Stuffed Steller sea lion

Our Stuffed Steller Sea Lion

Our stuffed sea lion is a soft, gentle snuggly animal, looking for a new home. It is 12 inches from chest to tail and is dark brown and gray in color. Made by Fiesta, our sea lion has nicely stitched flippers that suggest five toes, a cute, soft plush nose, fabric ears, and a well-defined small tail. We believe our sea lion has been designed to imitate the Steller sea lion because it has a large beautiful mane, a chief characteristic of the male Steller sea lion. He makes a fine addition to a stuffed animal collection. Please check out our other sea lion toys and gifts.

About Steller Sea Lions

The Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubata) is the largest sea lion and, of fin-footed animals called pinnipeds, is second only in size to the walrus. Stellers grow to about 2000 pounds and up to 10 feet in length. The Steller's sea lion, also called the northern sea lion, is found in the Gulf of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and along the northern California coast. It is a social animal and lives and breeds in rocky areas known as rookeries. The sea lion feeds near shore on squid, fish, such as mackerel, herring and salmon, and occasionally, on other small marine mammals. For generations, native people have hunted the sea lion for its skin to make clothing, as covering for boats, and to eat its meat. After its population began to decline in the 1990's, Steller's sea lion was listed as endangered in the Endangered Species Act. It has made a great recovery and is now, in some areas, a menace to other endangered species, such as the chinook or coho salmon. We have the opportunity to watch these magnicent animals on a daily basis, and invite you to come to the Oregon Coast to see for yourselves.

Cool plastic vulture

We actually have more than one plastic vulture available in our online store, but today we'll talk about our newest vulture, pictured above.

Our Plastic Vulture

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic vulture miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic. This replica has detailed feathers and is painted brown, gray and black. This vulture replica has a 6 1/4 inch wingspan, is 3 1/2 inches long and 2 inches tall.. It stands firmly on well defined talons. This vulture replica makes for a nice pet, fits into a diorama, or serves as a great collectible. Check out our other vulture and other raptor toys and gifts.

About Vultures

Vultures are scavengers and feed mostly on the carcasses of dead animals. Vultures are found on every continent except Antarctica and Oceania and are divided into Old World vultures which locate prey by sight, and New World vultures, which locate food through smell and sight. Vultures are to easy to recognize by their bald head which is devoid of feathers. Baldness helps keep the bird cool, since most live in intensely hot climates. Vultures rarely attack living animals, but feast on the dead or dying. Vultures do not bring food in their talons to their young, rather they regurgitate food from their crop. A group of vultures is occasionally called a venue, and when circling in the air, a group of vultures is called a kettle.

West African dwarf crocodile replica

Our Plastic West African Dwarf Crocodile

Our realistic-looking plastic west african dwarf crocodile is made of solid plastic, and measures 3 5/8 inches long. This plastic miniature crocodile can be used as an educational toy, in a shoebox diorama or other school project, or as a collector's item. Be sure to see our other crocodile toys and gifts.

About West African Dwarf Crocodiles

The west african dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) is one of three species of African crocodiles. It is the smallest crocodile in the world, growing to no more than 5 feet in length. It is black in color with patches of yellow on its underside, and has a short blunt snout similar to a caiman's. It is a slow, reclusive animal and hunts at night in water or on the bank. During the day it rests in burrows that may have a submerged entrance. Little is known about the population of this unusual reptile. It has been presumed by conservationists that its number is still plentiful. It has not been hunted with the same zeal as other larger African crocodiles, although leather products can be found in local villages made from its skin.

Creepy, scary, fun facts about spiders!

This challenging 3-D tarantula puzzle can be found at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World online.

Spiders, like any other animal, fit into their own niche in the scheme of the planet. If they were somehow to disappear, we'd be overrun with insects. (And of course, we couldn't enjoy their beautiful webs!) I'm just glad that humans are not their prey. Sue found the following quote while reading Lisa Gardner's new book, Say Goodbye. Since it's a thriller, the information is calculated to be creepy. Here goes:

". . . spiders kill at an astonishing pace. One Dutch researcher estimates that there are some five trillion spiders in the Netherlands alone, each of which consumes about a tenth of a gram of meat a day. Were their victims people instead of insects, they would need only three days to eat all sixteen and a half million Dutchmen."

