Limited resources on Aralia, exacerbated by the Ranats' high fertility rate and overhunting, frequently led to conflicts between Ranat tribes. Ranats exhibited loyalty only to their own tribe, viewing members of other groups as rivals and enemies. However, by the time of the Galactic Empire, some Ranat tribes showed signs of cooperation in order to drive offworlders from their planet. A common tactic involved stalking hunting parties from rival tribes, attacking after the enemy had exhausted themselves making a kill.

Ranats were relentless opponents and unrepentant killers. They preferred to fight with their sharp teeth, biting and shaking their target violently. Ranats who felt cornered by an enemy became even more ferocious in their attempts to escape. They had no concept of surrender, and a fight continued until one side was either eliminated or forced to retreat. When subjected to blaster fire, Ranats scattered and fled. Prisoners of war were killed and consumed.

Ranats harbored grudges. Surviving Ranats from the losing side of a conflict would rally their tribemates to launch a retaliatory strike, known as a vengeance party. Preparations for these retaliatory offensives were often treated as festive occasions, with the entire tribe preparing the warriors for their mission. The concept of revenge was so compelling that some tribes devised even suicidal schemes to retaliate against rivals.

The Ranats originated on Rydar II, but after being driven from that world, they adopted Aralia as their new homeworld. Aralia was a planet characterized by tropical and semi-tropical climates. Ranat communities favored the tropical forests along the coasts of Aralia's landmasses, but the rodents could be found throughout the world. The species was organized into tribes of approximately 100 members.

These groups excavated and inhabited subterranean tunnel complexes known as towns, cities, or warrens. These labyrinthine habitations had multiple levels that could span up to three square kilometers in area, with over 50 kilometers of tunnels. The complex passageways served as a natural defense mechanism, as intruders were unlikely to navigate the paths as effectively as the inhabitants. For added security, Ranat engineers created dead ends in which interlopers could be trapped and killed. They also constructed multiple exits per warren, camouflaging them with branches, foliage, and twigs. The tunnels expanded into large chambers in certain areas, each dedicated to a specific purpose, such as sleeping, eating, storage, waste disposal, or caring for the young.

Newborns with defects were consumed, while healthy infants were placed in the tribe's nursery. Adult females took turns caring for and suckling them, while the other mothers continued to fight and hunt. Consequently, Ranats rarely knew the identity of their biological mother. These caretakers were not always attentive parents, and some were known to kill particularly troublesome infants rather than tolerate them. Once a young Ranat developed the ability to grasp objects with both fore- and hindpaws, it began to venture out into the larger warren and onto the surface. Ranat children engaged in roughhousing, although some youths were accidentally killed in such skirmishes. However, the adults generally left them unsupervised.

Ranats communicated using a simple language named after them. Spoken Ranat consisted of a series of short, high-pitched chitters and shrieks. Ranats squealed when experiencing distress or enjoyment and shrieked when in pain. However, Ranat communication also relied on non-verbal cues. Members of the species smiled to indicate contentment, blinked rapidly to express desperation, and grasped their tails to convey intense fear. The Ranat's whiskers twitched to indicate satisfaction and trembled to indicate happiness. Most Ranats were capable of writing their language.

Members of the species could learn other languages, including Basic. Ranats typically adopted simple names, such as Kleef, Marbor, Reegesk, Targan, and Veerz. Others, however, used two-part names, such as Engal Jeers, Nestra Pallik, and Nevar Yalnal. While at least one Ranat, Nitram Con Queecon, had a three-part name, "Con Queecon" was the name of his species.

The Ranats evolved on Rydar II, a planet located in the Outer Rim Territories' Rydar system. There, the species developed tool use, language, and complex social structures. Outsiders had reached the world by 4000 BBY, and it even fell nominally under the control of Darth Revan during the Jedi Civil War. Sometime during the era of the Galactic Republic, Human colonists joined the Ranats on Rydar. The rodent-like natives soon discovered that these newcomers provided a delicious new source of food: their children. As the Ranats kidnapped and consumed Human young, the settlers, who called themselves Rydarians, became increasingly agitated. In 200 BBY, the Ranats found themselves targeted by an orchestrated campaign to eradicate them from Rydar II. This campaign nearly succeeded in eliminating every last Ranat on the world.

