Chelonian The Chelonians were a race of large , bulky , turtle - like humanoid s . Biology . Chelonians were turtle - like in physique . Though only coming up to a human ' s waist , they were far wider and more heavily built . They had four limbs , each with opposable digits and blunt claws . They had a sharp beak and a hard cranial plate in front of their brain s . They were long - lived creatures , usually living for more than a hundred years . They smelled of leather . ( PROSE : " The Well - Mannered War " ) Chelonians were hermaphrodite s and all members could lay eggs . Despite this , Chelonians were referred to as males . ( PROSE : " The Crystal Bucephalus " ) Chelonians were herbivore s and ate flowers and seeds , and tried to live on verdant planet s where such plants could grow . ( PROSE : " The Well - Mannered War " ) Chelonians apparently didn ' t taste very good and were very tough to eat . ( PROSE : " Mean Streets " ) They were rather unintelligent creatures as a species . ( PROSE : " The Body Bank " ) Like chickens on Earth , Chelonians usually had no teeth . ( AUDIO : " The Witch from the Well " ) Strands of their DNA were found in the DNA of the chicken - like animals encountered by Bernice Summerfield . ( PROSE : " Cuckoo " ) Culture . The Chelonians were organised into an Empire . This Empire was led by the God - Mother , who was nevertheless referred to as " he " . Chelonians were well known for their bragging , especially about their military rank . Chelonian criminals were marked with a sigil on their shell , consisting of a red cross and three green dots . ( PROSE : " Fegovy " ) Chelonians had a concept of floral culture , which was a topic for discussion amongst other species . ( PROSE : " Beige Planet Mars " ) The Chelonian anthem had 185 verses . ( PROSE : " Zamper " ) Chelonians had their own literature , much of it bragging about defeating the Grel . ( PROSE : " Oh No It Isn ' t ! " ) Mif ' s Ruin was a Chelonian spirit . ( PROSE : " Dear Friend " ) Richard Blair spent most of his income on Chelonian rummy . ( PROSE : " Adorable Illusion " ) Technology . Most Chelonians were cybernetically enhanced for war . ( PROSE : " The Well - Mannered War " , PROSE : " The Body Bank " ) This included improved senses ( PROSE : " The Well - Mannered War " ) and hydraulic limbs ( PROSE : " Fegovy " ) . Some also used jet - pack s and Gigga - kill laser s . ( PROSE : " The Body Bank " ) Chelonian technology was made from blocks , which could be reconfigured into spaceship s or buildings . ( PROSE : " The Well - Mannered War " ) Their ships were squat , black and multi - faceted like crystals . ( PROSE : " Fegovy " ) The Chelonians had weapons capable of poisoning seas . ( PROSE : " The Empire of Glass " ) History . In 102 , the Chelonians were among the races who joined the Alliance . They came to Stonehenge and helped imprison the Eleventh Doctor in the Pandorica in order to save the universe . ( TV : " The Pandorica Opens " ) At some point before 1609 , the Chelonians poisoned the seas of an Ice Warrior planet . In 1609 , the Chelonians were present at the Armageddon Convention . ( PROSE : " The Empire of Glass " ) In the early 21st century the Kulan attacked a Chelonian colony , but were repelled . ( PROSE : " Escape Velocity " ) In 2136 , the Hotel Galaxian had an effigy of a Chelonian . ( PROSE : " The Murder Game " ) When Sam Jones went missing in the 22nd century , the Eighth Doctor lodged a missing person report with the Chelonian authorities . ( PROSE : " Dreamstone Moon " ) In the 26th century , the Chelonians were known to and studied by St . Oscar ' s University . There was a Faculty of Chelonian Literature , headed by Professor Epstein . ( PROSE : " Oh No It Isn ' t ! " ) Hamilton Smith , professor of alien - human interaction and integration , also had theories about them . ( PROSE : " Dry Pilgrimage " ) In 2573 , a Chelonian slave camp was discovered on Apollox 4 . ( PROSE : " Beyond the Sun " ) Around 2595 , a Chelonian pilot was confronted by security officer Jeff Mett for smuggling drugs for genetic disorders on Mars . The Chelonian shot Jeff and made his escape . ( PROSE : " Beige Planet Mars " ) At some point before the 27th century , the Chelonian Empire was starting to fail . The Chelonian criminals Varzald the Pitted and Jerlot tried to purchase " The Face of Humanity " from Fegovy , planning to use the phizlomium for the empire . ( PROSE : " Fegovy " ) In the 30th century , the Chelonians posed a threat to the Earth Empire . ( PROSE : " Original Sin " ) In 3174 , Chelonians were housed inside the Habitat . ( PROSE : " Burning Heart " ) During the Galactic Federation , the Chelonians were known to the Foamasi . Green Fingers had worked with Chelonians . As well , the Dark Peaks Lodge used the voices of mid - 35th century Chelonian politician for their voice synthesisers . ( PROSE : " Placebo Effect " ) In the 41st century , there was a television program called " I ' m a Chelonian . . . Get me out of here ! " . ( PROSE : " Uranus " ) In the 57th century , Ace fought a group of Chelonians in a frontier war . ( COMIC : " The Last Word " ) The Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith arrived in 5968 , just as the Chelonian Empire was to sign a treaty with humanity . The Doctor was mistaken as one of the delegates , and Sarah went to go sunbathing . There , she overheard two Chelonians discussing how one had poisoned the emperor ' s drink . Sarah went to warn the delegates , but the guards would not let her pass . The Doctor noticed the emperor ' s strange actions , and poured a bucket of water down the emperor ' s throat , thus removing the poison . Changing out of his now ruined shirt , the Doctor and Sarah left Florana for Earth . ( PROSE : " The Hungry Bomb " ) In the 60th century , the Chelonian Empire continued to fall . The last of its warriors was sent to Zamper in 5995 , attempting to restore the glory of the Empire . ( PROSE : " Zamper " ) In the 101st century , the Chelonians were part of ( or friendly with ) the Union . ( PROSE : " The Crystal Bucephalus " ) Circa 5 , 000 , 000 , 000 , the Chelonians controlled several breeding planets . One was destroyed by Natalie Sharrocks when she was possessed by an incorporeal entity . A Chelonian followed her to Fraxinos to get revenge . The Tenth Doctor and Martha were able to convince it of the truth of the matter and it left peacefully . ( PROSE : " The Body Bank " ) A platoon of Chelonians were brought from the past to around 10 , 000 , 000 , 000 , where they discovered Barclow and claimed it for the Chelonian Empire . The human s later found the planet and tried to claim it for themselves . Though neither side wanted a fight , they warred for a hundred and twenty years . ( PROSE : " The Well - Mannered War " ) Undated events . The Avanonion s fostered some Chelonians as though they were their own race . Mabe found Chelonian DNA in an Avanonian egg . ( PROSE : " Cuckoo " ) The Tenth Doctor once recounted an anecdote of him going over Niagra Falls with a Chelonian . ( COMIC : " Silver Scream " ) While at a party , the Eighth Doctor saw a Chelonian . ( COMIC : " The Glorious Dead " ) He once saw a Chelonian production of Cinderella . ( PROSE : " The Scarlet Empress " ) The Monk had access to Chelonian technology . ( PROSE : " No Future " ) Romana failed to attend the reception which the Time Lords held for the Chelonian envoy to Gallifrey . ( PROSE : " Lungbarrow " )