~ From "Spider Woman," by Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, March 5, 2007.

The spider shown above is plastic, and will not behave like a real spider, although it looks a lot like one. We also have a very soft cuddly stuffed spider! See our toy and replica spiders here!

Stuffed ferret (plush black-footed ferret)

These two cute ferret stuffed animal toys are in stock and ready to ship! Arent' they adorable? Come visit Tapir and Friends Wildlife World online to check out our stuffed ferrets and many other realistic animal toys and gifts!

About our Stuffed Ferret Toy

Our exceptionally soft, cuddly stuffed ferret toy animals by Fiesta measure 13 inches from nose to rump. Both ferrets have the characteristic "mask." The black-footed ferret has silver fur and dark feet. The sable ferret has brown fur, a pale face and dark feet. The eyes, nose, ears, legs and tail are securely attached making these charming stuffed animals suitable toys for all ages. To find our other stuffed toy animals from Fiesta, or see our entire inventory of stuffed animals, stuffed beanies and plush hand puppets, check out our Stuffed Animals Page and Stuffed Beanies and Plush Puppets Page.

About Ferrets

The ferret is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal similar to weasels and are closely related to the polecat. They are energetic creatures that love to pack and hide items play hide and seek and chasing games. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur, have an average length of approximately 20 inches, including a 5 inch tail, weigh about 1.5–4 pounds, and have a lifespan of 7 to 10 years. They were originally used by the Romans for rabbit hunting and get their name meaning "little thief" from them. Ferrets are crepuscular and sleep often during the day and night in 6 hours intervals. When awake they have abundant energy and are noted for a type of sidewards hopping known as a ferret "war dance." This is often accompanied by a playful, clucking noise which is an invitation to play. Ferret kits are noted for nipping, but generally well-trained ferrets are safe pets, and are also somewhat easily housebroken.

New plastic red-eyed tree frog ready for you!

Our Plastic Red-Eyed Tree Frog

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic red-eyed tree frog miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic. This replica has detailed skin and is painted green, yellow and white, with red and black eyes. This red-eyed tree frog replica makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great collectible. Check out our other frog and toad toys and gifts.

About Red-Eyed Tree Frogs

Red-Eyed Tree Frogs are found in lowland tropical rainforests of Southern Mexico, Central and South America. This nocturnal little frog, although not endangered, is associated with the disappearing tropical rainforest. One theory regarding its bright, large, red eyes is that they startle or frighten approaching predators such as snakes or birds. This is called startle coloration. A moment of hesitation by a predator gives the red-eyed tree frog an extra moment to escape. Although the red-eyed tree frog looks dangerous with its neon green body and blue and yellow flanks, it is not venomous. It lies in wait in the rainforest canopy for unsuspecting prey to come near its long viscous tongue.

Plastic ladybug, anyone?

Spring is here, and people are thinking about . . . INSECTS (among other things, such as gardening and love). I took a photo of a ladybug on some plants near the harbor the other day, and I have to admit, I was so deeply into the conversation at hand that I wasn't thinking that it was the first ladybug I'd noticed this year! Most of us like ladybugs for one reason or another. Whatever your affiliation is with ladybugs, you might be interested in purchasing a plastic ladybug as part of a school project, table decor at an event, to add pizazz to a wrapped package, as an educational toy, or as part of your insect or animal collection.

This engaging, realistic, plastic ladybug is made of hard durable plastic, though it is somewhat flexible. It is 1 1/2 inches long and 1 1/8 inches wide. It makes a good replica in a shoe box diorama or for any school project. It is also an excellent party favor. Check out our other ladybug toys and gifts. We have some attractive ladybug earrings, too!

