The graiveh live in the forests and grasslands of the temperate planet of Ealor, in the Bysis system. The herd families (numbering 34 to 40 individuals) are currently exhibiting territorial hunting behaviors that are often thought to be a necessary precursor to the development of primitive methods of animal husbandry.

The graiveh also exhibit a number of altruistic behaviors, of which their hunting strategy is one. Only the strongest and healthiest of the adults leave the herd to hunt. The juveniles, the elders and any who are wounded or weakened by illness stay in the nesting area. Successful hunters, both male and female, bring their prey back to the nesting area, where it is shared equally among all the members of the herd.

The graiveh primarily consume tantlas, supplementing their diets with the eggs of the large avian species of Ealor and small amounts of vegetation. They hunt at night, but rarely gain the benefit of surprise, due to the large amount of noise that they make while traveling through the forest. Instead, the graiveh owe their success as hunters to their ability to make leaping attacks, which often bring down their prey in one stroke.

Another altruistic behavior exhibited by the graiveh becomes apparent in those rare instances in which the herd is attacked. When this occurs, the eldest graiveh will stand and fight while the others run, risking their lives so that the healthiest members of the herd may escape.

Graiveh mate for life, and their families form herds that stay together for many generations. Unless there have been premature deaths, each herd will consist of an equal number of males and females, because the graiveh in variably give birth to twins - one male and one female.

When the juvenile twin pairs reach maturity, both leave the family and begin searching for another pair of juvenile graiveh. When two pairs of graiveh twins meet, they form two mating pairs, one of which returns to each family group. Except for this exchange of juveniles (necessary to allow for genetic diversity), graiveh family herds are extremely territorial. Rogue graiveh (individuals from broken herds, or juveniles whose twins have died prematurely) are not accepted into any family herds, and seldom live long.

Graiveh nesting sites are normally large clearings (40 meters or more in diameter) that are marked by a number of shallow pits filled with vegetation. These pits are the nests in which the graiveh sleep during the day. Despite the fact that the graiveh have no predators, there is always one graiveh who remains awake during the day, watching for danger while the others sleep.

It is currently a violation of Imperial law to kill or otherwise remove a graiveh from Ealor, but they are still occasionally found in illegal research stations and in unlicensed zoos and traveling carnivals.

Imperial law does not, in fact, absolutely forbid the capture or destruction of graiveh. Few beings - other than legal scholars - realize that it allows for a number of exceptions, especially in cases regarding research that is performed for the benefit of the Empire. In addition, a number of sentientologists have suggested that the Empire may have begun a breeding program in an attempt to breed a more intelligent but extremely docile graiveh for use as slave labor.