Tribble
Tribbles are fictional animals in the
Star Trek universe who first appeared in the episode titled "The Trouble with Tribbles". They are depicted as small, furry, soft, gentle and slow-moving, and they usually produce a soothing purring or cooing sound when stroked, all of which are endearing traits to humans and Vulcans. However, because tribbles reproduce enormously fast, and consume exponentially larger and larger amounts of food as they multiply and crawl stealthily from one place to another, Starfleet considers them dangerous organisms and forbids their transportation. The Klingons, in whose presence tribbles produce a convulsive, shrieking reaction, go as far as to consider them "mortal enemies", as stated in the
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations". While appearing in only four episodes and briefly in four of the
Star Trek movies, they are one of the most popular and well-known species featured in the
Star Trek universe, fairly well known even to casual followers of the series. In 2006, two tribble props from "Trials and Tribble-ations" were auctioned for US $800 to $1,200.