3D Plastic Animal Puzzles - order while we they're still available! Time is running out on these beautiful, realistic, toy animal puzzles!

These wonderful 3D plastic animal puzzles are on their way to extinction. Unfortunatley, once our stock is gone, we won't be able to get them again. Although we still have over 40 realistic animal types in this fun and challenging 3D plastic puzzle format, the supplies are dwindling. They make wonderful stocking stuffers for Christmas, but we may be out by then. There is nothing wrong with the puzzles, but due to new import laws regarding paint testing, the tests have become so expensive that as of this writing, the puzzles are a casualty of the more stringent laws. The puzzles were safe before, and they're still safe, but so many tests are required PER IMPORTATION that suppliers have cancelled this product. Please check them out while we still have them. They are charming and educational, fun to put together and enjoyable to look at once they're finished. Or, you can take them apart and put them back together again. Even if they were not puzzles, these would be some of the best-looking plastic animals we know! Learn about animals as you play!

Animal 3-D Plastic Puzzles Discontinued - Get Them While They Last!

We hate to see these wonderful animal puzzles disappearing, but that is a fact. They are no longer available to us, having been discontinued by the importer. We've been looking for a new source, but have not found one. These puzzles have been among our top sellers, and they are also wonderful replicas of the real animal. Just the other day we sold out of our zebra puzzle and had to take it offline.

We still have a great selection of puzzles, but almost every day we sell out of one more animal. For instance, today we have only six left of the octopus you see above. If you're looking to find small, affordable, interesting and unique gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday event, do check out our puzzles before the selection is gone. As of this post, we still have some puzzles left in the general categories of:

Dinosarus
Whale
Coral Reef Animals
Wild (Jungle) Animals
Polar Animals
Endangered Animals
Extinct Animals
Desert Animals
Reptiles

The details on this 3-D puzzle animal toy add another dimension, so you could say it is 4-D (3-D + details)! It is certainly one of the more detailed we have seen, making it an interesting replica as well as a fun toy for adults and children above the age of 3. This colorful octopus measures 4 1/2 inches across its tentacles and is 3 1/2 inches tall. It comes unassembled in a beautiful plastic ice cube. The pieces are cleverly fitted, flexible, and not too difficult to assemble. When completed, this striking octopus sits nicely straight up for display with your favorite treasures. To see our entire inventory of puzzle animals, go to our 3-D Puzzle Animals page. Be sure to look over our other plastic octopus toys and gifts.

3-D animal puzzles

The handsome zebra (above) and meatherium (extinct giant ground sloth, below) are two of our very popular 3D animal puzzles. We have many, many animals to choose from. The puzzles are popular for any child old enough not to swallow small pieces, and for adults as well. Come and see all of our 3-D animal interlocking plastic puzzles! We have a good supply for the holidays! These are memorable gifts that don't cost a lot of money - use for stocking stuffers or as an interesting gift in its own right. The recipient of the puzzle can take it apart and put it back together as many times as they like and can either store it in the plastic case it comes in or keep it on display as a collectible plastic animal figurine.

Giant Galapagos tortoise 3-D animal puzzle

Have you tried these wonderful 3-D plastic animal puzzles yet? They're among our most popular items. Fun for kids on summer trips, and fun for indoors entertainment when the weather gets too unpleasant to stay outside. I find this tortoise one of our more challenging. We have approximately 40 animal puzzles in stock. Most come in plastic eggs, shells, ice blocks, etc. In other words, the packaging is a snap-together container that you can keep as a way to store the pieces if you decide to take it apart rather than leave it out as a showpiece. The cases are also wonderful for packing to take the puzzles on trips.

I said the tortoise was one of the more challenging, and it is. Most of the bulky animals such as the hippo or one of our two elephants are a bit tough because there are some interior pieces. With the bulky animals you sometimes need to pull off a side, front, back, or top once it's partially put together to get the interior pieces into where they belong. With the thinner animals, most if not all of the pieces have exterior paint and that helps match the pieces up, and you also don't have to maneuver the outside pieces while working on the inside. It's hard to describe, but you'll see what I mean. The snakes, for instance, are reasonably easy, but each animal presents some sort of problem to solve. THE most difficult is our tarantula! Try figuring out which jointed leg goes where - and yes, they have to go in the right sockets, because otherwise the spider simply won't fit together. Kids usually do better with these puzzles than the adults! Check them out, they're lots of fun. And once put together, they look like real animals, so you can add them to your collection of collectible toy plastic animals!

