Ring-tailed Lemur

Awww...look at this unique and wonderful replica!

Our Stuffed Ring-Tailed Lemur

Our stuffed ring-tailed lemur toy by Fiesta is extremely soft and cuddly. The exceptionally long tail adds another 15 inches to the 10-inch body for a total of 25 inches from nose to tail. Beans in the rump help the lemur to maintain a sitting position. The paws and inside of the ears are soft cloth. The plastic eyes and nose, as well as the ears, legs and tail, are securely attached making this charming stuffed animal a suitable toy for all ages. To find our other stuffed toy animals from Fiesta, or see our entire inventory of stuffed animals, stuffed beanies and plush puppets, check out our Stuffed Animal Page and Stuffed Beanies and Plush Puppets Page. Come see our wonderful assortment of lemur toys and gifts.

About Ring-Tailed Lemurs

Ring-Tailed Lemurs (Lemuridae catta) are "prosimians." They are primates, but are not as highly evolved as monkeys or great apes. One easily recognizable feature that differs between the lemurs and other primates is the long, almost dog-like nose of the lemurs. Where other primates rely more heavily on vision and hearing, lemurs rely more on their sense of smell. There are 11 species of true lemurs and 7 species of dwarf lemurs. Lemurs are found only in the woodlands on the island of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands near Madagascar. This lemur is known for its long, black-and-white ringed tail, which it holds up like a question mark when it walks or runs upon the ground.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Raven Stuffed Hand Puppet

YOU can make this raven cry "Nevermore!!!"

Our Stuffed Raven Puppet

Our captivating stuffed raven hand puppet stands 16 inches high and is very kid friendly. It's feathers are soft fake fur; the legs and beak are soft vinyl. The plastic eyes, legs, beak, wings and tail are securely fastened making this a great toy for children of all ages. The hand pocket, located under the tail, fits up to a grown-up-size hand and operates the head and beak. There are also pockets under the wings. An informational tag containing raven facts and a Native American folktale, is included. To find our other hand puppets in this line, or see our entire inventory of stuffed beanies, puppets and animals, check out our Stuffed Beanies and Plush Puppets Page and Stuffed Animals Page. Come look through our entire collection of bird toys and gifts.

About Ravens

Found all across the northern hemisphere, the common raven (Corvus Corax) averages 25 inches in length and weighs up to 2.6 pounds. Common ravens can live up to 21 years and, while they tend to flock as younger birds, eventually mate for life. Common Ravens are omnivores, feeding on carrion, insects, grains, berries, fruit, small animals, and food waste. This diet has allowed the common raven to coexist beside man for thousands of years, and is a common feature in the stories and legends of many different cultures across the globe.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Housefly

Invite this guy into your parlor on Halloween!

Our Plastic Fly

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic housefly is made of hard, flexible plastic. It is 1 7/8 inches long and 1 1/4 inches across from wing-tip to wing-tip. Our plastic housefly has clear plastic, detailed wings, red eyes or black eyes and segmented legs. It works well for a shoe box diorama or other school projects. It also makes for an interesting party favor or for a gag. Check out our other fly toys and gifts.

About Flies

The common house fly (Musca domestica) is from the order Diptera, meaning two-winged, although the house fly actually has only one pair of wings. It has an excellent avoidance reaction due to its sensitivity to air movement. The house fly transmits diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and salmonella and is a menace in poorer areas. The house fly eats only liquids. It spits out saliva onto solid food to pre-digest it. Then it sucks the food back in through its proboscis, spits the food back out again and re-eats it. The house fly is a master at walking upside-down and walking on vertical surfaces. It accomplishes this feat by secreting adhesive juices from glands above its feet. Also the house fly is constantly preening its hairy legs. It must do this in order to keep the smell and taste receptors on the tiny hairs clean and viable.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Great White Shark

Look into my eyes!!

Our Plastic Great White Shark

This playful plastic great white shark is made hollow plastic and is 9 inches long. This replica has a detailed face and body with a shark-like smile. It has yellow eyes and a squeaker in its throat and may float and it squirks water. It makes for a nice pet, bath toy, and fits into a shark collection or serves as a great gag and is fun for all kinds of games. It promises not to bite, although because it is hollow, this shark is quite popular for use with grenadine for "Shark Attack" drinks in summer! Check out our other shark toys and gifts.

