Our Realistic, Life-size Latex and Foam Rubber Animals are Back!

Foam and Latex Iguana at Tapir and Friends Animal Store

Our realistic latex-covered foam rubber animals are always popular! Unfortubately, our supplier gets them in stock only once a year, and these puppies have been delayed for several months! Worse, we ran out long before that, so we and our customers are very, very excited to see them again!

Click on any animal to see it and order!

Do you need a giant, realistic rubber snake for Halloween?

Does your seafood restaurant need an octopus with attitude to complete its decor?

This octopus could also trick out your Halloween costume.

Or maybe you developed an affinity for octopi playing Dark Manor. I did!

Is that weird?

Our armadillo is always popular, too, whether you are from Texas or anywhere else. It's life-size, and it almost looks real! See our armadillo here along with all of our foam and latex animals!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Olive Octopus Stuffed Animal

Olive Octopus at Tapir and Friends Animal Store

Named after Olive, an octopus befriended in a popular Seattle diving spot, our Olive wants to befriend you! At 36 inches long, Olive is extremely cuddly and would make the perfect autumn reading or sleeping companion for your little ones (or you! We won't tell). She is one of the sweetest residents in our store. Please visit Olive in our wonderful octopus section today!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Poseidon Toy

Poseidon Toy at Tapir and Friends Animal Store

With our location built on pilings above the Columbia River right before it meets and marries the mighty Pacific (often with wild and boisterous rapture), Tapir and Friends is quite literally hovering over Poseidon's domain. So it seems appropriate that we should carry a version of this powerful sea god in our store. Crossing the bar can be a serious challenge, so it's good to have some awesome bar pilots in town. But crossing in bad weather is dangerous enough that saying a prayer to Poseidon might not go astray either. 

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Very Popular Poseable Octopus is Back in Stock!!

Pile of Octopi at Tapir and Friends Animal Store

Although it looks like an altar to an erstwhile sea god, it is only a mound of outgoing octopi. Most of the residents of this pile are winging their way to far-flung (and not so far) places around the country and globe. We hope some of them remembered their passports. If you'd like an octopus of your own, we still have 26 in stock. They are extremely popular, so be sure to place your order quickly. Once they're gone, we're not sure when we'll be able to get them back in stock again.

For the word nerds out there who might be wondering, the plural of "octopus" is most generally accepted to be "octopuses." "Octopi" is popular and widely used, but members of the Word Police might argue about its status as an actual word. If you really want to get technical, you can try "octopodes" and see what happens. As for me, I'm going with "octopi."

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Two Popular Toy Octopuses Available for Pre-order

21-inch Soft Play Toy Octopus

"Olive," 36-inch Stuffed Plush Toy Octopus

These two toy octopuses are among the most popular items we have ever had in our store. Unfortunately, due to manufacturing slowdowns in China, both have been out of stock for way too long. We now have an ETA of July on one octopus and August on the other. Please click on the octopus of your choice to read more and PLACE YOUR PRE-ORDER. Once this shipment is sold (and I don't expect it to take very long)  they will both be out of stock again until… we don't know when. We know you will be happy with your octopus, whichever you choose!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Giant Stuffed Octopus Back in Stock

Olive's one of our most sought-after items!!

About Olive the Octopus

Olive was an extremely friendly Giant Pacific octopus who lived in Elliot Bay in the Puget Sound of Washington state where she touched the lives of many divers. "Olive united the northwest diving community in a way that nothing else ever has. . . ." - Chris Jacobsen, a northwest diver. This sentiment is echoed by divers from all over the world. Our thanks to James "Sparky" Cutchall for suggesting this memorial.

This stuffed giant octopus is so lifelike and huggable, you'll love it at first sight! The length of 36 inches is measured from back of the body to the end of its curled tentacles. The soft plush tentacles are stitched in such a way that they bend and curl, making this octopus one of the most life-like stuffed octopi we've ever seen. Note that it even has "ears." The octopus is stuffed in a soft and yet sturdy manner that makes it extremely huggable for both grown-ups and kids.

One of this octopus's most outstanding features is its bright orange eyes! The center of the plastic eye is black, and the "whites" of the eye are orange. We included a photo (above) showing the face with the bright eye, defined eyelids, and the perky little ears. See a real octopus's eyes here. You'll have to scroll down the page to find the octopus, as the page starts with insect eyes.

