"Too Cute!"

Just how cute is a hermit crab? We learned the answer today when one of our customers received hers in the mail. She made our day! She wrote:

The hermit crab is just too cute! I am so pleased with your products. Your service was amazing as well!

We try hard to make your purchase enjoyable and your online experience a pleasure. A response like this is worth every moment we put into our work! Thank YOU! :)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

New Info for "Old" Hippo

This lovely, wrinkly plastic hippo has been with us for quite some time. Its part number (F158) means that it was only the 158th item we put online in our gift shop - not counting tapirs, which have their own numbering system - or did in the beginning, anyway. Just guessing, I would say that the hippo's web page had been around with only a few changes since about 1997 or 1998.

Today Carolyn wrote new text for our friend the hippo, and I updated the page structure. Since we are all about the animals, we like to include something everyone can all learn from. I know I learned new things reading it! Here's the new info. We hope you enjoy it!

Our Plastic Hippopotamus Replica

Our adorable plastic hippo measures 5 inches long from nose to tail. Notice the detailing of our hippo’s flat, paddle-like tail, feet with its webbed toes and thick skin which is virtually hairless. The texture and skin coloring of our hippo give it a realistic quality. Our plastic hippo is perfect for your diorama or for play in your imaginary African river or Safari scene. Our plastic hippo plays well with others and is low maintenance with no feeding or clean up required! See our other plastic African Safari animals in the various categories on our home page. We also have African animals on our Stuffed Animal page. This toy or model hippo is hollow and light weight, and therefore less likely than a heavier toy to break or damage items if thrown by small children. It will also float.

About Hippos

The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse", is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other is the pygmy hippopotamus). The hippopotamus is the third largest land animal (after the elephant and the white rhinoceros) and the heaviest, despite being considerably shorter than the giraffe. The hippopotamus is recognizable by its barrel-shaped torso, enormous mouth and teeth, nearly hairless body, stubby legs and tremendous size. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun a human. Hippos have been clocked at 19 mph over short distances. The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 hippos throughout Sub-Saharan Africa; Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000-30,000) possess the largest populations. Hippos are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth. A hippo's lifespan is typically 40 to 50 years. Donna the Hippo, 57, is the oldest living hippo in captivity. She lives at the Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville, Indiana. The oldest hippo ever recorded was called Tanga; she lived at Tierpark Hellabrunn in Munich, Germany, and died in 1995 at the age of 61.

Hippos spend most of their days wallowing in the water or the mud, with the other members of their pod. The water serves to keep their body temperature down, and to keep their skin from drying out. With the exception of eating, most of hippopotamuses' lives - from childbirth, fighting with other hippos, and reproduction - occur in the water.

Hippos leave the water at dusk and travel inland, sometimes up to 5 miles, to graze on short grass, their main source of food. They spend four to five hours grazing and can consume 150 pounds of grass each night. Like almost any herbivore, they will consume many other plants if presented with them, but their diet in nature consists almost entirely of grass, with only minimal consumption of aquatic plants. Hippos have (rarely) been filmed eating carrion, usually close to the water. There are other reports of meat-eating, and even cannibalism and predation. The stomach anatomy of a hippo is not suited to carnivory, and meat-eating is likely caused by aberrant behavior or nutritional stress.

The diet of hippos consists mostly of terrestrial grasses, but they spend most of their time in the water. Most of their defecation occurs in the water, creating allochthonous deposits of organic matter along the river beds. These deposits have an unclear ecological function. Because of their size and their habit of taking the same paths to feed, hippos can have a significant impact on the land they walk across, both by keeping the land clear of vegetation and depressing the ground. Over prolonged periods hippos can divert the paths of swamps and channels.