Last chance for 3-D plastic animal puzzles?

We HOPE it's not the last chance, but here's the deal. All of the 40-plus plastic 3D animal puzzles we carry have been discontinued by the US importers we buy from. These puzzles are popular with kids and adults and are both fun and a challenge for people many ages. Yet, popularity is not the problem. The manufacturers in China have raised their minimum quantity orders to to the wholesalers so high that everyone we know has stopped carrying them. I won't go into details here because I don't know all of the rules that the importers and exporters have to comply with (Sue deals with these details, and I can find out if anyone is interested), but I do know that although the toys were safe to begin with and some tests are, of course, needed, the level and frequency of the tests has been escalated beyond what many importers can afford to pay and still deliver the goods at a price consumers find acceptable. The new pricing and shortages have begun to take effect this year and we will continue to see changes as old stocks are depleted.

Although some of our puzzles are now out of stock, we still have a lot left for you to choose from - please come check them out on our web site - until they are gone!

New 3D (4D) animal puzzles in the gift shop (reptiles and dinosaurs)!

We have added twelve new 3-D Animal Puzzles to our collection in Tapir and Friends online gift shop! The puzzles are ready for the holidays and are fun for all ages. If you can't put one together, get someone under the age of 10 to do it! We have four new reptiles and eight new dinosaurs. In the order you see them here, they are dilophosaurus (above), gecko (first picture below), brachyosaurus, iguanodon, spinosaurus, boa vs. crocodile, pentaceratops, frilled lizard, Indian star tortoise, two different versions of t-rex, and a brightly-colored stegosaurus. We're in the process of putting them online. If you read this before we get them up, you can call toll free (888) 325-3179, or e-mail us at tapir@tapirback.com. Have fun!

Dinosaur 3-D puzzles now online and ready to order!

Our eight new dinosaur 3-D puzzles are now online and ready to order. We also have four new reptile 3-D puzzles online. Check them out. They're fun for all!!! The reptiles are in the categories of Reptiles and Desert Animals.

"T" is for Tapir!!! . . . and T-rex and Toucan

How about a nice T-rex dinosaur 3-D puzzle? We have TWO T-rex puzzles in stock. You can take your pick between the one with an open mouth (above) that looks like it's roaring, and the one below with his mouth looking a little more friendly. These puzzles can be taken apart and put together any number of times. We even give you a plastic case that looks like a fossil to keep the pieces in if you don't want to store it on your shelf in the finished condition. The case also makes these puzzles good for travelling.


And of course, at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World, T is ALWAYS for Tapir! Tapir conservation is the reason we started the gift shop in the first place, and we have lots of tapirs! The unusual European-style tapir bumper sticker shown above is always a favorite.

We also have tapir jewelry to match your favorite tapir species. Can you believe that? Corinna Bechko makes these for us with the colors to your specifications. The tapir above is a Malayan tapir, and we carry earrings, pins, and pendants. You choose from a selection of colors, and you choose a color for the bead on the earrings and pendant!

We think this nice round tapir earring could be either a mountain tapir or a Baird's tapir. It has no crest, so you'd have to use your imagination if you'd like it to be a lowland tapir. This tapir, too, comes in a variety of colors and bead types, and you can get it as a pin or pendant, also. Corinna also makes a charming striped baby tapir, which could easily pass for any species!

In the plaster and ceramics department, we have this wonderful baby mountain tapir figurine made by hand in Colombia by tapir researcher and artist Sergio Sandoval especially for the Tapir Preservation Fund. Our baby tapir was first moulded in clay, then cast in plaster. The paint is all done by hand.

Oops, how did the toucan get here? He's interrupted our flow of tapirs, but we're going to let him stay. "T" is clearly also for toucan! We have this toucan in the stuffed animal form you see here, but we also have toucans made of plastic. We have have toucan jewelry made by Corinna! Come see all of our cool and charming toucan toys and gifts!

Now that we've had our toucan break, we're back to tapirs! Yes, we have so many, we haven't even put all of them on the blog. You can see our full collection of tapirs here. Above, you see our stuffed tapir, Yanisa. She's made by Hansa and everyone loves her!

These four tapirs (one of each species) show clearly differentiated traits. They're made by a Canadian biologist who loves animals so much that he got his PhD and works in a zoo. He knits each tapir for us by hand, and we've had these popular and lovable animals in stock for about 10 years or maybe longer.

