The tribble was first introduced into the Federation by Cyrano Jones, s.d. 4523.3, at Deep Space Station K-7. Its origin, however, remained unknown until s.d. 8104.6.
The home world of the tribble is Cardegy II, a hostile planet which is mainly desert with little food and many predatory life forms. The tribble adapted well to the harsh circumstances; it needs little food for sustenance, and whenever food is available, as will happen after one of the rare rain storms, it reproduces at an incredible rate. Only the hardiest specimen are able to live until the next rain period. Natural selection has made the tribble a tough little creature that has few needs and is not susceptible to disease and injury.
As tough as the tribble is, and notwithstanding its reproductive ability, recent studies have revealed that the tribble has been threatened with extinction on its home planet more than once.
In recent years, the colonies on Cardegy II have usurped some of the desert areas, and climate control has rendered several wide spread areas more hospitable, but there are still large areas of desert where wild tribbles roam freely.
Close to the colonized areas the tribbles sometimes present a problem, since the presence of the colonists keeps many predators away. There is plenty to eat because of the climate control and the refuge of the colonists. The tribbles can form a real plague and several plans are being executed to limit their number.
Food and refuse is being sprayed with neo-ethylene, preventing them from breeding. (See also chapter 5 on the use of neo-ethylene in tribbles)
The Klingons have been able to genetically construct the glommer, a tribble predator that looks most like a ball on rather high legs. It eats tribbles whole, and works great against the rapidly multiplying wild tribbles. The Cardegy colony took over most of the breeding stock s.d. 42506.6.
In addition, Klingons are encouraged to move to the Cardegy colony. A tribble that can move around freely will not come near a Klingon, thus staying out of any of their residences.
Non-Klingon colonists are not always happy with this last method, claiming they get more tribbles because of their Klingon neighbors, but truth is that less tribbles range in neighborhoods with Klingons than in other areas, even if food and shelter circumstances would otherwise be more favorable to the tribbles.