Adult hippos typically resurface to breathe every 3 to 5 minutes. Adult hippos cannot swim and are not buoyant. When in deep water, they usually propel themselves by leaps, pushing off from the bottom. They move at speeds of up to 5 mph in water. However, young hippos are buoyant and more often move by swimming - propelling themselves with kicks of their hind legs. Adult hippos typically resurface to breathe every 3 to 5 minutes. The young have to breathe every two to three minutes. The process of surfacing and breathing is automatic, and even a hippo sleeping underwater will rise and breathe without waking. A hippo closes its nostrils when it submerges.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Our Plastic Belemnite: Brand New Extinct Sea Animal

Our Plastic Belemnite

Our belemnite measures 6 1/2 inches in length from the tip of its tentacle-like arms to the top of its head; the lateral fins measure 2 1/4 inches. This sturdy, hand painted plastic belemnite is made in Germany and comes with an attached tag describing this and three other fossil sea animals. This tag is printed in English and German. Our belemnite is captured with its tentacle-like arms stretched outward in "speed mode." Notice the fleshy tube underneath the head between the piercing eyes. This tube or funnel is used to propel itself suddenly. The realistic tentacle-like arms show the series of hooks for holding prey. Our plastic belemnite will withstand school projects and playtime and show well as an educational toy or collectors item. See our collection of plastic fossil animals the way they looked in real life.

About Belemnites

Belemnites (or belemnoids) are an extinct group of marine cephalopod, very similar in many ways to the modern squid and closely related to the modern cuttlefish. Belemnites were around from the late Carboniferous to the end of the Cretaceous, a period spanning over 200,000,000 (200 million) years. Belemnites were similar in shape to squid. The body consisted of a torpedo-shaped head and ten arms. The head contained the shell and all internal organs. Paired lateral fins on the head were used for swimming and steering. Eight of the arms were adorned with curved hooks for grasping onto soft-bodied prey. The other two arms were equipped with suckers. As with squid, belemnites possessed a beaklike mouth for eating, and an ink sac. The inklike contents could be ejected into the water, creating a dense cloud that confused an attacker and allowed the belemnite to escape. As with squid, belemnites probably traveled in schools, dove to considerable depths, and occasionally suffered mass mortality that produced large numbers of fossils in a relatively small area. Belemnites were aggressive, free-swimming, marine predators. They could swim slowly, propelled by a rhythmic beating of the lateral fins, or produce sudden bursts of speed through a jet-propulsion system. An area within the lower part of the head would fill with water and forcefully empty through a flexible fleshy tube called the funnel. This rapidly propelled the organism in the direction opposite to which the funnel was pointed. Generally they swam with head forward and arms trailing behind. Because belemnite eyes were located close to their arms they could not easily see where they were going. As with squid, rapidly swimming belemnites sometimes suffered damaging collisions, as evidenced by numerous fossils of broken shells that appear to have healed.

Come see the new belemnite in our online store!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Monkey Business?

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" you ask. "Is this a road hog?" you wonder! No, it is a curious baboon on its way to blocking traffic along a main highway to the entrance of the Nygorogoro Park in Tanzania. You hear people say to avoid feeding bears. Well this fellow is likely to jump on your hood for a morsel of food, so beware. Tapir and Friends Animal Store sells realistic plastic old world monkeys and new world monkeys and some stuffed beanie monkeys and baboons as well. These monkey replicas make good companions and bring a smile to your children's faces.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

written by Lee

Spare Change?

Chipmunk, you say? No, it's a golden-mantled ground squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis). A chipmunk is smaller with a white line extending into its face. This brazen young fellow poses and mooches for food from other tourists and me on a trail at the High Desert Museum near Bend, Oregon. Tapir and Friends Animal Store has a wide variety of plastic squirrels for sale and adorable stuffed plush squirrels as well.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A day for a swim?

I know that some of you might yell shark if you were out swimming and saw this ominious black fin, but, of course, your alarm would be unwarranted. Instead of a savage bite, you might be kissed by this large bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). Tapir and Friends Animal Store has a wide variety of aquatic mammals for sale including realistic plastic bottlenose dolphins and a cuddly dolphin beanie. A pair of dolphins accompanied our boat for some distance and seemed intent on posing for the clicking cameras.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Grin and Bear it?