The ladybug is general term of a family of beetles, Coccinellidae, with over 5000 species. In some parts of the world they are called ladybirds or lady beetles or even ladybird beetles. They are small, about 3/8 inch and are generally orange,scarlet or yellow with black spots on their wing covers. This bright coloration acts as a defense mechanism against predators, who associate it with toxicity or acrid odor. In fact, the ladybug secretes an oily yellowish substance from its leg joints when roughly handled. The ladybug is a useful insect since it eats garden pests such as aphids, mites, and mealybugs. It is fun to find them and watch them crawl about, but sometimes they can be a household pest as well. I have seen them hatch by the hundreds.

This plastic iguana has a lot of character (and a lot of wrinkles) for such a small animal

Our Plastic Iguana

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic iguana miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic. This replica has detailed skin and is painted green and black. It may be a green iguana indigenous to Central and South America. This iguana makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great collectible. Check out our other iguana toys and gifts.

About Iguanas

Green Iguanas can grow to 7 feet in length, most which is from their excessively long tail. Males also have a large flap called a dewalp which make them appear even larger. If an iguana is grabbed by the tail from a predator, it will snap off and grow back without harm to the iguana. Green iguanas have amazingly adaptable fingers and claws designed for climbing. Iguanas also hear superbly. Iguanas are diurnal and can be seen basking in the top branches of trees. They can fall 40-50 feet without getting hurt. Their skin is tough and water resistant. Green iguanas are ominivorous and live often in groups. They hatch many eggs in burrows which they abandon. Little iguanas are born and grow without any parental assistance. Iguanas are threatened by hunters who prize their meat.

Recycling for Earth Day at the Tapir Preservation Fund

Here at the Tapir and Friends Gift Shop (aka The Animal Store) we got an Earth Day surprise a day early. Brian had been collecting packing material, and rather than put it in the landfill, he asked at the Post Office if they knew anyone who would want it. "The tapir people do a lot of shipping," they told Brian. He came on over and asked if we wanted a van full of packing material. And a van-full it was, too. It's not only the peanuts in the bags on the left, but all five boxes at the end of the hall are filled with styrofoam peanuts (popcorn), bubble wrap, and other goodies we can easily recycle. We go through lots of packing material since our main clientele is on the Internet and we ship lots of packages every day. We like to recycle! We shred paper, we cull packing material from incoming boxes, and now we will be helping Brian keep his business free of unwanted bags and boxes of packing stuff. It was a happy day for both of us. And . . . we got to meet Brian, a very nice guy, an eBay seller, and a music teacher. It was a busy afternoon in our shop, and if I'd had the presence of mind, I'd have asked Brian where his eBay pages were so I could link to them. I'll try to do that next time, because I think we'll be seeing Brian again soon! Brian felt terrific that he found someone who was ecstatic to have his extra packing stuff, and as a small token of our thanks, we gave Brian a Beanie Baby goose. He likes to illustrate songs with stuffed animals when he plays piano along with the kids. If you follow this link, then scroll down to the second photo, you can see Brian, second from the right in the top row.

Plastic turtle new in our gift shop

This is the first real (plastic) fresh-water turtle we've had in stock, and it's brand new to us this week! We have a large number of sea turtle toys and gifts in our shop (mostly plastic, but a few other kinds, too), and we've had a plastic box turtle for some time.

Our Plastic Toy Freshwater Turtle

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic freshwater turtle miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic. This replica has a detailed shell and is painted drab green-gray. It may be a kind of pond turtle, but indigenous to China. This freshwater turtle makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. Check out our other turtle toys and gifts.

About Freswhwater Turtles

There are about 46 species of freshwater turtles in North America. There is terrific diversity in size, diet, habitat and clutch size among freshwater turtles. All are threaten by loss of habitat, capture for meat, and by predators such as cars and raccoons. A freshwater turtle's shell is commonly called a carapace which is divided into scutes, while the bony belly plate is the plastron. Some freshwater turtles, such as the Western pond turtle, are good to keep in ornamental ponds while others, such as the snapping turtle, are a liability. Some turtles bask for long periods on floating debris while others, like the mud turtle, remain underwater for long periods of time. Freshwater turtles come in various colors of green, brown and dark yellow and each species has a different pattern on its back. The most common freshwater turtle is the painted turtle and is the ideal turtle for a turtle pond.