About Great White Sharks

The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) can be found near the surface in warmer waters of the Pacific, the Caribbean, and along the coast of Africa. Great whites usually about 9 feet in length, but adults may be as much as 16 feet. They weigh around 2,000 pounds. Some sharks follow the migration of sea lions, which they find a most tasty prey. The great white has a large conical-shaped snout, a gray dorsal fin and a mottled white underside. Great white sharks, like many other sharks, have rows of teeth behind the main ones, allowing any that break off to be rapidly replaced. A great white shark's teeth are serrated and when the shark bites it will shake its head side to side and the teeth will act as a saw and tear off large chunks of flesh. Great whites often swallow their own broken off teeth along with chunks of their prey's flesh.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Stuffed Armadillo

Back by popular demand!!

Our Stuffed Armadillo

What a great stuffed plush armadillo! He is quite real looking, and the multi-design fabric adds to the effect. This stuffed animal has some nice touches. Note the fold of the rim around the armadillo's back and the additional texture around it. Our stuffed armadillo from Fiesta is appealingly unhurried-looking. Is he or she curious? It looks that way to us! This stuffed animal is and cuddly, sturdy and soft. To find our other stuffed animals by Fiesta, or see a list of our entire inventory of stuffed animals, beanies and puppets, check out our Stuffed Animal page; and be sure to look over our other armadillo toys and gifts.

About Armadillos

Nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) have been moving north from South America for the past three million years. Armadillos originated in South America about 50 million years ago, and the nine-banded moved north, crossing the Panamanian land bridge. It is the only armadillo species found in the US, where its range continues to expand. As the armadillo actually has teeth, it is no longer classed as Edentata ("without teeth") but is now usually grouped with the Xenarthra. We have left our armadillo on the Edentates page, because these are still its closest relatives. There are 20 species of armadillo living in Central and South America. Armadillos dig for grubs and create burrows near water with their powerful feet and claws. In addition to grubs, they also eat other insects and invertibrates. These interesting, inoffensive creatures can be seen along roadsides, trails, and streams (where you can see into the brush), usually around dawn and dusk.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Great Horned Owl Stuffed Puppet

WHOOO you lookin'  at?

Our Great Horned Owl Plush Puppet

Our charming stuffed owl hand puppet stands 18 inches high and is very kid friendly. It's feathers are soft fake fur, the feet are soft vinyl, and the eyes and beak are hard plastic. The eyes, beak, feet, wings and tail are securely fastened making this a great toy for children of all ages. The hand pocket, located under the tail, fits up to a grown-up-size hand. Inside is a rod to turn the head and a lever to "blink" the eyes. An informational tag with owl facts and a Mohawk folktale about the owl's eyes, is also included. To find our other hand puppets in this line, or see our entire inventory of stuffed beanies, puppets and animals, check out our Stuffed Beanies and Plush Puppets Page and Stuffed Animals Page. Be sure to look over our other owl toys and gifts.

About Great Horned Owls

The most widely distributed true owl in the Americas, the great horned owl (Bubo viginianus) ranges in length from 18 to 25 inches long and has a wingspan of 40 to 60.5 inches. The distinctive “horns” from which this raptor gets its name are neither horns nor ears, but simply tufts of feathers. The vision and hearing of the great horned owl are excellent. Their eyes are almost as large as a human’s, but are immobile. Forced to turn its head to alter its sight direction, rather than just its eyes like a human does, the great horned owl is capable of turning its head nearly 270 degrees. With 200-300 pounds per square inch of crushing power in their talons (a typical man has a grip of about 60 psi), great horned owls prey on a wide variety of animals up to three times their own weight, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and even domestic dogs and cats.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Stuffed Duck-billed Platypus Toy

What would Darwin say about this guy?

Our Stuffed Platypus

We love this plush stuffed platypus! Look at its amazing toes. They're well-defined, yet soft. All four feet are wide and webbed. The feet are made of plush fabric and the claws won't scratch. The 18-inch length includes the tail. Our platypus is solid, substantial, and fun to hold. As you would imagine, his brown fur is soft and cuddly. To find more animals in this line, or see a list of our entire inventory of stuffed animals, beanies and puppets, check out our Stuffed Animal Page.