I really like this carved snowboarding bear. See its pawprint at the top of the board! Stationed in front of Black Bear Diner in Bend, Oregon, its job is to put a smile on any visitor's face. So many of the realistic plastic animals and stuffed animals at Tapir and Friends Animal Store are dedicated to produce the same joyous reaction. We have some wonderful stuffed bears and plastic bears , a large selection of Beanie Babies bears, and some huggable polar bears too.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

New Plastic Tapir in Our Store

Plastic Asian (Malayan) Tapir

Our plastic museum-quality version of the Asian or Malayan tapir has the markings of a real tapir. The "saddle" which extends from its shoulder to its rump, the white rimmed ears, and the remaining black hair covering the legs, chest, and head mimic the pattern designed for camouflage. The plastic Asian tapir measures 4 1/4 inches in length, and 2 1/2 inches high. The realistic "floppy" snout, four-toed front and three-toed back feet (with a little hoof at the end of each toe) help make this the most realistic toy tapir we've ever seen. Other features include the white rims around each small hoof and the strongly chiseled indentation of the face muscles. Even the nostrils appear to flatten as they do in a real tapir. It even has short markings in the plastic indicating its fur coat. This delightful model will complete your diorama or please any tapir collector or collector of animal figurines. You may already be familiar with the quality produced by Safari, Ltd. This sturdy piece will also withstand handling and playtime. See our entire collection of tapirs.

About Asian (Malayan) Tapirs

Malayan tapirs (Tapirus indicus) grow to between 6 and 8 feet in length, stand 3 to 3.5 feet tall, and typically weigh between 550 and 700 pounds. Like the other types of tapir, they have small stubby tails and long, flexible proboscises. They have four toes on each front foot and three toes on each back foot. The Malayan Tapir has rather poor eyesight but excellent hearing and sense of smell. The easily identifiable markings (the saddle, white rimmed ears, black legs, chest, and head) make it more difficult to recognize it as a tapir, and other animals may mistake it for a large rock rather than a form of prey when it is lying down to sleep. Malayan Tapirs communicate with high-pitched squeaks and whistles. They usually prefer to live near water and often bathe and swim, and they are also able to climb steep slopes. Malayan Tapirs can live up to 30 years, both in the wild and in captivity. Malayan tapirs live in Southest Asia, where they have become extinct in some of their range; small populations still survive in Myanmar, Thailand, and Sumatra (Indonesia). In the past, scientists believed that tapirs live solitary lives, but in recent years, it has become clear that they can be found in small family groups. They do not live in herds, and are hard to located in the forest. Under ideal conditions, a tapir gives birth about every 18 months to two years, bearing only one calf at a time. The slow "recruitment rate" is one of the several reasons they are on their way to extinction. Read more about Malayan tapirs here.

Come see our new plastic tapir in our animal store!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Ammonite Plastic Model New in Our Online Store

Our Large Plastic Ammonite Model

Our detailed, realistic-looking model ammonite is made of sturdy, flexible plastic and hand painted. Made in Germany, the quality is excellent. Our larger ammonite measures 6 inches from the back of its sprial shell to the tip of its extended tentacles with detailed sucker feet. The hard rubber plastic is sturdy, yet flexible and will withstand school projects, play, or as a prehistoric sea life collector's item. Our ammonite models have been purchase for museum displays. Our larger ammonite has a knotched edge shell that curls inward with a thickness of nearly 1 1/2 inches. The tentacles expand outward to a width of 4 inches and a large friendly eye peers back at you. Our ammonite is shown in an upright position. An informational tag is attached describing in English and German this and three other extinct, or "living fossil" sea animals. If you have ever looked at or purchased a fossil ammonite, this replica depicts what the animal looked like in life. See our other extinct animal toys and gifts as well as our extensive collection of sea creatures.