Only three Ranats survived—two males and one female—by concealing themselves aboard a spice smuggler's vessel. The ship departed Rydar II with the stowaways and headed for the Andron system, located nearby in the same sector. Before long, the Ranats consumed the ship's crew, causing the ship to crash-land on the Andron system planet of Aralia. There, the Ranats reproduced, consuming any defective young and establishing a new colony. Within a few decades, they had formed a thriving population in the coastal jungles of the world.

The population eventually reached the millions, prompting the Ranats to expand beyond the coastal forests. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, Ranats could be found from the prairies to the mountains, even in colder climates that experienced regular snowfall. This population boom and the Ranats' natural hunting instincts placed undue pressure on Aralia's native fauna. As prey species became increasingly scarce, conflicts between rival tribes became inevitable.

Despite their previous interactions with outsiders, Ranats remained largely unknown on the galactic stage. Eventually, new strangers arrived: developers of an amusement park, drawn by Aralia's proximity to the Perlemian Trade Route. Unaware of the rodent-like species' presence, the entrepreneurs began constructing a large facility. Unbeknownst to the Ranats, the endeavor was led by an entrepreneur named Hayzo Trebors, who had obtained permission to build on Aralia from Governor Targan of Rydar II, and from the government of Antemeridian sector. The park was called Project Aralia.

Initially, the Ranats ignored the newcomers, continuing to tunnel out their warrens as they had for centuries. The construction crews soon noticed when these warrens destabilized their site, and the construction manager reported the issue to Trebors. The businessman hired pest control specialists, and the Ranats responded by hunting down and killing their exterminators.

News of the massacre spread, along with information about the Ranats' intelligence. If the Ranats were deemed sentient, the project would have to demonstrate that they were "useless and undesirable" in order to obtain an Imperial permit to continue killing them. However, Trebors pursued a different strategy. He argued to the Imperial government that the Ranats were only semi-sentient and therefore not protected by such laws. The sector government, for its part, feared that ruling the Ranats fully sentient and then still allowing them to be exterminated would be poorly received by environmentalists and high-ranking Imperial officials. They concurred with Trebors' assessment, and the Ranats were officially labeled "semi-sentient." Trebors' people, continually battling the rodents, managed to complete Project Aralia.

Word of the development's legal maneuvering spread throughout the sector. By 0 BBY, fearing that the rodents might spread to other planets, the sector government enacted a law prohibiting the sale of arms to Ranats. The government also took steps to prevent armed groups from traveling to Aralia, ostensibly to protect the native ecosystem, but in reality to prevent further knowledge of the Ranats' treatment from becoming more widely known.

After the completion of another amusement park, known as Galaxy Ways, much of the world's landmass was converted into resorts. Aralia became increasingly popular as a tourist destination, renowned for its unique rides and attractions, shops, and dining, all at affordable prices. The Ranats continued to expand unchecked, disregarding official ownership of land parcels.

Nevertheless, Ranat predations led to the extinction of their forest prey. Ranat tribes sought a new food source, and they found one: Aralia's burgeoning tourist population. The problem became particularly severe at Galaxy Ways. The park's management hired exterminators, but as with Project Aralia, the Ranats simply killed them. The owners eventually resorted to tracking Ranat populations under the park and, in the event of an attack, quickly quarantining the area until it could be contained.

During one particularly gruesome off-season, several Ranat tribes decided to raid Galaxy Ways simultaneously. They meticulously planned the assault. First, they gnawed through the park's power supplies, plunging it into darkness. Next, they disabled any starships on the premises, stranding their prey. They knew that they outnumbered the guests by a ratio of ten to one.

Then they attacked. They abducted any tourists they could find, leaving behind only bloodied strips of clothing, tell-tale claw marks, and shrieks of horror to warn the remaining guests. The park visitors, for their part, had no weapons to defend themselves. Escaping their grisly fate became the primary objective.

Despite the government quarantine on Aralia, Ranats spread across the galaxy to worlds as distant as Tatooine. By 0 ABY, the phrase "son of a Ranat" had become a common pejorative in galactic parlance. In that same year, the Empire's interest in Ranats extended beyond the local troubles on Aralia. Military scientists transported Ranats from Aralia to investigate whether the rodents could be trained as weapons against the Alliance to Restore the Republic and then deployed as mercenaries. The project proved successful, and the Empire employed Ranat spies, who were content with the low wages offered to members of the species.

