Plastic monkeys - new species, weird colors

We're putting a new series of plastic primates online - they're not all monkeys, some are lemurs, tarsiers, etc. They come in somewhat fanciful colors, but the species are recognizable, and this gives us a greater variety to offer our customers for the collector, for school projects, or for whatever you need! Also, this series comes attached to branches which stand up, so they are especially nice for school diorama projects.

Our plastic proboscis monkey

This engaging-looking plastic proboscis monkey replica is made of solid plastic and stands on a branch. It is 2 inches tall from the ground to the top of the branch. The color is somewhat imaginative, but has distinctive highlights. Our proboscis or long-nosed monkey miniature has a concerned expression but promises not to bite. This proboscis monkey replica makes an interesting pet or gift and fits nicely into a shoebox diorama for a school project. Check out our other monkey toys and gifts.

About proboscis monkeys

Proboscis monkeys or long-nosed monkeys are an endangered Old World monkey. It is found in Borneo in south-east Asia. It gets its name from its unusually long nose which can protrude up to 7 inches. They use their long nose to attract females which also have long noses, but not quite as long. It allso fills its nose up with blood and uses it to make a resonating sound to warn of predators. It is arboreal but also amphibious. It is a deft swimmer. It lives in mangrove swamps where it eats leaves and berries. As a troupe, the proboscis monkey walks in single file through the forest.

I especially want to thank Lee for his identification, research, and help getting these animals onto our web site!

Chinchilla stuffed animal toy back in stock

Another back-in-stock item today is our very popular stuffed chinchilla. It almost looks real, and it may look like it's made of real fur, but it's not! Hansa has gone out of its way to create lovable, lifelike synthetic animals that you and your young friends can enjoy for a lifetime. They have all been tested to meet the most stringent new import laws. You can enjoy these stuffed animals while feeling completely safe about the materials used to make them.

Our stuffed chinchilla

This engaging, realistic-looking stuffed chinchilla is soft and cuddly. The chinchilla replica is sewn with soft plush mottled synthetic fur and is sturdy enough to stand on its feet and rump. It reflects the total quality of stuffed animal toys made by Hansa. The head is accentuated with large realistic looking eyes, a light muzzle with fine whiskers and large fur-lined pink ears. This plush chinchilla is about 11 inches long, including its beautifuly curled, gray tail. Our stuffed chinchilla has a kindly expression and promises not to bite. This chinchilla makes a wonderful gift for chinchilla pet lovers and nicely complements any stuffed animal collection. Check out our other chinchilla toys and gifts.

About chinchillas

Our Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) is the common long-tailed chinchilla. It is the size of a small rabbit, crepuscular, and is found in the Andes of South America. Its name, chinchilla, comes from the name of a tribe of Andean people, the Chincha, who adorned themselves with furs from this rodent. In their native habitat, chinchillas live in burrows or crevices in rocks. They are agile jumpers and can leap up to five feet. Predators in the wild include hawks, skunks, felines, and canines. Chinchillas have a variety of defense tactics including spraying urine and releasing fur if bitten. In the wild, chinchillas have been observed eating plants, fruits, seeds, and small insects. Chinchillas were brought to the United States in the 1920s and were domesticated and sold in pet stores. There are several chinchilla owner pet clubs and lots of information on how to care for a domesticated pet chinchilla. The native Chilean chinchillas have been hunted for human apparel since the early 1900s. Around 1900, an estimated 500,000 chinchilla skins were exported annually from Chile. Chinchilla pelt is considered by some to be the most valuable pelt in the world, and coats have sold as much as $100,000. This scale of hunting seriously depleted the number of wild chinchillas, and the international trade in wild chinchillas or their skins is now restricted by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Beautiful Hansa stuffed anteater back in stock!

Our lovely, lifelike Hansa stuffed anteater is back in stock at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World! Order online for shipping the next business day.

With its soft plastic nose and no-scratch felt claws (turned under and in like a real anteater, we think this stuffed giant anteater looks inquisitive enough to be searching for a hill of termites (its favorite food). Or maybe it just wants to play. It is so lifelike and compelling with its shiny plastic eyes, natural markings and coloration, you almost won't believe it's a stuffed toy and not the real thing. Note the pleasing flow of the long fur. The fur of the dark brown body and tail are tipped with black to add authenticity to this anteater's look. Although, the fur is not real, but is made of synthetic material, the color and design help bring your stuffed friend to life. The designer of this remarkable line of stuffed animals takes pride in the European heritage of his realistic animal design. Each piece is hand-cut and stitched.

Stuffed raccoon back in stock!

This stuffed raccon is one of our favorites - and yours, too! It's back in stock today, and it can be ordered for shipping on the next business day!

Our popular stuffed krill is back in stock!

Quite a few of our favorite items are back in stock after being sold out during the early part of summer. The stuffed krill you see above is one of those. I'm still working on the web pages to remove the out of stock notices, so go ahead and order this krill! I'll post a list with more of the "back in stocks" before long.

Until further notice, we are giving free gifts with your order of $50.00 or more! We will choose a gift we think you'll like based on the amount and the items in your order.