Walter the Friendly (Stuffed) Crocodile says, "We aim to please!"

Wow, did this photo make our day! This is Walter the Friendly Stuffed Crocodile (green, on the left) along with his new friend, B., (the red-haired birthday boy in blue). Both seem to be quite ecstatic with their new friendship, which we expect will be a long and enduring one. We want to thank Dad (D.) for the wonderful photo! He wrote:

(B.) loves the crocodile. Thank you so much! Here’s a cheesy grin for ya…

What a great smile! It made Sue and me smile, too! We love seeing our animals in their new homes . . . and we love seeing all the happy faces! If you have a photo of our animals and your family that you'd like to share with us, please send it by e-mail. We also like to see our plastic animals used in their new settings - your school project diorama, your kids' play room, or on your collectible shelf. And now that we're into blogging, we promise to get your photos online much faster than in the past!

Oops! It looks like Walter found a good spot to relax. We only wonder if that comfy chair is something like a bed is to a Labrador. We hope Walter will behave and let the humans use the chair part of the time!

Cute plastic orange and white toy or collectible cat!

Our Plastic Toy House Cat

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic plastic house cat miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic. This replica has detailed fur and is painted orange and white. It may be a long-haired cat but it is hard to tell the breed. This house cat makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great cat collectible. Check out our other cat toys and gifts.

About House Cats

Cats, both pedigreed and domestic, come in a rainbow of colors and patterns. These are all a matter of genetics, so a calico mother might give birth in one litter to a calico, tabby, and solid or bi-colored kittens, depending on her genetic background and the background of the male cat that fathered the litter. Cats come in three basic colors: red (commonly called "orange," or sometimes affectionately referred to as "ginger," or "marmelade"), black, and white. Common patterns include tabbies, solids, tri-colored such as calicos, tortoise shells, tuxedos and bi-colored. House cats are also broken down into three categorie DSH - Domestic Shorthair, DLH - Domestic Longhair and DMH - Domestic Medium length hair. Studies have shown that cat owners show as much love or more for the common domestic cat as owners of pedigree cats show to their animals.

New plastic rabbit in our gift shop

Our Plastic Lop Eared Rabbit or Long Eared Rabbit

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic lop eared rabbit miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic with good quality. This replica has detailed fur and an attractive realistic pose and sharp eyes. This lop-eared rabbit replica makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. It is 1 1/2 inches long and is reddish-brown in color. Check out our other rabbit toys and gifts.

About Lop-Eared Rabbits or Long-Eared Rabbits

The lop-eared rabbit or long-eared rabbit is the oldest breed of domesticated rabbit. These rabbits originated in England, were then raised in Europe - especially in Holland, and later became popular in America in the 1970's. There are eight different breeds. They were at first bred for meat but later became exclusively a show rabbit. These long-earred rabbits can be kept at home and be trained to use a litter box, but they like chewing on things, so care must be taken not to give them access to electrical cords. Unfortunately, lop-eared rabbits have lost their ability to move their ears independently. They are unable to use hearing as a way to detect potential threats, unlike their erect-eared cousins. This does not mean that lop-eared rabbits do not hear as well. It just means that lop-eared rabbits cannot rotate their ears to capture as many sounds. In a domestic situation, this rarely causes any problems for the lop-eared bunny. The ears are also used to release body heat to keep the bunny cool.

Adorable plastic Welsh corgi available now!

This Welsh corgi plastic toy, replica, or figurine is now available in our online animal store!

Our Plastic Welsh Corgi

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic Welsh corgi miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic with good quality. This replica has detailed fur and an attractive realistic pose and sharp eyes and looks like the Pembroke Welsh corgi. This Welsh corgi replica makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. It is 2 inches long and reddish brown and off-yellow in color. Check out our other domestic dog toys and gifts.