Your plush giant octopus comes with a tag that says, "Octopus: The 'eight-armed' creature of the deep, the octopus is considered one of the smarter members of the undersea world. The body of the octopus is remarkable in the way it can change color and pattern to camouflage itself or threaten enemies. [Note: The tag refers to living octopi, not the stuffed ones!] The shape of the body is amazing as well in that octopi can alter their body shapes so they look like long thin sea fish. Eight arms are not used for movement since the octopus uses a water fueled jet system to propel itself through the briny sea depths."

What a fascinating creature! This one has been carefully designed to imitate the real thing and yet be a cuddly friend for you or someone you love. To see a list of our entire inventory of stuffed animals, beanies and puppets, check out our Stuffed Animals Page. Also come see our wonderful assortment of octopus toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Red Plastic Octopus

Another red thing is back in stock after being AWOL for quite some time. It's our cute little RED OCTOPUS, and you can visit him/her here, scuttling around with its long-lost friends.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Octopus

Amazing in both detail and accuracy...this replica is awesome!

Our Octopus Replica

Check out the details of this wonderful octopus by Safari Ltd. Its superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector. It can also be used as a toy. It's very sturdy and is made of solid plastic. Note the textured body. The underside even has sucker feet and a parrot-like beak in the center (small in this photo, but clear on the item). Your animal comes with an information card. Come look through our entire collection of octopus toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Octopus

Meet the centerpiece for your next school project!

Our Plastic Octopus Replica

Check out the details of this wonderful octopus by Safari Ltd. Its superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector. It can also be used as a toy. It's very sturdy and is made of solid plastic. Note the textured body. The underside even has sucker feet and a parrot-like beak in the center (small in this photo, but clear on the item). Your animal comes with an information card. Come look through our entire collection of octopus toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Octopus

Equally at home in the science project or toybox!

Our Plastic Octopus Replica

Check out the details of this wonderful octopus by Safari Ltd. Its superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector. It can also be used as a toy. It's very sturdy and is made of solid plastic. Note the textured body. The underside even has sucker feet and a parrot-like beak in the center (small in this photo, but clear on the item). Your animal comes with an information card. Come look through our entire collection of octopus toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Soft Play Latex Octopus Replica

C'mon...who wants a hug? Eight arms...no waiting!

Our Soft Play Latex Octopus

This realistic-looking plastic-coated soft play octopus is a terrific replica. It is 21 inches long, but will stretch out to 26 inches when you pull on the partially posable tentacles. It is also 6 inches tall. Our octopus replica has a hard latex coating and a soft inner body possibly made of foam. It is an excellent toy for children because it is light weight and durable. It serves as an educational toy for a science project or as a gag or unusual gift. Check out our other octopi toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Soft Play Octopus

Explore the wonders of the deep with this terrific octopus!

Our Soft Play Latex Octopus

This realistic-looking plastic-coated soft play octopus is a terrific replica. It is 21 inches long, but will stretch out to 26 inches when you pull on the partially posable tentacles. It is also 6 inches tall. Our octopus replica has a hard latex coating and a soft inner body possibly made of foam. It is an excellent toy for children because it is light weight and durable. It serves as an educational toy for a science project or as a gag or unusual gift. Check out our other octopi toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

"Olive" the Octopus

"Olive" the Octopus is amazing!

Olive was an extremely friendly Giant Pacific octopus who lived in Elliot Bay in the Puget Sound of Washington state where she touched the lives of many divers. "Olive united the northwest diving community in a way that nothing else ever has. . . ." - Chris Jacobsen, a northwest diver. This sentiment is echoed by divers from all over the world. Our thanks to James "Sparky" Cutchall for suggesting this memorial.

This stuffed giant octopus is so lifelike and huggable, you'll love it at first sight! The length of 36 inches is measured from back of the body to the end of its curled tentacles. The soft plush tentacles are stitched in such a way that they bend and curl, making this octopus one of the most life-like stuffed octopi we've ever seen. Note that it even has "ears." The octopus is stuffed in a soft and yet sturdy manner that makes it extremely huggable for both grown-ups and kids.

