Yavin 13 had a hot and arid climate, and was mainly covered in deserts, rocky plains and cacti forests. However, the moon also had grassy plains and much of its southern hemisphere was covered by open, shallow seas which spread what little moisture there was on the moon into the atmosphere. Yavin 13's surface also resembled Byss cheese from space. Yavin 13's two sentient species were the rodentlike Gerbs and the serpentine Slith species.