Believe it or not, it's hard to find plastic tapirs! This nice example of a Malayan or Asian tapir is comparatively new to us.

Well, here we go. "T" is for Tapir! Audrey Jakab created this lowland tapir design and donated it to us in the year 2000. It's been one of our all-time favorite gift shop tapirs for nine years. We sell this design as a t-shirt and as a sweatshirt.

And this Baird's tapir t-shirt and sweatshirt have been with us even longer - since 1999! The lettering is not crooked. Years ago when we made our first scan, we didn't get it straight on the scanner. We promise, the type is straight on the shirt! It's funny how you get used to something. This scan has been with us for ten whole years and feels just like family :) Come along and join us, too! Wear tapirs - they're great for all occasions, and you can help let people know how important it is to preserve them in the wild. Your tapir shirt will make a great conversation piece!

T-Rex Dinosaur 3-D Plastic Puzzle

Our 3-D dinosaur puzzles are lots of fun to put together on a rainy night or a snowy afternoon. You can take these plastic animal puzzles apart and put them back together again as many times as you'd like! Come see our T-rex and his many dinosaur friends in our online gift shop. We ship around the world. We also have 3-D puzzles of many interesting animals that live on the planet today.

More 3D sea life animal puzzles

So far this 3-D clown crab plastic puzzle seems to be the favorite among the four new sealife and coral reef puzzles in Tapir and Friends online gift shop. But don't overlook his three equally fun friends!

. . . the octopus puzzle . . .

. . . the chambered nautilus puzzle . . .

. . . and this charming, lifelike sea turtle puzzle! A plastic nautilus is hard to find. We had one (non-puzzle, about the same size) but it was (sadly) discontinued by the manufacturer. We were overjoyed to find this puzzle nautilus soon after we had to retire the page for our other nautilus. Although this is a puzzle, it is hard to find the breaks once it's been assembled. The details and design make it an excellent replica for school projects or for a collector of sea animals or shells.

Each animal puzzle has roughly 20 three-dimensional pieces that have to be fitted precisely or the puzzle simply does not go together. These are fun for adults, buy you may need a very young friend to help with the finishing touches. Kids take to these animal puzzles like sea turtles to water. The pieces are flexible and have interlocking parts. We have many animal types for hours of fun. And once you're finished, you can either take it apart again or keep it around as an attractive animal replica! Have fun!

3D animal puzzles!

Hi, Everyone. This nice humpback whale puzzle has just sold out. We can't get any more, and we're sorry about that, it was a real favorite. The good news is that we still have a very limited number of dolphins and orcas from the same series. You can see and order them here.

We have approximately 40 3D puzzle animal types! They're fun for kids and for adults, although the kids are often more adept than us old folks at putting them together. One youngster who had every puzzle we sell also had a special talent. He mixed all of the pieces together from every animal and was able to put them back together at some astounding rate. I'm not sure I would try it! However, you can create your own game, as this young man did, or just enjoy the results of the finished puzzle!

If you're looking for something new, we have four new sea life 3D puzzles that are not even online yet. To order any of these, please call us at (503) 325-3179 (West Coast Time in the US). As of this post, the prices are:

Clown Crab: $8.00

Chambered Nautilus: $8.00

Green Sea Turtle: $8.00

Octopus saiamensis: $6.00

These fun puzzles are also known as 4D . . . three dimensions plus details. Once you've put them together, they make a nice addition to any toy or plastic animal collection! CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A BIGGER IMAGE.

Puzzles for Christmas!

3D Interlocking Plastic Animal Puzzles at

Tapir and Friends Animal Store

Our 3D interlocking plastic animal puzzles make great stocking stuffers or small, affordable gifts this year. We are still shipping in time for Christmas in the US and POSSIBLY overseas. We have several express options in our shopping cart! Check out our full selection!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Animal toys and models that start with "K"

Take a look at this delightful komodo dragon! He looks quite real and is made of very sturdy plastic. The komodo dragon is actually a very big monitor lizard. We have several views of this plastic replica in our online gift shop. Just click on the link above!

How about this king cobra 3-D plastic puzzle? It's one of a nice variety of plastic puzzles we carry online. We have reptiles, mammals, dinosaurs, and more. Come see all of our animal puzzles here! When you're finished putting them together, you use them as a display or take them apart and keep them in their plastic carrying case for another time.