After the defeat of the Emperor in 4 ABY and the subsequent rise of the New Republic, the galactic government initially disregarded the Imperial precedent and classified Ranats as non-sentient animals. However, as evidence accumulated that the species possessed language, the government reinstated the Imperial "semi-sentient" label. The matter was appealed and remained under consideration for some time. On Aralia, at least temporarily, the issue was moot, as the planet became part of the contested Borderland Regions during the Thrawn campaign of 9 ABY. During the New Republic's rule, Mammon Hoole included an entry on the Ranats in his publication The Essential Guide to Alien Species.

During the Yuuzhan Vong War, Ranats were among the many species who fled the chaos. In 25 ABY, a group of them from Gyndine were placed with a group of Ryn aboard a refugee vessel called the Wanderhome, which joined the New Republic refugee convoy. Their ship's navigation computer malfunctioned, and the Wanderhome failed to rendezvous at the Ralltiir system. Leia Organa Solo persuaded the captain of the convoy to dispatch a rescue team, but most of the pilots were reluctant to risk themselves for members of two species that were generally disliked. Nevertheless, a group of spacers eventually decided to proceed. They escorted the ship back to the convoy, protecting it from members of the Yuuzhan Vong–sympathizing Peace Brigade.

Ranats were among the enslaved beings held aboard a Yuuzhan Vong worldship orbiting the planet Myrkr in 27 ABY. Tenel Ka Djo, Anakin Solo, and other Jedi formed a strike team and assaulted the moon to destroy a cloning lab. More than a century later, the planet Aralia was part of Darth Krayt's Sith Empire.

Before their departure from Rydar II, Ranats were not frequently encountered throughout the galaxy; even after relocating to Aralia, they remained relatively obscure. Those who did manage to escape Rydar II experienced significant prejudice across the galaxy. For those unfamiliar with the Ranat species and their customs, they were viewed as common animals at best, and as troublesome pests or vermin in the worst cases. Those who knew about Ranat behavior often had an even stronger negative reaction; the Ranats' preference for sentient meat—especially infants—firmly placed them among the most despised beings in the galaxy.

The Imperial classification of "semi-sentient," which was reinstated and maintained well into the New Republic era, prevented Ranats from legally possessing property and offered them no protection against being killed in self-defense. In practice, sentient beings could murder Ranats without facing repercussions, as demonstrated by Doctor Cornelius Evazan's utilization of Ranats in his medical research. On their side, only a handful of Ranats managed to overcome the self-centered behaviors that were considered objectionable by others, and those who did struggled to maintain positive relationships with non-Ranats.

As time passed, the term Ranat acquired a derogatory implication, and other sentient beings resembling rodents resented being mistaken for members of the species. Being likened to a Ranat suggested an undesirable character, and referring to someone as a Ranat was a serious insult. In 3 ABY, the pirate Az-Iban piloted a freighter named the Rampaging Ranat, a designation highlighting the species' image as mindless killers. Similarly, the Aqualish smuggler Ponda Baba owned a freighter called the Angry Ranat during the Galactic Civil War. In the early years of the New Republic, the musical act the Palpatones satirized anti-Ranat feelings in their popular song "Kick the Ranat." Phrases like "not caring a Ranat's whisker" or a "Ranat's sneeze" became common galactic curses.

Nevertheless, some Ranats were able to survive in galactic society, often choosing to live in densely populated areas. Many journeyed from Aralia to the planets Gyndine and Tatooine. On Tatooine, they achieved a degree of acceptance, functioning as scavengers and merchants. They were often compared to the planet's native Jawas and competed with them, although the Ranats mostly stayed within Mos Eisley's boundaries, while the Jawas traveled the deserts. The two species engaged in trade following a strict set of rules. Despite this, the inhabitants of Tatooine had little regard for the rodents, giving them the belittling name "womps," after the local womp rat.