About Welsh Corgis

The Welsh corgi is made up of two breeds, the Pembroke Welsh corgi and the Cardigan Welsh corgi. The Pembroke is smaller than the Cardigan corgi and has pointed ears and a short or bobbed tail. The word "corgi" comes from Welsh and means dwarfed dog. This breed has been popularized by Queeen Elizabeth who has four corgis. The corgi comes with a variety of coats varying from red-brown, rust to dark brown. They can be affectionate dogs and are great pets.

Come see our plastic white rat! Useful for many things . . .

Our Plastic White Rat

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic white rat miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic with good quality. This replica has detailed fur and an attractive realistic pose and sharp eyes. This white rat makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. It is 1 3/4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches tall. Check out our other white rat toys and gifts.

About White Rats

The white rat is actually an albino rat which is commonly known as a PEW, or a pink-eyed white. These rats originated in England as a mutation at the beginning of the nineteenth century, and were bred primarily for show. A quality white rat has perfectly pink eyes and totally white fur without any yellowish tinge. These domestically-raised rats are as clean and safe as any other domesticated pet. They don't carry any more disease than any other domesticated pet, and they can be tamed to be friendly. There is a rat-fanciers' organization called AFRMA which sets the standards for what constitutes a quality white rat and, sets breeding standards. White rats are related to brown rats and common sewer rats. Actually most rat species are not city-dwellers, but live in the wild and are healthier there since food is more plentiful.

Are you looking for a PLASTIC HAMSTER?

Our Plastic Hamster

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic plastic hamster miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic with good quality. This replica has detailed fur, an attractive realistic pose, and black eyes and pink paws. It stands securely. This hamster replica makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. It is1 1/2 inches tall. Check out our other hamster, lemming and guinea pig toys and gifts.

About Hamsters

The hamster are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The name hamster comes from a mixture of Old High German and Baltic, but its original meaning is unclear. They are crepuscular, in that they are most active at twilight. They burrow during the day to avoid being captured by predators. Hamsters are omnivores, in that they forage for seeds, fruit, nuts, and grasses but eat occasionally small worms and insects. Hamsters are stout-bodied, with tails much shorter than body length, and have small furry ears, short stocky legs, and wide feet. Their thick, silky fur, which can be long or short, can be black, grey, white, brown, buff, yellow, "sapphire" or red depending on the species. The best-known species of hamster is the Syrian or Golden Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus), which is the type of hamster most commonly kept as a pet. It is also sometimes called a "fancy" hamster. Hamsters make great pets. There are many different kinds of cages suitable for hamsters including those with clear plastic tunnels so the hamster can be observed moving from surface to below surface. They are excellent diggers. Some are solitary, while others live in colonies. Unfortunately those in captivity have a short life span of only two to three years.

Plastic ferret new in our store!

New today in our online store - a plastic ferret wearing a kerchief!

Our Plastic Toy Ferret

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic ferret miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic. This replica has detailed fur and is painted brown and wearing a red kerchief. If I were this ferret, I might chew it off! This ferret makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. Check out our other ferret toys and gifts.

About Ferrets

The ferret is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal similar to weasels and are closely related to the polecat. They are energetic creatures that love to pack and hide items play hide and seek and chasing games. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur, have an average length of approximately 20 inches, including a 5 inch tail, weigh about 1.5–4 pounds, and have a lifespan of 7 to 10 years. They were originally used by the Romans for rabbit hunting and get their name meaning "little thief" from them. Ferrets are crepuscular and sleep often during the day and night in 6 hours intervals. When awake they have abundant energy and are noted for a type of sidewards hopping known as a ferret "war dance." This is often accompanied by a playful, clucking noise which is an invitation to play. Ferret kits are noted for nipping, but generally well-trained ferrets are safe pets, and are also somewhat easily housebroken.

New plastic fantail goldfish!