"K" is for kangaroo! We have several in our store. The kangaroo jewelry shown above is a beautiful lifelike pin hand-made and hand-painted in the USA. It's very sturdy and durable, and we have many, many other jewelry animals and fish as well.

This is one of our plastic kangaroo replicas. We also have a delightful and realistic-looking kangaroo mom and baby in our store. See all of our kangaroo models and toys here!

Well, "K" is also for Koala. Here's a replica koala mom and baby (joey) you can find in our online store. Aren't they adorable? We have several other koalas, too.

3D Dinosaur and other Animal Puzzles

These wonderful lifelike 3-D puzzles depicting dinosaurs and other animals are running out quickly! At the beginning of the holiday season, we had eight types of donosaurs - now we only have three left! Come on over and see what they are. As of today, these three are still in stock and ready to ship for Christmas!

The dinosaur shown above is Dilophosaurus.

The beautiful details on this 3-D puzzle animal toy add another dimension, so you could say it is 4-D (3-D + details)! It is certainly one of the more detailed we have seen, making it an interesting replica as well as a fun toy for adults and children above the age of 3. This colorful dilophosaurus dinosaur is roughly 5 inches long and 3 inches wide. It's a new item and we still need to assemble one to measure it for you. It comes unassembled in a re-usable plastic case that looks like a fossil. The pieces are cleverly fitted, flexible, and not too difficult to assemble. When completed, this striking dinosaur stands nicely for display with your favorite collectible animal replicas and figurines. To see our entire inventory of puzzle animals, go to our 3-D Puzzle Animals page. Be sure to see our other dinosaur toys and gifts as well.

Dilophosaurus dinosaurs come from the Early Jurassic Period, and are named for the two crests on their heads. Dilophosaurus was not described until 1954.

Dilophosaurus Dinosaur 3-D Puzzle

Our 3-D interlocking plastic dinosaur puzzles continue to be popular, and for good reasons. They're fun, colorful, and they challenge your mind and hands. Have fun opening the plastic egg case and fitting the pieces together to create your own dinosaur! When he's put together, you can leave him on display, or put the pieces back for another time. Each 3-D puzzle comes with a schematic in case you get stuck, but we don't think you'll need it. We have a nice selection of dinosaur puzzles along with other interesting animals. Come check them out!

Dilophosaurus dinosaurs come from the Early Jurassic Period, and are named for the two crests on their heads. Dilophosaurus was not described until 1954.

In honor of "psychedelica" - get your own frogfish 3-D plastic puzzle!

Frogfish are strange sea animals whose legs have evolved to behave like feet. A new frogfish was discovered about a year ago, and the big news on February 26th of this year is that it was designated a new species. For reasons you'll see if you follow the link, they called the fish "psychedelica." You can read about the new frogfish and see the video here. If you want to buy the puzzle above, come see our frogfish 3-D puzzle at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World online gift shop! There are many different species of frogfish, and ours is one of the few that lives in shallow water. We have lots of 3-D plastic puzzles, and a number of them are species that live in the ocean.

Grizzly Bear 3D Puzzle

Check out the DETAIL on these 3D puzzles!

Our Grizzly 3D Puzzle

The details on this 3-D puzzle animal toy add another dimension, so you could say it is 4-D (3-D + details)! It is certainly one of the more detailed we have seen, making it an interesting replica as well as a fun toy for adults and children above the age of 3. This delightful animal model comes assembled. The pieces are cleverly fitted, flexible, and not too difficult to assemble. When complete, this highly-detailed animal stands nicely on its own for display on your shelf, TV, computer monitor, etc. Check out our other 3-D Puzzle Animals, as well as our other elephant toys.

About Grizzly Bears

Grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horriblis, which translated means horrible Northern bear) are actually one of two subspecies of Brown bear (Ursus arctos); the other is the Kodiak (Ursus arctos middendorffi). Grizzlies get their name from the "grizzled" appearance of their coat that is created by the white tips of the long guard hairs on their back and shoulders. Their coat color can vary from light cream to black, but is generally darkish brown. Highly intelligent creatures, grizzlies find food by employing complex problem solving skills. Although mature grizzlies are very large - females are 200 to 450 pounds, males are 300 to 850 pounds - at birth the cubs are about the size of a rat, weighing only about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. Factors leading to their endangered status include: destruction of habitat, accidental killing by hunters who mistake them for black bears, illegal killing (poaching), etc.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.