Mr. Smokestoomuch

So........are Tauntauns native to the ice planet Hoth?

If they are, then apparently they live in caves or some sort of fashioned structure to avoid the drastic temperature change at night.

You see, when The Empire Strikes Back begins, we find Luke and Han riding on Tauntauns. They are new to the Star Wars gallery of creatures, so we assume that they are just native beasts that the Rebel Alliance has tamed while building a new base on Hoth. (we don't exactly know how much time has passed since A New Hope, but enough for Luke and Han to achieve rank, and long enough for Han to realize he doesn't have much time to go pay back Jabba the Hut.)

However, after Luke is attacked by the Wampa and doesn't come back before the shield doors have to be closed, Han realizes he must go out to find him. He requests a speeder, but they haven't been tested/calibrated to work in the temperature. So, his only alternative is to use a tauntaun, but is told that it will freeze before he reaches the first marker. (btw......Han replies by saying "Well then we'll see you in Hell!" This is weird b/c I didn't know there was a Hell in the Star Wars universe. I mean, Han doesn't believe in the Force (or religion, period) and if there is a Hell, where do the good guys go who are not Jedis?)

So anyway, Han's transportation does indeed die...which raises questions of the species' subsistence. If they really are native to Hoth, (which is probably so, b/c it would just be too much trouble for the Alliance to bring a population of animals to another planet.) it seems like they would be evolutionarily accustomed to the change in temperature at night. So the only explanations are that they come from a warmer part of Hoth, or huddle together in caves or snow banks at night. (b/c they don't all brandish light sabers and cut each other open to sleep inside like Han does for Luke.)

Oh, Ben Stiller show rules.