About Platypuses

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal found in Australia. Related to the echidna, it is the only mammal which lays eggs. It has duck's bill, a bever's tail and an otter's foot. On the hind legs there are spurs which can give aterrific venomous bite. Platypus , which means "flat foot" is protected from hunting and is a national symbol of Australia. It is covered with thick brown fur. The platypus feeds by sensing the muscle contractions of its prey, namely worms and crayfish. It can also walk on land and lives in burrows when the water level is low, where its is vulnerable to foxes.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Halloween Party Favors, Decorations, Gifts and Prizes

Trick Or Treat!!!

Our New Halloween/Samhain Page!

The first of many holiday pages to come, TPF presents all the creepy, crawly, sneaky, and scary animal toys and jewelry we offer in one place, just in time for your Halloween bash! Come vist and enjoy the festivities of the harvest season.

About Halloween

Halloween is a holiday celebrated around the world annually on October 31. Celebrations vary based on geography, culture, religon, and individual preference, but most feature a theme regarding the honoring of ancestors and recognizing the change in seasons from a time of abundance and fertility (Summer) to a time of cold and darkness (Winter). This holiday goes by the name Hallowe'en, All Hallows' Evening/Eve, Samhain, Samuin, and Parentalia.

In neopagan and pre-christian faiths, the holiday of Samhain (pronounced SOW-win) represents the last of three harvest festivals, signifying the end of Summer and the coming of Winter. In a practical sense, the holiday celebrates the end of agricultural work (the harvests are in, work's done, HOORAY!), but has a dark connotation that "what you have is all you have"...what you've harvested had to last until the next growing season. In a religious sense, Samhain is one of two holidays (the other is Beltaine, held May 1) that represent a short time of transition, where the boundries between our plane of existence and that of the Summerland (where the spirits of the dead reside) become thin and porous. Spirits of fallen friends and family can come calling, or may even be invited to attend meals in their honor (called Dumb Suppers). Mischevious spirits can wreak havok on the living on this night, and many people decorate themselves and their homes with wards against these poltergeists in the form of Jack-O-Lanterns and elaborate costumes.

The Christian holiday of All Hallows' Day or All Saints Day occurs on November 1, and so October 31 is "All Hallow's Eve". Both All Hallows' Day and All Souls Day (held on November 2) involve honoring those individuals who have passed away and praying for the recently dead to ensure their souls safely reach Heaven, and are therefore very similar to the older cultural beliefs of this time of year. Attitudes amongst modern Christians regarding Halloween vary widely, from cheerful acceptance of what they see as a childrens' night of fun to a horrible holiday of demon worship and blasphemy. I recently saw a Christian Halloween dance being advertised as "reclaiming what Satan has stolen". Many American public schools no longer offer Halloween celebrations because of potential conflicts within their communities regarding the holiday.

The holiday of Halloween involves many unique images and traditions. The Jack-O-Lantern, carved out of gourds and root vegetables, is a common sight throughout October. Goblins, vampires, werewolves, and other denizens of popular horror fiction decorate homes and workplaces. Games like bobbing for apples and corn mazes become popular. Trick-or-treating is a common tradition on this night. Orange and black dominate clothes, homes, and stores. Above all, any nocturnal, creepy, or ferocious animal features prominently in Halloween decor, costume, and gift-giving. Scorpions, spiders, and insects abound...the raven and the owl watch over trick-or-treaters and are harbingers of news...and of course, the black cat slinks through the shadows, watching to cross the unwary's path.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Flying Squirrel

He's comin' in for landing!!

Our Flying Squirrel

This engaging, realistic-looking flying squirrel is soft and cuddly. The fur is lighter brown than in the photo and constrasts wonderfully with the squirrel's bright white underside. It has pink and tan fabric ears with dark markings along the rim. It has a light pink fabric nose with detailed nostrils. Our stuffed flying squirrel also has tickly whiskers. The cheeks, mouth and toes are carefully stitched. This flying squirrel makes a nice pet, or fits perfectly into a squirrel collection. Check out our other flying squirrel toys and gifts.

About Flying Squirrels

The word "flying squirrel" is a general term referring to a group of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. The flying squirrel does not actually fly, but glides from tree to tree. Steering is accomplished by adjusting the webbing in its large wing-like arms. The flying squirrel's tail serves as a stabilizer. The squirrel generally has a short lifespan since it is prey to domestic cats, raccoons and owls.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Pelican

A fantastic addition to any stuffed animal collection!