One of this octopus's most outstanding features is its bright orange eyes! The center of the plastic eye is black, and the "whites" of the eye are orange. We included a photo (above) showing the face with the bright eye, defined eyelids, and the perky little ears. See a real octopus's eyes here. You'll have to scroll down the page to find the octopus, as the page starts with insect eyes.

Your plush giant octopus comes with a tag that says, "Octopus: The 'eight-armed' creature of the deep, the octopus is considered one of the smarter members of the undersea world. The body of the octopus is remarkable in the way it can change color and pattern to camouflage itself or threaten enemies. [Note: The tag refers to living octopi, not the stuffed ones!] The shape of the body is amazing as well in that octopi can alter their body shapes so they look like long thin sea fish. Eight arms are not used for movement since the octopus uses a water fueled jet system to propel itself through the briny sea depths."

What a fascinating creature! This one has been carefully designed to imitate the real thing and yet be a cuddly friend for you or someone you love. To see a list of our entire inventory of stuffed animals, beanies and puppets, check out our Stuffed Animals Page. Also come see our wonderful assortment of octopus toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Amazingly Lifelike Stuffed Octopus Back in Stock!

"Olive Octopus" has been away for a couple of months, and we've really missed her! So have our customers. Olive is now back on the shelf, and ready to travel! Come take a look, have her shipped right to your door, or send her to someone you love. Olive is big enough to be truly huggable. Doesn't it look like she wants to be friends?

This stuffed giant octopus is so lifelike and huggable, you'll love it at first sight! The length of 36 inches is measured from back of the body to the end of its curled tentacles. The soft plush tentacles are stitched in such a way that they bend and curl, making this octopus one of the most life-like stuffed octopi we've ever seen. Note that it even has "ears." The octopus is stuffed in a soft and yet sturdy manner that makes it extremely huggable for both grown-ups and kids.

One of this octopus's most outstanding features is its bright orange eyes! The center of the plastic eye is black, and the "whites" of the eye are orange. We included a photo (above) showing the face with the bright eye, defined eyelids, and the perky little ears. See a real octopus's eyes here. You'll have to scroll down the page to find the octopus, as the page starts with insect eyes.

Your plush giant octopus comes with a tag that says, "Octopus: The 'eight-armed' creature of the deep, the octopus is considered one of the smarter members of the undersea world. The body of the octopus is remarkable in the way it can change color and pattern to camouflage itself or threaten enemies. [Note: The tag refers to living octopi, not the stuffed ones!] The shape of the body is amazing as well in that octopi can alter their body shapes so they look like long thin sea fish. Eight arms are not used for movement since the octopus uses a water fueled jet system to propel itself through the briny sea depths."

What a fascinating creature! This one has been carefully designed to imitate the real thing and yet be a cuddly friend for you or someone you love. To see a list of our entire inventory of stuffed animals, beanies and puppets, check out our Stuffed Animals Page. Also come see our wonderful assortment of octopus toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Soft Play Posable Octopus Available in Limited Quantity!

ONLY A FEW LEFT IN STOCK!

Our VERY popular posable plastic/rubbery octopus is back in stock, but not for long! Once they are gone, there will be no more until summer. They go out fast enough that we know we're going to be clean out and beseiged with requests that we can't fill for several months. It's not fun, but that's the way it goes. If you want your floating, foam-filled, realistic, floppy, fun, latex-covered octopus with posable tentacles, I suggest you order now!

Another name for this octopus is BENTACLES, because the tentacles bend and stay positioned where you put them.

Our Soft Play Latex Octopus

This realistic-looking plastic-coated soft play octopus is a terrific replica. It is 21 inches long, but will stretch out to 26 inches when you pull on the partially posable tentacles. It is also 6 inches tall. Our octopus replica has a hard latex coating and a soft inner body possibly made of foam. It is an excellent toy for children because it is light weight and durable. It serves as an educational toy for a science project or as a gag or unusual gift. Check out our other octopi toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Orange Rubber (Plastic) Octopus Back in Stock

Our popular flexible 5 1/2-inch rubbery plastic octopus is back in stock and ready to travel!

This bright orange octopus is made of soft plastic and is slightly squeezable. This plastic octopus is great for school projects, toys, novelties, animal collections, party favors and more. Our plastic octopus is for decoration or play only and should NOT be put in your aquarium. However, you can make a wonderful sea-life or aquarium shoebox diorama using this and other plastic aquatic creatures and mammals, sharks, fish, sea turtles, birds, and decor from our gift shop.

