The Shlangii are a sapient species from the planet Shlangii. The Doctor has described them as "the most feared mercenaries in the known universe".
Biology[]
They have five legs with five joints each, and are known for their prodigious speed, being able to move faster than the Human eye can detect. The joints of their legs are each made of a pair of hinges which bend on different planes, giving them an impressive range of movement.
The Shlangii body is shaped like a sac, with no visible eyes, although they will still turn around as if to "look" at someone who speaks to them, suggesting that they might have visual organs of some sort. Their skin is mottled-grey in color, baggy enough to hide their musculature, but crisscrossed with a visible net of what seems to be blood vessels. These are not arranged in a branching pattern like Human blood vessels, but rather like a cobweb.
Shlangii have no visible mouths, but are capable of Human speech. The voice is produced by a pulsating membrane on the underside of their bodies. Despite that, they speak in hissing voices.
Culture and society[]
Shlangii are a race of mercenaries and known to be unreceptive to new ideas, which might make them resistant (although not immune) to mind control.
Appearances[]
- Doctor Who, Season 16, The Ribos Operation (1978) (Mentioned only)
- All-Consuming Fire, by Andy Lane (1994)
Notes[]
- They are first mentioned indirectly in The Ribos Operation, referred to as "mercenaries from Shlangii". They are confirmed to be an alien species in Andy Lane's novel All-Consuming Fire.