Tribbles

My Dedication to the

Tribbles

of Star Trek

This page was last updated on 02/20/01.

Tribbles were first encountered in The Trouble with Tribbles TOS episode. The encounter took place on Star Date 4523.3 on Deep Space Station K-7.

What are Tribbles?

"The galaxy's quickest multiplying species - No contest here. Tribbles, a species of small, furry creatures, procreate without pause and enjoy an insanely short gestation period. However, their rate of reproduction is dependent on their ability to ingest food. So if you've got a houseful of tribbles and you don't know what to do, let the little critters go hungry for a while. And don't invite Klingons over for dinner. Tribbles and Klingons do not get along." -- Q's Guide to the Continuum by Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger; � Paramount Pictures - No infringement intended.

The Human Perspective:

Uhura: "Oooo! What is it? Is it alive? May I hold it? Ohhh! It's adorable. What is it?"
Jones: "Why lovely lady, it's a tribble."
Uhura: "A tribble?"
Jones: "Only the sweetest creature known to man, excepting, of course, your lovely self." TWT

Uhura: "Well, if you're not going to take him, I'll take him. I think he's cute." TWT

Jones: "Once this lovely little lady starts to show this precious little darling around, you won't be able to keep up with them." TWT

Jones (to Scott): "Ah! Friend! Can I offer you a charming little tribble?" TWT

Jones (to Korax): "Ah! Friend Klingon! [tribble squeals] Can I interest you in a harmless little tribble?" TWT

McCoy: "They're nice, they're soft, they're furry and they make a pleasant sound."
Spock: "So would an ermin violin ... but I see no advantage in having one."
McCoy: "It is a human charactersitic to love little animals, especially if they are attractive in some way."
Spock: "... I am well aware of human characteristics. I am frequently inundated by them but I have trained myself to put up with practically anything."
McCoy: "... I don't know too much about these little tribbles yet, but there is on thing that I have discovered."
Spock: "What is that ...?"
McCoy: "I like them -- better than I like you." TWT

Uhura: "Oh, but they do give us something.... They give us love. -- Well, Cyrano Jones says that a tribble is the only love money can buy." TWT

Odo: "... Cyrano Jones ... told me tribbles like everyone, but this one doesn't seem to like you."
Worf: "The feeling is mutual. They are detestable creatures."
Odo: "Interesting! It's been my observations that most humanoids love soft, furry animals. Especially if they make pleasing sounds." TAT

The Klingon Perspective:

Jones (to Korax): "Ah! Friend Klingon! [tribble squeals] Can I interest you in a harmless little tribble?"
Korax: "Get it away from me."
Jones: "I'm sorry. I can't understand it. I've never seen it act this way before."
Korax: "Get out of here with that parasite."
Jones: "He's only a harmless little --"
Korax: "Take it away." TWT

Korax: "The Earthers like these fuzzy things!" TWT

Kolath: "Before you go on, may I make a request? Can you get these things out of here? TWT

Darvin (after faced with discovery by tribbles): "All right! I poisoned the grain."
Kirk: "And the tribbles had nothing to do with it?"
Darvin "I don't know. I never saw one before in my life and I hope I never see one of those fuzzy, miserable things again." TWT

Worf: "They are detestable creatures."
Odo: "Interesting! It's been my observations that most humanoids love soft, furry animals. Especially if they make pleasing sounds."
Worf: "They do nothing but consume food and breed. If you feed that thing more than the smallest morsel in a few hours you'll have ten tribbles, then a hundred, then a thousand."
Odo: "Calm down!"
Worf: "They were once considered mortal enemies to the Klingon Empire."
Odo: "This?" (Odo holds up tribble) [tribble squeals]
Odo: "A mortal enemy of the Empire?"
Worf: "They were an ecological menace. A plague to be wiped out."
Odo: "Wiped out? What are you saying?"
Worf: "Hundreds of warriors were sent to track them down through out the galaxy. An armada obliterated the tribble home world. By the end of the 23rd Century, they had been eradicated."
Odo: "Another glorious chapter of Klingon history. Tell me! Do they still sing songs of the great tribble hunt?" TAT

The Vulcan Perspective:

McCoy: "What's the matter Spock?"
Spock: "There is something disquieting about these creatures."
McCoy: "Oh! Don't tell me you've got a feeling?"
Spock: "Don't be insulting.... They remind me of the lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they spin, but, they seem to eat a great deal. I see no practical use for them.
McCoy: "Does everything have to have a practical use for you? They're nice, they're soft, they're furry and they make a pleasant sound."
Spock: "So would an ermin violin ... but I see no advantage in having one."
McCoy: "It is a human characteristic to love little animals, especially if they are attractive in some way."
Spock: "... I am well aware of human characteristics. I am frequently inundated by them but I have trained myself to put up with practically anything."
McCoy: "... I don't know too much about these little tribbles yet, but there is on thing that I have discovered."
Spock: "What is that ...?"
McCoy: "I like them -- better than I like you."
Spock: "They do indeed have one redeeming characteristic."
McCoy: "What is that?"
Spock: "They do not talk too much." TWT

Kirk: "But they do like Vulcans. (to Spock) I didn't know you had it in you, Mr. Spock."
Spock: "Obviously, tribbles are very perceptive creatures."
Kirk: "Obviously!" TWT

Where do Tribbles come from?

Cyrano Jones: "I have something from the far reaches of the galaxy. Surely you want --"
Uhura: "Oooo! What is it? Is it alive? May I hold it? Ohhh! It's adorable. What is it?"
Jones: "Why lovely lady, it's a tribble." TWT

Spock: "Surely you must have realized what would happen if you removed the tribbles from their predator filled environment into an environment where their natural multiplicative proclivities would have no restraining factors?" TWT

Worf: "Hundreds of warriors were sent to track them down through out the galaxy. An armada obliterated the tribble home world. By the end of the 23rd Century, they had been eradicated."
Odo: "Another glorious chapter of Klingon history. Tell me! Do they still sing songs of the great tribble hunt?" TAT

Tribble Characteristics:

Chekov: "He won't bite, will he?"
Jones: "... transporting harmful animals from one planet to another is against regulations; or weren't you aware of that? Besides, tribbles have no teeth." TWT

McCoy: "... do you mind if I take one of these down to the lab and see what makes it tick?
Uhura: "Well, all right Doctor, but if you're going to dissect it, I don't want to know about it.
McCoy: "I won't harm a hair on it's head, wherever that is." TWT

Spock: "They do indeed have one redeeming characteristic."
McCoy: "What is that?"
Spock: "They do not talk too much." TWT

McCoy: "-- It's the tribbles who are breeding. And if we don't get them off the ship, we're going to be hip deep in them. -- The nearest thing I can figure out is that they're born pregnant. Which seems to be quite a time saver. -- And from my observations, it seems they're bisexual, reproducing at will. -- And, brother, have they got a lot of will." TWT

Jones: "Well, if by that you mean do they breed quickly? Well, of course, that's how I maintain my stock. But breeding animals is not against regulations, only breeding dangerous ones. And tribbles are not dangerous."
Kirk: "Just incredibly prolific."
Jones: "Precisely! And at six credits a head, -- uh, that is, a body, it mounts up. Now if you'll excuse me --" TWT

Kirk: "I thought you said tribbles liked everybody?"
Jones: "Well, they do! I can't understand it. The last time I saw one act this way was at the bar."
Kirk: "Who was at the bar?"
Jones: "Klingons! Him (motioning toward Korax) for one."
Kirk (walks to security officers and takes two tribbles then walks toward Korax, the tribbles squeal): "You were right, Mr. Jones. They don't like Klingons. (McCoy enters the room, Kirk walks to Spock with tribbles) But they do like Vulcans. (to Spock) I didn't know you had it in you, Mr. Spock."
Spock: "Obviously, tribbles are very perceptive creatures."
Kirk: "Obviously! ( Kirk walks to Mr. Barris) Mr. Barris, they like you. Well there is no accounting for taste. (Kirk walks to Mr. Darvin, the tribbles squeal) They don't like you Mr. Darvin? I wonder why? Bones?"
McCoy (scanning Darvin): "Heartbeat is all wrong. His body temperature is -- ... this man is a Klingon." TWT

Kirk: "Do you know what the penalty is for transporting an animal proven harmful to human life?"
Jones: "... One little tribble isn't harmful. --"
Spock: "The penalty is twenty years in a rehabilitation colony." TWT

Worf: "They do nothing but consume food and breed. If you feed that thing more than the smallest morsel in a few hours you'll have ten tribbles, then a hundred, then a thousand." TAT

Tribble Diet:

Chekov: "Hey, he's eating my grain." TWT

McCoy: "What's the matter Spock?"
Spock: "There is something disquieting about these creatures."
McCoy: "Oh! Don't tell me you've got a feeling?"
Spock: "Don't be insulting.... They remind me of the lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they spin, but, they seem to eat a great deal. I see no practical use for them. TWT