Join our Facebook Page and learn about FREE GIFTS!

Our Facebook page IS our e-mail list. Become a fan,

and find out about FREE GIFTS!

Oddly enough, we've never actually had a logo for Tapir and Friends Wildife World Gift Shop. Strange? It didn't feel like we needed one. We use lots of fun photos on our web site, and they attract tons of visitors; and we have loads of nice tapir pictures in the Tapir Gallery. We have a logo for the Tapir Preservation Fund, although we don't use it much any more, but it kind of slipped my mind to get a logo especially for the gift shop. Now that I've made a page on Facebook just for the gift shop, I'm starting to think about logos. It may take awhile to come up with just the right thing, and meanwhile I've used this drawing of Stanley K. Tapir from one of our t-shirts.

Are you a member of Facebook? If so, please visit the Tapir and Friends gift shop page! If not, it's easy to sign up, and it's free. In either case, right at the top of the page next to our name is a button that says, "Become a Fan." Click that button and you'll receive updates on your Wall. If you get tired of them, you can "un-fan" us at any time. It's totally up to you! You'll learn about free stuff, new products, and learn fun things about real live animals.

The fan page is our ONLY MAILING LIST. Along with not creating a logo, we've neglected another thing that a business is supposed to have - a mailing list! Why? Well, things got complicated once spammers started taking over the cyberwaves. You hate spam, we hate spam, and we didn't want our e-mail to be considered spam. Spammers also make it hard to run a legitimate opt-in e-mail list, because if you send group e-mail to more than 12 people at one time, YOU CAN BE CONSIDERED A SPAMMER. Did you know that? You can get your e-mail address blacklisted by many e-mail providers. We didn't want that, either.

Legitimate businesses with real customer lists have gotten around that in several ways, but the most recommended way is to pay another company to send out your e-mail for you via a program that sends one e-mail per "send." In that case, it's no longer considered spam. To be honest, it just felt complicated. We keep busy enough here in the store. But, when I found out about the nice-looking Pages you can create on Facebook, and when I found out that anyone interested can become a Fan, I thought this might be the way to go. Won't you join us?

Animal plastic drinking cups for children's summer parties

Wouldn't this cup make a nice party favor? We have animal cups in a number of styles and colors. See them here! Or use them every day. Kids love animals, and you need cups for the kids . . . what could be a better combination? These cups are extremely durable and have been safety-tested for all materials. Come on over and check them out! We think you'll enjoy the affordable pricing, too!

Plastic sea life is hot this summer!

What's hot this summer? Plastic sea life is! This guy was sold to us as a lobster, but we think it makes a good crayfish, too. In either case, we have lots of them ready for shipment. They float and they're fun to play with, but they also make great party favors or decorations for your summer clam-bake or lobster feed. Or your crawfish party! Have fun with them!

We've just put three new plastic Australian animals online: dingo, wombat, and Tasmanian devil

We love our new plastic dingo! For a small plastic animal it has wonderfully realistic lines and a face that makes you want to pet it! You can take this dingo home - it won't bite or sleep on the couch!

Our new plastic wombat replica also has many realistic features.

And check out our new little Tasmanian devil! Plastic animals with realistic features help everyone from kids to adults understand and appreciate living animals. They can be used for shoebox dioramas for school projects, played with, or collected on a shelf. You don't have to be in school to make a shoebox diorama. It could be a fun project if you're home for the summer. Make an environment with stones, plants, and dirt, and put your animals in it for the grand finale!

Did you know that when you shop at Tapir and Friends online, you help save the rainforest? It's true!

Popular plastic rainbow trout back in stock

You wouldn't believe how popular this small plastic trout is. Why, you ask? Have you tried looking for plastc trout online? You might think they would be easy to find, but check it out sometime. Plastic trout are truly an endangered species! You can see and purchase this cute little trout at Tapir and Friends Wildlife World from our online store.

Animal drinking cups for kids - new ways to see them on our site!

With our new shopping cart in place, we're looking for a smoother ordering process, especially for our valued overseas customers. With the new cart came the need for some changes to the site. We're still in the middle of making these changes, and some of the first were to give you photos of each and every animal and color combination of child's animal drinking cup we have in stock.

In the past, we showed you one dolphin or one giraffe (as you see here) and simply listed the other colors. You had to imagine what the giraffe or dolphin looked like on the other cups. Now we have a separate order button and photo for each. The extra work was worth it. We like the improvement, and we think you will, too! Come see all of our in-stock animal drinking cups!

Plastic seagulls for summer!

A "flying" plastic seagull bouncing on a string. What more do you need for summer fun and entertainment? Maybe you're having a party or a play, and need a little avian decor.

Our plastic seagull

This engaging, realistic-looking flying plastic seagull is soft and floppy. Its body is made of hollow plastic and is detailed with feather etchings. It is 14 inches from wingtip to wingtip and is 7 inches from beak to tailfeathers. It is painted white with gray accents, has a yellow beak, orange tongue, and yellow feet. When squeezed, our seagull also makes its familiar squeaky call. It can be suspended by its attached elastic cord. It makes for an interesting ornament, table setting, or serves well in a diorama or school project. Check out our other seagull toys and gifts.

