Tribble
Image associated with the exact linked encyclopedia article; consult credited file description for its interpretation.
Overview
Tribbles are small furry animals whose soothing purr and apparently harmless shape conceal an extraordinary capacity to multiply when fed. In The Trouble with Tribbles, a pet introduced to a space station becomes an infestation that spreads into stored grain. The creatures also react noisily to Klingons, turning an animal's sensory response into a clue within an espionage plot. Their threat arises chiefly from numbers and consumption rather than physical aggression.
Trials and Tribble-ations revisits that incident while adding later characters and Klingon recollections. The Trouble with Edward supplies a different reproductive backstory involving experimentation, so natural populations and modified forms should not be collapsed uncritically. This profile follows those selected screen stories; toy behavior and humorous merchandise are not independent animal lore. Tribbles remain distinct from other multiplying fictional pets, and similarities alone do not document an author's borrowing or a shared fictional species.
First appearances & development
Introduced in The Trouble with Tribbles (1967). This entry follows the version represented by the primary works listed below, rather than treating the name as a single creature shared by every adaptation. Prime-universe screen stories are the baseline; reboot timelines and tie-in novel details are excluded.
Canon & continuity
The listed screen works are the primary narrative basis. The linked official StarTrek.com material identifies this creature and supports the selected appearance or behavior, while editorial interpretation is distinguished from an episode's demonstrated events. Selected television continuity is followed here; licensed fiction, games and later appearances are not exhaustively surveyed.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Star Trek: The Original Series — The Trouble with Tribbles
Original tribble infestation, reproduction and Klingon response.
- 02
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Trials and Tribble-ations
Time-travel return to the original infestation and its Klingon history.
- 03
Star Trek: Short Treks — The Trouble with Edward
Later story introducing experimental changes to tribble reproduction; not automatically every natural population.
Family, evolution & connections
A fluffy keychain owned by Holly Sherman
Gerrold’s first-person interview identifies Holly Sherman’s fluffy keychain ball as the practical visual answer when live animals were unsuitable for filming. He recalls it as black, while a StarTrek.com birthday article calls it pink; the prompt is supported but its color differs between accounts. This is evidence about the creature’s production conception, without assigning the keychain a zoological identity or hiding the discrepancy.
Introduced rabbits in Australia
Asked where the first notion came from, Gerrold says he wanted to do rabbits in Australia before adapting the idea to filmable fictional creatures. The National Museum of Australia documents the introduced European rabbits and their spread as historical context. The creator’s remark supports that broad story premise; it does not mean tribbles reproduce like real rabbits or establish every later biological detail of their portrayal.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- OfficialTribble — official franchise guideResearch access: 2026-10-05
- OfficialWARP FIVE with H. Jon Benjamin — The Trouble with EdwardResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Reference illustrationTribble
Image associated with the exact linked encyclopedia article; consult credited file description for its interpretation.