Our Stuffed Pelican

Our stuffed pelican is a sheer delight. It is 15 inches from its floppy brown and pink cloth beak to its wiggly fur tail. It is 7 inches from wing-tip to wing-tip. It has a cute tuft of hair on the crown of its head and its plastic eyes are surrounded by bright pink material. This stuffed pelican makes a perfect companion for a child or fits wonderfully into any stuffed animal collection.

About Pelicans

A pelican is any of several very large water birds belonging to the family Pelecanidae. Birds in this family have a distinctive pouch under the beak. They occur mostly in warm regions, but pelicans also frequent the cooler water off the Pacific Northwest (United States and Canada), especially in the summer months. They are large birds with an amazing pouched bill. Pelicans often fly as a flock. They have excellent eyesight. They dive well and can also swim. Fishermen watch for pelicans, since they locate bait fish with such ease. They often catch fish by expanding the throat pouch. Then they must drain the pouch above the surface before they can swallow. This operation takes up to a minute, during which time other seabirds are particularly likely to steal the fish. Large fish are caught with the bill-tip, then tossed up in the air to be caught and slid into the gullet head first.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Cobra Replica

Back by popular demand!!

Our Posable Cobra

This super-lifelike coiling plastic cobra looks and feels like the real thing. In fact, our cobra is so realistic it has been purchased for use in a number of TV programs and movies. It makes a wonderful stage prop! We can't say enough about it - it's just beautiful, and its scaly plastic body is soft to the touch. The cobra is posable. As you see it here, it stands 7 inches tall, and it's 36 inches measured from nose to tail. It can be straightened out or moved into different positions. What a great gift or addition to your snake collection! Most details are "strikingly" realistic, although the two dark holes in the front are placed there so the plastic can bend without breaking. The cobra has the typical pattern on the back of its hood, not shown in our photo. Come look through our entire collection of snake toys and gifts.

About Cobras

The name cobra is short for the Portuguese name cobra de capelo, or "snake with hood". Most snakes commonly referred to as cobras can rear up and spread the muscles and skin of their necks into a characteristic hood as a threat display.

Most cobras belong to the family Elapidae, along with many other famous venomous snakes, including mambas, sea snakes, adders, and coral snakes. The genus Naja contains 20 to 22 species of cobras, and is the most widespread and recognized genus of cobras, ranging from Africa through the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia to Indonesia.

The king cobra is the world's largest venomous snake, with a length of up to 18.5 feet. While it preys chiefly on other snakes, the king cobra is highly aggressive, extremely fast and agile, and injects a larger amount of venom per bite (as much as 600 mg) than most snakes. An adult human can die from a single bite in less than 15 minutes, making the king cobra one of the most feared and deadly snakes in the world.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Beaver Pins ~ Made in USA

Show your OSU pride with this delightful pin!

Our Painted Beaver Pins

These gorgeous and unusual beaver pins are made in Washington and Idaho by a team of U.S. artists. The high-quality lapel pins or oversized tie tacks are unique. They are exquisitely detailed; the quality of the painting elevates each pin to an item of wearable art. Each one is cast in pewter and painted by hand. You will be delighted with the professional quality and artistic details of your piece of fish jewelry. The finish is extremely smooth and shiny, as you can see by the highlight from the scanner. It is also extremely durable. The pin is secured by two sturdy tacks on the back so it stays upright, and the finished product is not only gorgeous, but satisfyingly substantial in weight. It can be used as a lapel pin, hat pin, tie tack, and more. This collectible animal pin is heirloom quality, and the details are so realistic, they are found in museum gift shops and bought by organizations in need of the perfect animal to represent their group.

About Beavers

Beavers are wonderful swimmers and also great at building dams. The dams they build are mostly used to get easy access to food in the winter time, and are also used for protection againt predators. The dams may be as large as 1,000 ft long, 15 ft high, and 25 ft thick. Not to mention the beaver is also large, a male can weigh up to 55 lbs, and a female beaver can weigh even more! The beaver is so large, that they are the 2nd largest rodent in the world next to the capybara (see stuffed and plastic capybaras in our gift shop).

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Cheetah Cub

Don't wait...this little guy is moving quickly!!!

About our Plush Cheetah Cub

We think this plush stuffed cheetah is exceptional. It is so lifelike and compelling, you almost won't believe its a stuffed toy and not the real thing. Although its made of synthetic materials, it looks real. Note the tufts of fur on the back of the neck and on the head, as well as the delicate curly whiskers made of fine, clear filament. Each piece is hand-cut and stitched. The height (12 1/2 inches) is measured to the top of the head.