Our Plastic Fantail Goldfish

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic fantail goldfish miniature is made of somewhat flexible plastic with a bendable fantail. This replica has detailed scales and is painted bright orange. This goldfish makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. Our plastic fantail is for decoration or play only. It does not float, and should NOT be put in your aquarium. Best of all, there is no mess, no feeding, and no tank cleaning. Check out our other goldfish toys and gifts.

About Fantail Goldfish

The fantail goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) is a small goldfish that has bred primarily for show. It distinguishes itself from the common goldfish by its split or double caudal (tail) fin. It is a hardy fish and can tolerate water several degrees above freezing. Since they are omnivorous, the fantail goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods.They love to feed on feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, Daphnia, or tubifex worms as a treat. It is usually better to feed freeze-dried foods as opposed to live foods to avoid parasites and bacterial infections that could be present in live foods.

OVERSTOCK SALE on our Hansa green stuffed parrot with blue wings!

The four stuffed parrots look quite real, but they're actually stuffed animals made by Hansa. We sell all four in our online store. As of today, though, we are sold out of the one with the red body and green wings (until June), but we have an OVERSTOCK on the parrot with the green body and blue wings. We've dropped the price from $16.00 to only $12.00 until our overstock is sold out and our parrot population is back in balance. This is a terrific savings! Shipping in the US for this parrot is $6.00, so you can purchase a beautiful hand-made gift by Hansa with shipping in the US for under $20.00!

We think these plush stuffed parrot toys are exceptional. They are so lifelike and compelling, you almost won't believe they're stuffed toys and not the real thing. Although they're made of synthetic materials, they look real. Each brightly colored parrot measures 6 inches tall from head to feet, the tail feathers add another 8 1/4 inches. They are available in four brilliant color combinations: red wings and yellow body, blue wings and green body, yellow wings and blue body, green wings and red body. The designer of this unique line of stuffed animals takes pride in the European heritage of his realistic animal design. Each piece is hand-cut and stitched.

These are not your ordinary stuffed birds. Our parrots have the charm and quality you'll want to keep for a lifetime. They are the kind of toys your child will remember for years to come. They're the kind of "pet" a young child will want to name and create his or her own stories about.

The literature says, "The magical kingdom of Hansa plush was originally created for the most exclusive European clientele. Europeans have treasured these lifelike heirloom creatures for over twenty years. . . . Each Hansa piece is a handcrafted masterpiece, lovingly designed from portraits of real animals. The 'skin' for each of these marvelous beasts is hand-cut and trimmed, never stamped out by machine. The fabric for spotted and striped animals is custom designed and specially manufactured in small lots to Hansa's exacting specifications."

Plastic toy hedgehog

Our Plastic Hedgehog

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic hedgehog miniature is made of hard plastic. This replica has detailed fur and is painted brown and gray. This hedgehog makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. Check out our other hedgehog toys and gifts.

About Hedgehogs

The hedgehog is a small spiny nocturnal mammal which feeds primarily on insects. It gets its name because it is found frequently among hedgerows and has a small pig-like snout. The hedgehog has quills like a porcupine, except that they neither sting nor come free from the hedgehog's body. The hedgehog has few predators. Occasionally the hedghog is annoyed by larger mammals such as foxes, but in response it rolls up into a little ball to protect its soft belly. The hedgehog controls insect populations, but is vulnerable to agricultural and household pesticides. It lives for about seven years and produces litters of 3 to 4 young at least twice a year. Like many nocturnal creatures, the hedgehog is often run over by cars during the night.

Small parakeet (budgie) figurine new in our store

Our Plastic Parakeet Figurine

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic parakeet is made of hard plastic, but has a flexible tail. It has detailed feathers and is painted green and yellow with light brown feet and highlights. This parakeet makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great a collectible. Check out this and our other parakeet toys and gifts.

About Parakeets

The word "parakeet" is a general term referring to any number of small to medium-sized seed-eating birds of the parrot species. The parakeet is a found throughout the world with many species living in tropical South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Other than in the United States, the parakeet, which means long-tailed, is known as a budgie or budgerigar. They make amazing pets and, although mistkenly called lovebirds, they seemingly show affection and the ability to mimic the language of humans. After overcoming initial fear, parakeets chirp when their owner is nearby and will cuddle, show contentment, and strut their proud feathers.