About Ammonites

Ammonites, as they pertain specifically to the order Ammonitida, are an extinct group of marine animals belonging to the cephalopod subclass Ammonoidea. Because ammonites and their close relatives are extinct, little is known about their way of life. Their soft body parts are very rarely preserved in any detail. The soft body of the creature occupied the largest segments of the shell at the end of the coil. The smaller earlier segments were walled off and the animal could maintain its buoyancy by filling them with gas. Thus the smaller sections of the coil would have floated above the larger sections. Many ammonoids probably lived in the open water of ancient seas, rather than at the sea bottom. This is suggested by the fact that their fossils are often found in rocks that were laid down under conditions where no bottom-dwelling life is found. You can read more about ammonites here.

Come see our new plastic ammonite!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

See our Seahorses

This imaginitive sculpture of a seahorse adorns Millenium Park in Lake Oswego, Oregon. It is not clear why the city chose a seahorse as a centerpiece for this garden, but it certainly gives the nearby lush foliage an underwater quality. Tapir and Friends Animal Store has a large inventory of aquatic creatures . Come see some of the realistic plastic seahorses, seahorse 3-d puzzles and seahorse jewelry for sale, but unfortunately none are this large.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Trilobite Replicas Back in Stock

Our Plastic Trilobite Replica

Made of solid plastic, this trilobite's superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector of plastic animals. Topside details include blue-gray eyes and the three ridged lobes for which it was named. The underside also shows the three segments and details of the trilobite's anatomy. It measures 2 inches wide by 3 inches long. The word "Trilobite" is embossed on the underside. It comes with an informational tag in German and English. This sturdy, durable trilobite is also excellent for school projects, novelties, party favors or even as a children's toy. Our plastic trilobite is for decoration or play only. It does not float, and should NOT be put in your aquarium with living fish or other aquarium dwellers. However, you can make a terrific ancient sea life shoebox diorama using this wonderful plastic trilobite replica.

About Trilobites

Trilobites were an early form of life on earth that have left many fossils, some of which has been made into beautiful jewelry. They appeared about 600 million years ago during the Cambrian period and ruled the earth for about 350 million years. Their descendants include centipedes, spiders, shrimps and insects. Trilobites lived in shallow seas, swimming, crawling, and burrowing. They evolved into many different forms during their reign. You can learn more about these interesting creatures at trilobite.com.

Check out our beautiful plastic trilobite models!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Ammonite Plastic Model Back in Stock!

Our realistic-looking model ammonite is made of sturdy, flexible plastic and painted by hand. It is made in Germany, and the details and quality are excellent. Our ammonite measures 4 1/4 inches from the extended tentacles (complete with sucker feet similar to those of an octopus) to the back of its spiral shell. The plastic is a little like hard rubber - it's somewhat flexible, especially the tentacles, and yet it's very sturdy and will hold up for play, school projects on prehistoric life in the seas, as a collector's item, and for those who enjoy surrounding themselves with replicas of a lost world. Our ammonite comes with an informational tag in English and German describing this and three other extinct or "living fossil" sea animals. Speaking of fossils, if you've ever looked at or purchased a fossil ammonite, this replica is a great way to illustrate what the animal looked like in life. Umm. This ammonite is actually shown upside down. See the triangular piece at the top of the plastic shell? Turn it over, and the ammonite sits on a flat surface with the tentacles coming out at the bottom. I'd re-photograph it today, but it took so long to get the colors right, I'm going to leave the image to your immagination while I put some more exciting animal toys and replicas online! I think it looks friendlier this way up, but that's probably a reflection of my anthropomorphic mind-set! Check out our other extinct animal toys and gifts as well as our extensive collection of sea life and fish.

Ammonite (Ammonoidea). With more than 5,000 species, the ammonites had the most diversity in shape among the cephalopods. Their shells were spiral shaped and resembled a ram's horn. They lived approximately 390 million years ago in the ancient oceans and became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, sharing their destiny with the dinosaurs. Ammonites varied in size from a few centimeters to an imposing three meters in diameter. You can read more about ammonites here.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Keeping a "sharp" lookout?