Check out our terrific selection of octopus toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Olive the Lifelike Stuffed Octopus is Back In Astoria and Ready to Travel!

It's just the nature of the business. Here one day, gone the next. And we always hope there will be another "here again." Olive Octopus is back with us after a hiatus of a couple of months. She is anxious to explore the world (doesn't that eye look curious?), which means she'd be happy to travel to your house or someone you'd like to give her to. We ship anywhere around the world.

Olive Octopus is one of the most popular stuffed animals we've ever had in our store, and I think it's easy to see why. She has character! She has personality! She has big, orange eyes! And oh, what fun, you can have with those floppy tentacles! People from adults to kids love this cuddly octopus replica year after year. We think we have enough to get us through the holiday season, but you never know. As of this posting date, our stuffed octopus is anxious to explore! You can see and order her on our web site or call (503) 338-8646.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Posable rubber octopus

Our realistic posable latex rubber octopus has been so popular this year, I wanted to feature here one more time. Take a look at the moulded suction cups on the bottom of the tentacles! They don't actually stick to anything, but they sure look good! The tentacles are posable for most of their length. Look out! That eye is watching you!

Our Soft Play Latex Octopus

This realistic-looking plastic-coated soft play octopus is a terrific replica. It is 21 inches long, but will stretch out to 26 inches when you pull on the partially posable tentacles. It is also 6 inches tall. Our octopus replica has a hard latex coating and a soft inner body possibly made of foam. It is an excellent toy for children because it is light weight and durable. It serves as an educational toy for a science project or as a gag or unusual gift. Check out our other octopi toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

Rubber octopus (posable, and so realistic!)

Meet our very popular latex posable octopus!

Our Soft Play Latex Octopus

This realistic-looking plastic-coated soft play octopus is a terrific replica. It is 21 inches long, but will stretch out to 26 inches when you pull on the partially posable tentacles. It is also 6 inches tall. Our octopus replica has a hard latex coating and a soft inner body possibly made of foam. It is an excellent toy for children because it is light weight and durable. It serves as an educational toy for a science project or as a gag or unusual gift. Check out our other octopi toys and gifts.

About Octopi

Octopi are cephalopods that can be found in rocky areas especially among coral reefs in the oceans throughout the world. The octopus has 8 arms which trail behind it when it swims. It is considered to be the most intelligent animal of all invertabrates. It emits a cloud of inky substance as a defense against predators as well as possessing a venomous bite. Most octopuses have a short life span of no longer than six months.

Unusual pals: Stuffed manatee and stuffed extinct squid Tusoteuthis - NOW, WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

You just never know. Our very popular 30-inch stuffed manatee has befriended one of the newcomers under its sheltering paddle, so to speak. Tusoteuthis (an extinct giant squid) seems very happy in the company of its new buddy. Tusoteuthis may well look a little concerned. We had already announced that he was AGAIN becoming extinct (out of manufacture), when we discovered that there had only been a complication causing a confusion between the manufacturer and the importer, and indeed Tusoteuthis has a brand new lease on life.

In the background, you can see the green felt "spines" on our Folkmanis iguana stuffed hand puppet, and to the right at the bottom, another popular creature is trying to get into the picture - our purple latex Soft Play octopus with the posable tentacles. Not quick enough, Octopus. Better luck next time!

DO YOU OR YOUR KIDS LIKE TO TELL STORIES?

If you'll send us your stories based on the animals in our online Animal Store, we'll post the stories along with pictures of the animals. We'll be happy to give you credit for your story or you can choose to be anonymous or use only your first name. If you'd like to name the animal, we'd like that, too! You can name ANY of our collection of animals and write something about them. If they end up with two or three names because several people wrote about them, that's OK, too. Every once in awhile we name an animal ourselves, and the name sticks with it and ends up on the order page for that animal. Maybe you'll be the one with the name that fits the animal perfectly! The stories can be written by kids of any age or with an adult's help. They don't need to be long or complicated. Maybe you just want to tell us what one of the animals is thinking, or whether they are friends with some other animal. Or maybe they took a trip together, or. . . . It's up to you! If it seems like we need to take a new picture of the animal to fit the story as I've done on this post, we may be able to do that!

So, what are you thinking?