Ridgeheads are distinct in their large body size and shy nature. They are known for their countershading (darker color with a lighter underside), which allows them to disguise themselves among forest vegetation. Adolescent ridgeheads are striped in color along their bodies, which provides them with additional camouflage amongst the underbrush of the forest. The ridgehead has four eyes, like all other animals of Alluria.
Ridgeheads live in mature forests dominated by umbrella trees.
Ridgeheads are primarily herbivores, consuming both foliage and bark of umbrella trees. The tooth plates in the mouth of a ridgehead tear through the tough bark.
Ridgeheads are solitary, except for when they breed. During the breeding process, male ridgeheads emit subsonic sounds through their bodies to call to females. They also release pheromone-heavy liquids from their mouths and mark trees with it, letting females know where they are and that they are ready to mate. The males use a penis to fertilize the females through their cloaca. Female ridgeheads carry their young for a full year before giving birth. Parents typically guard their young until they reach adult size. After which, parents wander off or drive their offspring away. A ridgehead tends to have between 2 and 4 offspring over the course of their lives.
The brightly colored sensory plate of a ridgehead signals dominance to others of the species, minimizing the need for physical aggression. Prior to their extinction on Alluria, ridgeheads were harvested to produce compounds for medical applications; extensive trade of ridgehead glands throughout the galaxy contributed to extensive poaching on their planet.