# What is the greatest lubricant naturally produced by an animal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 7, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251 "2004-01-07T18:52:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yellowcakesolid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cdc98d/32.png) [@yellowcakesolid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowcakesolid)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/1 "2004-01-07T18:52:38Z")
For argument’s sake, the animal has to produce the lubricant naturally. Oil produced by an animal counts. Oil produced by humans using animal parts does not. I apologize for using such a crummy measurement as greatest. The best measurement I could find was dynamic coefficient of friction, but I’m not sure how good of a benchmark that is. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/2 "2004-01-07T19:03:07Z")
I’ve heard glowing praise for the spermaceti coming from the head of a sperm whale. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/3 "2004-01-07T21:14:28Z")
The secretions of the KY-Jellyfish. ---
**Author:** ![Quint\_Essence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/54ee81/32.png) [@Quint\_Essence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint_Essence)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/4 "2004-01-07T21:18:17Z")
synovial fluid ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/5 "2004-01-07T21:19:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*I’ve heard glowing praise for the spermaceti coming from the head of a sperm whale. \*\* I think sperm whale oil was tops too, it was even used in automatic transmission fluid until it was outlawed in the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/6 "2004-01-07T22:28:08Z")
Lanolin? ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/7 "2004-01-07T23:06:56Z")
Possum snot - as evidenced by my construction foreman, way back then, when he’d advise, “Watch out! That’s slicker than possum snot.” ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/8 "2004-01-08T00:30:56Z")
I always thought it was greasy grimey gopher guts, myself. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/9 "2004-01-08T00:37:21Z")
The mucous produced by slugs? ---
**Author:** ![adirondack\_mike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@adirondack\_mike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adirondack_mike)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/10 "2004-01-08T01:30:37Z")
I knew a fellow from Maine who swore by donkey snot. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/11 "2004-01-08T01:44:10Z")
In the opinion of many, Beaver Flux is especially great… ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/12 "2004-01-08T01:46:23Z")
The rare bacterium on the ocean floor which I think scientests have only classified with a latin name, the _teflonicus sprayicus_. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/13 "2004-01-08T02:02:00Z")
A banana slug must be awful slippery. ---
**Author:** ![kiwiboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/35a633/32.png) [@kiwiboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiwiboy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/14 "2004-01-08T02:03:38Z")
Eel slime has to be right up there. Slippery as anything. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/15 "2004-01-08T06:46:11Z")
Catshit on a linoleum floor is legendary for its slipperiness. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/16 "2004-01-08T12:13:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jpeg Jones \* > \*\*The secretions of the KY-Jellyfish. \*\* You owe me a new key board. The one I have is all stick and covered in pop. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/17 "2004-01-08T12:34:09Z")
Why restrict it to animals. check out [Sylk](http://www.sylk.co.uk) - a natural lubricant made from Kiwi fruit vines - very smooth. Simon ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/18 "2004-01-08T14:40:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Manduck \* > \*\*Catshit on a linoleum floor is legendary for its slipperiness. \*\* Heh, I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![hammerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hammerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammerbach)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/19 "2004-01-08T15:25:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by adirondack\_mike \* > \*\*I knew a fellow from Maine who swore by donkey snot. \*\* No, that would be “Slickah than greased cougar snot on polished brass.” ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251/20 "2004-01-08T16:02:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quint Essence \* > \*\*synovial fluid \*\* ditto [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-lubricant-naturally-produced-by-an-animal/223251.md?page=2)