About seagulls

Our beautiful fying plastic seagull reminds us that the seagull is a coastal bird that rarely ventures far out into the ocean. Closely related to terns, it 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. The Pacific gull (Larus pacificus) has a continous presence here at Tapir and Friends. It wheels above us and perches on rooftops outside our windows. His calls accompany our work and our play.

Stuffed mosquito plush toy - great for summer fun!

Our stuffed mosquito

This engaging, realistic-looking stuffed mosquito is soft and floppy. The wings are securely sewn onto the back and are made of a shimmery fabric which reflects the light in rainbow colors. The legs are long and gangly and are made of soft plush fabric allowing for a myriad of postions. The feet have soft plastic tips. Check out our other mosquito toys and gifts.

About mosquitoes

The word "mosquito" means "small fly" in Spanish (the word for "fly" is "mosca"). Mosquitoes (the plural can be spelled "mosquitos" or "mosquitoes") are any of a number of two-winged insects of the family Culicidae. The females suck the blood of mammals (inlcuding humans) and some mosquitoes transmit yellow fever and malaria.Usually, the "bite" results only in a small bump that becomes red and itchy for a few days. Mosquitoes feed on nectar, and neither the males nor the females need blood to survive. The blood provides protein for the development and laying of eggs. This is why only the females seek blood. The "bite" is not actually a bite. The mosquito injects a tiny feeding tube into the skin of the animal or human in order to withdraw blood. Mosquitos are believed to have evolved in the Jurassic Period (the age of large dinosaurs), but the first known fossils are from the Cretaceous Period (the last of the dinosaurs and an age when many new species began to proliferate), between 144 and 65 million years ago. There are currently about 3,500 species of mosquito worldwide. Some of their past ancestors were about three times the size of the mosquitos that live in the world today. Mosquitos usually shelter in shaded areas during the day and feed at dawn and dusk. They can also be active at night, and sometimes fly up to about 5 miles in a night.

Great white shark and many other sea animals - lapel or hat pins that express your nature!

This relistic great white shark pin is only one of the many beautiful hand made and hand painted animal pins we have in stock. Express yourself or find just the right pin for a very special gift!

These items are unique in the world of animal jewelry! Made in Washington and Idaho by a team of three U.S. artists, these high-quality pins or tie tacks are exceptional. Each exquisitely detailed piece is cast in pewter and painted by hand. The finish is extremely smooth and shiny, as you can see by the highlight from the scanner. Each pin is secured by two sturdy tacks on the back so it doesn't skew sideways or turn upside down, and the finished product is not only gorgeous, but satisfyingly substantial in weight. They can be used as lapel pins, hat pins, tie tacks, and more. These collectible animal pins are 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. In fact, if you're interested in having the name of your organization put on an item, write to us for details. You will find more fish and animals by the same artists listed on our Hand-Painted Jewelry page.

Our great white shark pin or tie tack measures 1-3/4 inches long. Be sure to see our other shark jewelry.

Plastic clown fish like "Nemo" - back in stock

Our clown fish is made of slightly flexible, shiny plastic and measures 4 3/4 inches from nose to tail fin - about the size of a real clownfish - and stands approximately 2 3/8 inches high. This fish is similar to the cartoon character "Nemo." This plastic fish rests comfortably on its fins and is large enough for a child to easily hold on to. It comes with an informational tag in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. It makes a nice bathtub toy as well as for school projects, toys, novelties, animal collections, party favors and more. Our plastic clown fish is for decoration or play only. It does not float, and should NOT be put in your aquarium. However, you can make an impressive coral reef shoebox diorama using this and other plastic aquatic creatures and mammals, sharks, fish, sea turtles, and birds from our gift shop. Best of all, there is no mess, no feeding, and no tank or cage cleaning :) Come see our wonderful assortment of plastic fish.

Did you know that there are about 28 known species of anemonefish? The clown anemonefish is the one we usually think of when we think of these reef-dwelling tropical saltwater fish. The false anemonefish was popularized in the movie, Finding Nemo. True anemonefish have some differences in shape. Clown anemonefish are orange with three distinctive white bars. They measure about 4 inches long, while other anemonefish may reach up to about 7 inches. Clown fish are found in warm waters of the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the western Pacific, including the Great Barrier Reef off of Australia. They are not present in the Atlantic, Caribbean, or the Mediterranean. All clown fish are born as males, and some change to females to become the dominant female of a group. Clownfish were the first tropical saltwater fish to be bred in captivity and are often found in saltwater aquariums. The clownfish has an almost unique relationship with sea anemones. The damselfish is the only other fish that is immune to the sting of the anemone's lethal tenticles. There are two ideas about how these fish can live among the tentacles: one is that a particular mucus protects these two fish species from the poison tentacles; the second is that the fish have evolved an immunity to this poison. Clown fish are omnivorous, eating live food such as algae, plankton, molluscs, and crustacea. They clean the sea anemones of particles that could be harmful to them, and their fecal matter feeds the anemone. The anemones provide a safe haven for the clownfish, as predator fish cannot tolerate the toxin in the anemone.

Come see our plastic fish!