Last week I showed a photo of a beautifully decorated shelter in Washington Park near the Oregon zoo. This hawk adorns a short support wall near the entrance. It may be a depiction of a red-tail hawk, many of which can be found in the Portland, Oregon, area and in the Wilamette Valley. Tapir and Friends Animal Store has several realistic detailed plastic hawks for sale. This hawk looks friendly, but sharp talons and pointed beak make such raptors formidable predators to small rodents and other birds.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Tooting Tortoise

My cousin snapped this photo of a sign painter at work and recalled that her uncle, my father, had been blessed with this artistic gift. In the above picture this talented man is putting some final detail on the plastron of a musical tortoise. Tapir and Friends Animal Store has a wide variety of plastic tortoises and turtles. The store specializes in selling realistic animal replicas and avoids carrying caricatures, but we enjoy sharing pictures of happy-looking animals.

~ Posted by Lee

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Celebrating the Coelacanth

Our new coelacanth replica is a cause for celebration! It is just soooooo cool.

Our Plastic Coelacanth Model

Safari, Ltd., has outdone themselves with this strikingly realistic plastic model of the amazing coelacanth. Made with great attention to detail, this fish almost looks real. Although it is only 5 1/2 inches long, the details and coloring of this realistic miniature "living fossil" will thrill any adult or child interested in sea life, fish, ancient animals, evolution, and the mysteries of the deep. Our coelacanth is made of plastic that is only marginally flexible; this fish does not change position, and only the fins can be bent a little bit at the ends. However, it is designed in a beautiful swimming pose to make it as realistic and true to life as possible. This replica has detailed fins, scales, head, face, and teeth. It is is painted a blue-gray with white spots like a real coelacanth from the ocean depths. Our coelacanth is a terrific specimen for study, school projects and dioramas, teaching, collecting, museum displays, and biology classification projects, and yet it is so durable it can also be used as an educational toy for older children (not recommended for 3 years and under). Although it's much too big to swallow, the plastic fins can be a little sharp. Like our other plastic and painted fish, this should NOT be put in your aquarium along with other fish. I am not 100% sure it would cause harm, but it's best to be careful and only add those items to your aquarium that are made to be used with live fish. Check out our other plastic fish toys and gifts. What better way to encourage those you love to appreciate the wonders of nature, the sea and the earth?

About Coelacanths

Coelacanths are one of the most fascinating fish in the ocean and possibly the most famous of the "Lazarus taxon," or animals that were previously thought to be extinct. As a child I remember being fascinated by the leglike lobed fins and strange wide tails of these fish that are related to lungfishes and tetrapods. I was also fascinated that they were so primitive as to be called "living fossils." Many of us are attracted to those species that have changed little in millions of years, and the coelacanth is one of them. In 1938, the first coelacanth was found off the east coast of South Africa. Until that time, they were thought to have been extinct for the past 80 million years. Imagine the excitement of finding that this "extinct" fish still thrived! Its discovery and pursuit of more specimens was quite an adventure, and several books have been written about it. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, A Fish Caught in Time by Samantha Weinberg. Two living species have been identified within the genus Latimeria. They have been found near Indonesia as well as off the coast of Africa. Coelacanths may live as long as 80 to 100 years, and although they are found as deep as 2,300 feet in the ocean, they more often live at a depth of about 300 to 650 feet. These fish may spend the daylight hours in caves, as they have a need for dim light and cold water. They give birth to live young and may take as long as 20 years to mature. Sadly, one species of coelacanth is considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

Come one over and see our new coelacanth!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Canada Geese - Naturalized Citizens

Okay I tried to take its picture and it turned away. What did you expect. It's a silly goose!

Tapir and Friends Animal store has a wide selection of realistic plastic birds and many stuffed birds especially parrots and parakeets and some from the Wild Republic Audubon Collection.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Swimming with the Fishes?

