Tauntauns were a species of semi-sentient reptomammals native to the snowy plains of Hoth. They were used by members of the Rebel Alliance after they domesticated some of them when they built their new headquarters on Hoth, as the extreme conditions made airspeeders unreliable.
"I thought they smelled bad on the outside!"
ā Han Solo
source: starwars fandom wiki -> Tauntaun