A small community of Ranats resided in Mos Eisley on Tatooine, where they had become more accustomed to using technology than others of their kind. In 0 BBY, they were constructing a moisture vaporator and other devices to improve their lives on the desert planet. Members of this community were present in the Mos Eisley Cantina in 0 BBY on the day Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi hired the Millennium Falcon. Among them was the thief and scavenger Reegesk, who sat with a group of Jawas and traded a Tusken battle talisman to the Jawa Het Nkik. Simultaneously, he stole the power pack from the Jawa's blaster to power his community's moisture vaporator. Nevar Yalnal, an outcast from the other Ranats on Tatooine, worked as a spy and laborer in Mos Eisley. He accepted various tasks, spying for clients and performing manual labor for the Saurin droid trader Hrchek Kal Fas. The Ranat Vriichon brothers were the owners of the Mos Eisley Cantina, where they had established an illegal spice operation. They eventually sold the establishment to the Wookiee Chalmun, after which they disappeared, fearing punishment if the bodies they had buried in the cantina basement were discovered.

Despite this limited acceptance on Tatooine, Ranats still faced prejudice; seven months ABY, Mammon Hoole and his group encountered a Ranat being tortured in Jabba the Hutt's desert palace. Following the crime lord's death in 4 ABY, a group of Ranats took over the abandoned palace. There, they roamed around, gnawing on everything. Although Jabba's father, Zorba the Hutt, reclaimed his son's property in 5 ABY, he was haunted by memories of the Ranat infestation.

Nitram Con Queecon, a Ranat, resided in the ruins of Nub Saar on Genarius. He disliked other beings and attempted to scare them away using signs and traps. However, in 21 BBY, a group known as the Heroes of Cularin arrived in the city and persuaded Nitram to assist them in locating Togorians hiding nearby. Silver Station also housed a colony of Ranats. The Rebel Alliance operative Una Poot attempted unsuccessfully to eliminate them upon her arrival. In retaliation, they threatened to destroy the station using JL-12-F explosives in 0 ABY. The arms heiress Tinian I'att disarmed their device, preventing their plan from succeeding.

During the Galactic Civil War, the Empire abducted Ranats from Aralia—along with other species classified as semi-sentient, such as aga, Avogwi, cidwen, and Zelosians—and trained them as soldiers. This program was overseen by Palpatine and Darth Vader themselves, who used drugs and mind control to transform the Ranats into obedient guards. The process began with the administration of a hallucinogenic drug, such as brain-jagger or Black Hole, to target the Ranats' fear centers. The Emperor and his apprentice then used the dark side of the Force to make the drugs' effects permanent. The fear-driven Ranats became even more aggressive than usual, attacking any being who came within their reach. The Ranats served in roles where stormtroopers were needed for other duties, following the personal telepathic commands of the Emperor. These experiments continued even after the Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor. In 7 ABY, Ranats were among the beings undergoing intelligence enhancement in a program authorized by the warlord Zsinj aboard his Star Destroyer, the Iron Fist. The Ranats were later freed by Lara Notsil and assisted her in escaping the ship. The Empire also simply hired Ranats to carry out tasks; these beings were willing to work for very little pay. Around 15 BBY, a female Ranat, acting on Imperial orders, approached Mechis III in a ship searching for rogue IG-88 assassin droid models. When the droid 3D-4X sent back altered footage of Hekis Durumm Perdo Kolokk Baldikarr Thun, the Ranat proceeded to the next system on its itinerary.

Later, private entities, such as security firms, attempted similar experiments. In 22 ABY, the self-proclaimed mage Orloc employed a group of Ranat enforcers on Exis Station. He used a "voice of command" to instruct them, but this was merely a technological trick. The Ranats salvaged components from the station's ruins during their free time. They captured the Jedi trainee Uldir Lochett and handed him over to their master. When Lochett's companions from Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum arrived to rescue him, the Ranats opposed them but were defeated.

A small number of exceptional Ranats managed to adapt to galactic society and utilize galactic-standard technology. Some of these found employment as assassins and bounty hunters. Due to the widespread belief that their species was primitive and unintelligent, these Ranats often gained an advantage in combat because their opponents underestimated their abilities. Others worked as fringers or scoundrels. No Ranat was ever known to be capable of using the Force. One member of the species served in the entourage of Decca the Hutt on Mawan in 26 BBY. Later, during the Galactic Civil War, the Ranat Rik-tak worked as an air taxi driver and Justice Action Network operative in the Tapani sector; he contradicted stereotypes by being a friendly and helpful guide to his clients, although he also listened to his passengers' conversations for useful information that he could pass on to the JAN cell operating in Tapani. The smuggler Han Solo encountered a well-groomed member of the species who was a patron at the Yarith Bespin lounge in 11 ABY, while another Ranat served as an assistant to the Hutt information broker who operated from Shanko's Hive on Borgo Prime in 23 ABY and 24 ABY.