At the end of the alphabet, we have ZEBRAS!

Zebras, zebras, and more zebras are what we have in our store starting with the letter "Z." The zebras shown above and below are toy plastic zebras. They are cute and sturdy and make great playthings, cake decorations, or additions to your African plains diorama.

Just for a variation on the theme, we have a zebra shark (below). Yes, it really is called a zebra shark, even though it has spots instead of stripes!

The striped plastic shark above is called a zebra bullhead shark.

Returning to the zebras of the horse family, pictured above is our handsome zebra 3-D plastic puzzle. It comes in pieces, and after you assemble it, you can decide whether to leave it standing up as a decoration or animal collector's item, or whether to take it apart again and keep it in the plastic container it comes in. You can assemble and disassemble this plastic zebra as often as you want. the pieces interlock, so it will stay in one piece if you don't knock it around too much. If so, you just put the pieces back on!

This toy zebra doesn't come apart, but the pieces do move. The head, tail, and legs are all adjustable, so what we have here is a zebra action figure.

This zebra Peeper Keeper eyeglass holder is striking! Do you ever wonder where you put your glasses, or where your child put hers? This attractive zebra eyeglass holder will solve that problem and will look beautiful in an African-themed bedroom or hall.

Here's our zebra Peeper Keeper wearing a pair of snappy glasses. They don't come with the zebra, you'll have to supply your own peepers!

Last but not least, this running zebra pin is made of hand-cast pewter and painted by hand in the USA. It's durable and very pretty, and we know that you or your zebra-loving friend or relative will appreciate having it!

We have animals that start with "Y"!

This is our yellow Labrador (or yellow Lab) hand-painted pewter pin. Thanks to the color yellow, we actually have a number of animals that start with "Y." They're all hand-painted pins, and you can find every one of them pictured in our online web album. We even have a fish pin that actually DOES start with "Y." It's a yamame, but we haven't scanned it yet, so if you'd like to see our yellow-finned (yes!) yamame, give us a call at (888) 325-3179 or send e-mail.

Above is the (double) yellow-headed Amazon parrot. We have several color variations, so be sure to look in our album, linked above.

This looks like a yellow-crested cockatoo.

This poison frog's name probably doesn't start with Y, but we're stretching here to come up with a blogful of yellow animals, and the frog pin is absolutely gorgeous!

This greyhound is quite yellow.

And what is a collection of yellow animals without including a flock of cute baby chickens?

Our koi carp could be called "gold," but the paint on it is very yellow, so today it's a yellow koi carp. Look how beautiful it is! Each scale stands out in physical and visual relief.

This sunny collection of animals has been brought to you by Tapir and Friends Wildlife World Online Store!

What animal do we have that starts with "X"? How about a Horseshoe Crab? (The scientific name, of course!)

I was stumped! I couldn't think of any animal we have in the store that starts with "X," so I looked it up online. It seems that if you include the scientific names, there are a lot! Here's a list of the ones given on the WikiAnswers site. As it turns out, there is a horseshoe crab is of the genus Xiphosuran. I found some pictures of them here, and it's really interesting to see how they walk under water! The horseshoe crab pictured above is from our wonderful and extensive collection of realistic animal jewelry. You can find our horseshoe crab pin on this page. They are hand made in the US, which includes hand painting. They're first cast in pewter, painted, and covered with layers of lacquer, making the finish extremely durable, shiny, and very, very beautiful. You can see part of our line of animal pins in our web album. We still have more to scan, so if you don't see the animal jewelry you want, please call us at (888) 325-3179. The number is toll free, and we're on West Coast time in the US.

Buy Plastic Model Sea Cucumber, Learn about Real-Life Sea Cucumbers

Our Plastic Sea Cucumber

Our sea cucumber is made of hard plastic and measures 2 1/4 inches from nose to tail. This plastic sea-floor creature is great for school projects, toys, novelties, animal collections, party favors and more. Our plastic sea cucumber is for decoration or play only. It does not float, and should NOT be put in your aquarium. However, you can make a superb 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. Best of all, there is no mess, no feeding, and no tank cleaning :) Be sure to look over our other miscellaneous aquatic toys and gifts.