Spock: "I've been running computations on their rate of reproduction. The figures are taking an alarming direction. They are consuming our supplies and returning nothing." TWT

McCoy: "I think I've got it. All we have to do is quit feeding them. We quit feeding them, they stop breeding."
Kirk [still buried in tribbles]: "Now he tells me." TWT

Spock: "This tribble is dead. And so are these."
McCoy [after scanning the pile of tribbles]: "A lot of them are dead. A lot of them are alive, but they won't be for long."
Spock: "The logical assumption is that there is something in the grain."
Kirk: "... I want the tribbles, the grain, everything analyzed. I want to know what killed these tribbles."
McCoy: "I haven't figured out what keeps them alive yet." TWT

Worf: "They do nothing but consume food and breed. If you feed that thing more than the smallest morsel in a few hours you'll have ten tribbles, then a hundred, then a thousand." TAT

Tribble Reproduction:

McCoy: "How long have you had that thing ...?"
Uhura: "Since yesterday ...! This morning, I found out he, I mean she, had had babies." TWT

Kirk (re: tribbles): "How many of these did Uhura give you?"
McCoy: "Just one!"
Kirk: "But you've got -- eleven?"
McCoy: "You've noticed that ...?"
Kirk: "How do they -- ?"
McCoy: "I haven't figured that out yet. But I can tell you this much. Almost fifty percent of the creatures metabolism is geared for reproduction. Do you know what you get if you feed a tribble too much?"
Kirk: "A fat tribble."
McCoy: "No! You get a whole bunch of hungry little tribbles." TWT

McCoy: "-- It's the tribbles who are breeding. And if we don't get them off the ship, we're going to be hip deep in them. -- The nearest thing I can figure out is that they're born pregnant. Which seems to be quite a time saver. -- And from my observations, it seems they're bisexual, reproducing at will. -- And, brother, have they got a lot of will." TWT

Spock: "I've been running computations on their rate of reproduction. The figures are taking an alarming direction. They are consuming our supplies and returning nothing." TWT

Spock: "Surely you must have realized what would happen if you removed the tribbles from their predator filled environment into an environment where their natural multiplicative proclivities would have no restraining factors?"
Jones: "Well of co -- What did you say?"
Spock: "By removing the tribbles from their natural habitat, you have, so to speak, removed the cork from the bottle and allowed the genie to escape."
Jones: "Well, if by that you mean do they breed quickly? Well, of course, that's how I maintain my stock. But breeding animals is not against regulations, only breeding dangerous ones. And tribbles are not dangerous."
Kirk: "Just incredibly prolific."
Jones: "Precisely! And at six credits a head, -- uh, that is, a body, it mounts up. Now if you'll excuse me --" TWT

[After Kirk is buried by tribbles falling from grain storage compartments]
Barris: "There must be thousands of them."
Kirk: "Hundreds of thousands."
Spock: "1,771,561! That's assuming one tribble multiplying with an average litter of ten producing a new generation every twelve hours over a period of three days."
Kirk: "And that's assuming that they got here three days ago."
Spock: "And allowing for the grain consumed and the volume of the storage compartment." TWT

McCoy: "I think I've got it. All we have to do is quit feeding them. We quit feeding them, they stop breeding." TWT

Worf: "They do nothing but consume food and breed. If you feed that thing more than the smallest morsel in a few hours you'll have ten tribbles, then a hundred, then a thousand." TAT

O'Brien (needing to scan tribbles for a bomb): "I'm not sure we can get to K-7s internal sensors."
Sisko: "Then you will have to manually scan every tribble on the station."
O'Brien: "But there must be thousands of them by now."
Bashir: "Hundreds of thousands."
Jadzia Dax: "1,771,561! That's starting with one tribble with an average litter of ten every twelve hours after three days...." TAT

Tribble Sounds:

Uhura: "It's purring. --"
Jones: "It's only saying that it likes you." TWT

Spock: "Most curious creature. ... its trilling seems to have a tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system. Fortunately, of course, I am immune to its effect." TWT

[tribble trills]
Worf: "What is that sound?"
Odo: "Soothing, isn't it? The bartender called it --"
[tribble squeals]
Worf: "-- a tribble." TAT

Other Tribble References

"No games? Why, mon capitaine, you might as well ask a sun not to blaze or a tribble not to multiply." - Q, Q-Space (The Q Continuum Book 1 of 3) by Greg Cox, TNG Novel # 47

Sources of Quotes:

TWT - The Trouble with Tribbles (TOS)

TAT - Trials and Tribble-ations (DS9)