During the production of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which premiered in 1977, artist John Mollo included a rat-like alien in his costume sketches for the patrons of the film's cantina scene. The production team referred to the character as "Rodent" and "Rat Face." Although Mollo's drawing depicted the cloaked and hooded figure with a breath mask, the design team removed this element in the final production. The character was later officially named Aceatta. An individual wearing the rat-faced mask appears as a background extra in outdoor scenes set in the Mos Eisley spaceport and in the Mos Eisley Cantina. These scenes were filmed as part of the main filming in London, England; in the cantina scenes, the mask was worn by actress Sadie Eddon and was more prominently featured in an earlier version of the cantina sequence. This character appears as an audience member in "The Emperor's Court," a non-canonical story from Star Wars Tales, first published in December 2002.

In 1989, Troy Denning featured the rat-like Ranats in his book Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races, a supplement for the Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game by West End Games. The species' statistics indicate that Ranats are comparable to other species in terms of agility but lack alertness, intelligence, mechanical aptitude, strength, and technical aptitude. The game also requires Ranat characters to work twice as hard as members of other species to learn technological skills. However, the rodents receive a bonus to attacks using their sharp teeth. The Star Wars Roleplaying Game from Wizards of the Coast also presents Ranats as a playable species. Its statistics give them a bonus to dexterity but penalties to intelligence and likeability. Ranat characters possess special abilities to bite in combat, see in the dark, and squeeze through small spaces. Nevertheless, this version of the game also makes Ranats learn technology-based skills more slowly than other species.

In 1995 and 1996, Decipher established that two distinct rat-like aliens appear in A New Hope and identified them both as Ranats. Decipher named the one from the cantina Reegesk and the one from the streets Nevar Yalnal. The cards' game mechanics reflect their Ranat namesakes. For instance, the Reegesk card enables a player to "scavenge" through discarded cards to retrieve devices, droids, and weapons. The Nevar Yalnal card, on the other hand, allows its player to remove an opponent's spy from the game.

Ranats have since been featured in various roleplaying adventures, some of which offer multiple versions of the same scenario. For example, the adventure seed "Trouble at Galaxy Ways," published in the 1992 book Star Wars Gamemaster Screen, is designed to resemble a horror film, with Ranats playing the role of zombies. However, the book offers a more lighthearted alternative in which the Ranats are searching for merchandise featuring the park's mascot, Ronnie the Rocketpack Rodent, rather than sentient prey. The Ranats have become infatuated with the spirited rodent and have even begun worshipping him as a deity. Consequently, the only visitors who need to worry about being abducted, according to this version, are those dressed in Rocketpack Rodent costumes. The later adventure "The Refugee Trail," published in the 2002 The New Jedi Order Sourcebook, is designed to assess the player characters' moral compass. If they choose not to launch a rescue mission to save a ship full of Ranats and Ryn, the Yuuzhan Vong–aligned Peace Brigade takes them instead. The 2009 article "Dining at Dex's" lists "Ranat's cheese soup" as a menu item available at Dex's Diner on Coruscant. The article does not specify whether this dish was simply named after the Ranat species or if it was a part of their own cuisine.

The book Ultimate Alien Anthology contradicts other sources regarding the average lifespan of Ranats. According to the book, Ranats entered adolescence at four or five, were considered adults at nine, and could expect to live to 55. Several sources contradict this information, so this article assumes that Ultimate Alien Anthology is incorrect.

Several rodent-like aliens of unidentified species appear in Star Wars comic books. For example, a hooded and cloaked rat-like figure is seen in a cantina on Diado in "It Takes a Thief," a story set in 19 BBY. Similarly, the bosun of the pirate Krayn's ship in Jedi Quest is rodent-like. Finally, a Ranat-like alien is pictured aboard a space station run by a Black Sun Vigo in Darth Maul (2000) 2, set in 33 BBY. However, without explicit species identifications, it is impossible to determine whether these characters are Ranats or members of other species, such as Squibs or Tintinna. The article "Action Figure Archive," in Star Wars Insider 75, incorrectly identifies the Chadra-Fan character Kabe as a Ranat, a misidentification that the character also experienced in-universe.