About Sea Cucumbers

Sea cucumbers are from the phylum echinodermata—like starfish and sea urchins, but are classed as Holothuroidea. These animals are scavengers who primarily live in the benthic zone, namely on or along the bottom in deep or shallow water and feed on plankton and decaying matter. There are some 1,250 known species, and many of these animals are shaped like soft-bodied cucumbers.

Sea cucumbers feed on tiny particles flowing by, or by digging in the sediment by using 8 to 30 tube feet that look like tentacles surrounding their mouths. The animals break down these particles into even smaller pieces, which become fodder for bacteria, and thus recycle them back into the ocean ecosystem.

They have an amazing ability to squeeze through the narrowest crevices for safety by liquifying the structure of their body and then reattaching the fibers to make themselves firm again. In addition some sea cucumbers extract sticky tubules out of their anus that are toxic to enemies. These body parts are then quickly regenerated.

Sea cucumbers, particularly eggs and young larvae, are prey for fish and other marine animals. They are also enjoyed by humans, especially in Asia. Some varieties of sea cucumber known as gamat in Malaysia or trepang in Indonesia are reported to have excellent healing properties. Extracts are made into oil, cream or cosmetics. The effectiveness of sea cucumber extract has been the touted since it contains many of the important fatty acids necessary to play an active role in tissue repair.

Today we're finding animals that start with "W"

"W" is certainly for WARTHOG! We have a very unusual item in our store - it's warthog jewelry! This special jewelry is made by hand by artist Corinna Bechko. It comes as a pin, a pendant, or a pair of warthog earrings! You can choose from a variety of colors, and if you get the warthog earrings or pendant, you can also choose a bead color to contrast or match. Corinna has a collection of really beautiful and tasteful beads. It's always fun to see what she comes up with!

We also have this nice, tusky PLASTIC WARTHOG. You'll find him in our pig section on the hoofed animals page.

We at least one "W" in our dog section, too. Above is a cute Welsh Corgi pin, hand-cast in pewter and hand-painted by some very talented artists in the US.

This animal is not a dog, but a wolf. The portrait pin is made just like the Welsh Corgi above. You can see and order our beautiful wolf portrait jewelry via our web album link.

A wrasse is a colorful tropical saltwater fish. In the ocean, they come in many bright shapes and various sizes. We were lucky enough to find one type of plastic wrasse, and you can order it here in our gift shop! Just scroll down through our plastic fish to find the pink and yellow wrasse.

"W" is also for Wild Boar. We have two in our online store. One is pictured above, and one below. Take a look see which one you like best!


This is quite unusual. We even have wild boar jewelry among the painted animal pins in our store! Isn't that cool? It's made by hand and hand-painted in the USA.

And last but not least, this is not an animal, but we carry some exquisite baskets made in Colombia. They are made by the Werregue people and are referred to as Werregue baskets or jars. These tightly-woven hand-made art objects actually hold water! Some of them do have animal designs on them, and others are strictly geometric patterns woven into the special palm fibers used for making these striking collector's items. They are still used by the indigenous people who make them in Colombia, but they are a favorite of collectors of ethinic art!

"V" is for Velociraptor and "V" is for Vulture

One of our animals that starts with "V" is this plastic model Velociraptor. Come see this realistic toy dinosaur and all of our other dinosaurs at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World Animal Store!

"V" is also for vulture. I've just finished a post on vultures, so I won't write a new one just yet. You can see the latest vulture blog post here!

Animals that start with "U" - How about UNICORN?

Unicorns are fanciful animals with a long history. We have a beautiful unicorn hand-painted pin. Come see our hand-made animal jewelry! There's lots of it in our web album, and more to come. If you don't see it, give us a call. We may have it in stock! Call toll-free (888) 325-3179.