About Cheetahs

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large feline predator native to Africa and the Middle East. Best known for being the fastest living animal on Earth, an adult cheetah can accelerate from zero to over 60 mph in three seconds, and can maintain a speed of 70-75 mph for bursts of just over 500 yards. A not so well-known fact is that cheetahs are the only felid with non-retractable claws and pads, and because of this, cheetahs cannot climb vertical tree trunks the way other cats can.

Cheetahs hunt during the day (usually in the early morning or early evening, when it's cooler), and hunt by sight rather than scent. The incredible speed of a cheetah means that a chase is over very quickly...either the cheetah succeeds, or it burns up its energy reserve and cannot continue the chase. The sacrifice of that speed is physical strength, which means cheetahs cannot defend their kills against larger predators. As such, a successful cheetah will consume as much of it's kill as it can immediately following the chase, then abandon the kill when other predators arrive.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Salmon Pins ~ Made in USA

Looking for the perfect gift for your fisherman? Here it is!!!

Our Hand-painted Salmon Pins

These gorgeous and unusual salmon pins are made in Washington and Idaho by a team of U.S. artists. The high-quality lapel pins or oversized tie tacks are unique. They are exquisitely detailed; the quality of the painting elevates each pin to an item of wearable art. Each one is cast in pewter and painted by hand. You will be delighted with the professional quality and artistic details of your piece of fish jewelry. The finish is extremely smooth and shiny, as you can see by the highlight from the scanner. It is also extremely durable. The pin is secured by two sturdy tacks on the back so it stays upright, and the finished product is not only beautiful, but satisfyingly substantial in weight. It can be used as a lapel pin, hat pin, tie tack, and more. This collectible animal pin is heirloom quality, and the details are so realistic, they are found in museum gift shops and bought by organizations in need of the perfect animal to represent their group.

About Sockeye Salmon

The third most common Pacific salmon species, Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are found in the northern Pacific Ocean and rivers that discharge into it. Sockeye salmon also exist in completely land-locked populations, living and reproducting in lakes. These salmon, while exactly the same species, are known as kokanee. Kokanee tend to be much smaller than the ocean-dwelling salmon, rarely exceeding 14 inches in length. Sockeye salmon spawn in fresh water, then migrate to the ocean for 1 - 4 years. While in the ocean, Sockeye salmon are blue-tinged and silver in color, only taking on the distictive red hue and green head when migrating to spawn. In males, the jaws and teeth also become hooked, and are used primarily for fighting other males. Sockeye salmon feed primarily on plankton, and will occasionally feast on shrimp and insects. The word "sockeye" comes from the Halkomelem word "Suk-kegh", meaning red fish.

 This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Three Red Roses in Beads

3 Red Roses Circle Necklace - $75.00

Available from AtitlanArts.com

You can enjoy this elegant beaded necklace of red roses any time of year, but wouldn't it be simply stunning in Winter?

Rose Circle Necklace comes with three beautiful red blooms, green leaves with black beaded necklace. Comes in a multitude of colors including red, blue, silver or white or special order. We have necklaces with one or three or more roses. Perfect for Winter or Weddings and more!

Visit AtitlanArts.com and Tapir and Friends Animal Store
We sell animal-themed gifts to raise funds for TAPIR conservation.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE!

Three Red Roses in Beads

3 Red Roses Circle Necklace - $75.00

Available from AtitlanArts.com

You can enjoy this elegant beaded necklace of red roses any time of year, but wouldn't it be simply stunning in Winter?

Rose Circle Necklace comes with three beautiful red blooms, green leaves with black beaded necklace. Comes in a multitude of colors including red, blue, silver or white or special order. We have necklaces with one or three or more roses. Perfect for Winter or Weddings and more!

Visit AtitlanArts.com and Tapir and Friends Animal Store
We sell animal-themed gifts to raise funds for TAPIR conservation.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE!

Red Ant / Fire Ant

LOOKS ferocious, but is really soft and cuddly!

Our Plush Red Ant

This engaging, realistic-looking stuffed red ant is soft and cuddly. Its body is made of soft plush fabric and shows well-defined segments. The body is red and has large plastic eyes and fine antenna. Our red ant replica has a kindly expression and promises not to bite. This stuffed red ant makes a nice pet, gift, novelty, presentation piece for a school project,or gag gift. See our other ant toys and gifts.

