Pting
The Pting were a species capable of eating a variety of inorganic materials, but which subsisted off of energy.
Biology
Pting were a small bipedal species. Although vicious, they were strictly non-carnivorous and could not consume organic matter. They could consume, however, any inorganic material, including the Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver, which made it virtually impossible to contain or confine them.
They were believed to have been impossible to kill, and could survive in a vacuum, without oxygen. They could even eat a bomb and barely be affected when it detonated; in fact, it actually made a Pting full. They were also deadly to the touch as they excreted poison. (TV: The Tsuranga Conundrum)
History
Many attempts to study the Pting had failed, as had all attempts to keep some in captivity. Nevertheless, by the 67th century, Item Seven Alpha Cubed of the Perils of the Constant Division was a vid-briefing that was available on the Tsuranga. It had been allocated the threat level, Chalice, the highest level.
Eve Cicero once encountered a Pting. It massacred her entire fleet and she learnt from the encounter that they kill relentlessly, a fact that she relayed to the Doctor when faced with another one. She also remarked that they could be stunned by a stazer.
Another Pting crashed aboard the Tsuranga in an attempt to consume its anti-matter power core. The Thirteenth Doctor removed a detonation device for this particular Pting to devour rather than the ship's core, stopping it from destroying the ship. She subsequently ejected the creature into space. (TV: The Tsuranga Conundrum)
Behind the scenes
- The Pting appears in NOTVALID: Alien Game.
- Though The Tsuranga Conundrum was written by Chris Chibnall, the character was actually devised and named by Tim Price whilst working in the Series 11 writers' room. Price was, however, ultimately unable to write a story for the series as he was busy with other commitments. (DWM 531)
- According to the Doctor Who The Official Annual 2020 game "The Pting Dilemma", which is not considered a valid source by this wiki, the Pting look almost identical to an unrelated species called the "Fward". The Fward always travel in identical pairs, a fact the player must utilise in order to find the single Pting hiding among a group of seven almost identical-looking creatures.
- The Pting has become one of the most merchandisable parts of Series 11 along with the Stenza Tzim-Sha and the Doctor herself with getting a FUNKO POP. The Pting FUNKO POP was a limited edition to the 2019 Summer Convention.