About Red Ants

There are over 200 species of red ants, some small and some large. The most common red ant is known as the fire ant. It is a biting ant which grabs on and then stings with a poison called Solenposin. Fire ants live in mounds in moist open area and spend time eating plant material and occasionally a cricket. The colony consists usually of one or more queens, surrounded by drones and workers. The queen can produce up to 1500 eggs in one day.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Seagull Pins ~ Made in USA

A beautiful bit of bling for the coastal dweller!

Our Painted Seagull Pins

These gorgeous and unusual seagull pins are made in Washington and Idaho by a team of U.S. artists. The high-quality lapel pins or oversized tie tacks are unique. They are exquisitely detailed; the quality of the painting elevates each pin to an item of wearable art. Each one is cast in pewter and painted by hand. You will be delighted with the professional quality and artistic details of your piece of fish jewelry. The finish is extremely smooth and shiny, as you can see by the highlight from the scanner. It is also extremely durable. The pin is secured by two sturdy tacks on the back so it stays upright, and the finished product is not only gorgeous, but satisfyingly substantial in weight. It can be used as a lapel pin, hat pin, tie tack, and more. This collectible animal pin is heirloom quality, and the details are so realistic, they are found in museum gift shops and bought by organizations in need of the perfect animal to represent their group.

About Seagulls

Closely related to terns, the California gull (Larus californicus) is a carnivorous scavenger, which picks at almost anything organic. It loves small fish and crustaceans which it snatches from the surface. It swims on the top of the water, but does not swim underwater. It is an intelligent bird with a myriad of calls and, like most birds, outstanding eyesight. The adult gull is gray and white in color, whereas younger gulls are a mottled light brown.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

House Fly

The feet have velcro, so you can stick them up as decorations!

Our Plush House Fly

This engaging, realistic-looking stuffed house fly is soft and endearing. The legs are made of soft plush fabric. This allows for a myriad of postions. The tips are covered with soft plastic that can't scratch small children. The body is jet black with shimmering, rainbow-colored wings. It has large, bulging, burgundy plush eyes. The house fly rests quietly in your hands. Check out our other house fly toys and gifts.

About House Flies

The common house fly (Musca domestica) is from the order Diptera, meaning two-winged, although the house fly actually has only one pair of wings. It has an excellent avoidance reaction due to its sensitivity to air movement. The house fly transmits diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and salmonella and is a menace in poorer areas. The house fly eats only liquids. It spits out saliva onto solid food to pre-digest it. Then it sucks the food back in through its proboscis, spits the food back out again and re-eats it. The house fly is a master at walking upside-down and walking on vertical surfaces. It accomplishes this feat by secreting adhesive juices from glands above its feet. Also the house fly is constantly preening its hairy legs. It must do this in order to keep the smell and taste receptors on the tiny hairs clean and viable.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Squid Pins ~ Made in USA

Betcha Captain Nemo would've worn this!

Our Painted Squid Pins

These gorgeous and unusual squid pins are made in Washington and Idaho by a team of U.S. artists. The high-quality lapel pins or oversized tie tacks are unique. They are exquisitely detailed; the quality of the painting elevates each pin to an item of wearable art. Each one is cast in pewter and painted by hand. You will be delighted with the professional quality and artistic details of your piece of fish jewelry. The finish is extremely smooth and shiny, as you can see by the highlight from the scanner. It is also extremely durable. The pin is secured by two sturdy tacks on the back so it stays upright, and the finished product is not only gorgeous, but satisfyingly substantial in weight. It can be used as a lapel pin, hat pin, tie tack, and more. This collectible animal pin is heirloom quality, and the details are so realistic, they are found in museum gift shops and bought by organizations in need of the perfect animal to represent their group.

About Squid

There are approximately 300 species of squid. All squid have similar body arrangements, with a distinct head, eight arms plus two longer tentacles, and the ability to squirt ink into the water as a defence against predators. Most modern squid are no more than two feet long, although giant squid may reach lengths of 43 feet and colossal squid are estimated to reach an astonishing 46 feet long! In 2007, a colossal squid weighing over 1,000 pounds was caught by a New Zealand fishing ship, and represents the largest scientifically documented cephalopod on record.

 This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.