On hot summer days, people enjoy cooling off by floating the Deschutes River. These people have brought a mascot for protection or for company. It's like walking the dog, I guess? Tapir and Friends Animal Store has many plastic shark replicas, especially realistic plastic great white sharks, however no blow-up ones like "Toothy" pictured above.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Animal Art for You

This mural is at a covered picnic area near the Oregon Zoo and depicts animals that can be found in surrounding Washington Park. On the day the picture was taken, summer campers were eating lunch beyond the wall and enjoying the lovely summer experience of the outdoors. Tapir and Friends Animal Store has realistic animal replicas in plastic and stuffed of the creatures shown here. I like the raccoon staring from behind his mask.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Paws from too much attention?

Bothered by gawking tourists taking pictures from their safari cars, this panther decided to seek cover in some tall grass. Eventually it climbed a tree to spend the afternoon in peace and quiet.

There are several different types of plastic cat replicas in Tapir and Friends Animal Store. Also we have received a new shipment of adorable, cuddly stuffed cougars.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Our inner self?

Yesterday's post was of an elephant sculpture in Lake Oswego, Oregon. This is the same elephant from another perspective. Must I say more! All of us are flesh and bones, but, I guess sometimes, we forget about the bones. See the wide selection of realistic plastic elephant replicas in Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

suburban elephant

This is a most unusual elephant sculpture as you will learn from tomorrow's post. It can be found in Millenium Square in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Sheryl sells many unusual plastic animals including plastic elephants but none look like this guy. Visit Tapir and Friends Animal Store to see the large selection of realistic plastic elephants.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Hoofing it with Hoofed Animals

Last week on a hike into the South Sisters Wilderness a group of horseback riders arrived at Mirror Lake shortly before me. The horses were so happy to cool off in the icy water. I thought of the many wonderful realistic plastic hoofed animals that were for sale in Sheryl's Tapir and Friends Animal Store including plastic tapirs, which are distant relation of horses. We have some farm animal replicas but no horses at the moment. They are out to pasture!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Hey Big Guy!

Guys have all the fun. Ask this male impala. He walks the walk for the herd which is not far away. Tapir and Friends Animal Store has many plastic hoofed animals including okapis, antelopes, elands and gazelles.

baby llama replica?

This is not your normal piece of playground equipment. This baby llama may be waiting for children to come and pet him, but the playground is closed. It is Sunday on the Altiplano in the Bolivian Andes and this little llama and mom (not pictured) are being kept there to munch on the grass.

We have many South American animals and hoofed animals at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Anyone for a swim?

There are many hippos to be found along the Mara River. You can watch from a distance as they grunt and squeal, yawn and sleep, and even perhaps laugh. Can you make up a hippo joke? What a mess there is in a hippo pot? We have many different plastic hippo replicas at Tapir and Friernds Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Ducks join the fun.

The perfect way to cool off is from the Summer heat is to float the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. This white duck decided to join in on the fun. We have many bird replicas and miniature plastic ducks for sale at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Here's Looking at You!

I spotted this large hawk along the narrow road which winds down into Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania. I don't know its name. Do you? We have excellent plastic hawk replicas for sale and other raptors too at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Butterflies For Sale

Last week, while walking the Smith Rock Trail near Terrebonne, Oregon, I spied this beautiful tiger swallowtail butterfly sipping nectar from these enchanting white flowers. We have many plastic butterfly replicas at Tapir and Friends Animal Store. Miniature plastic butterflies have many uses especially for school science projects.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

How about a big smile!

In yesterday's post of a maribou stork, I mentioned that crocodiles lurk nearby. Less than 10 feet from the stork slithered this large crocodile. I am not saying its hungry, but I wouldn't pet it! We have wonderful plastic crocodiles and other plastic and stuffed reptiles at Tapir and Friends Animal World.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Bird or Prey?

A maribou stork waits (wades) patiently for something small to fill up its pouch. It keeps a wary eye for crocodiles which lurk along this stream bed. We have many plastic bird replicas at Tapir and Friends Animal Store and some crocodiles too.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Bird in the bush

I was hoping this would be a picture of a gray crested crane, the national symbol of Uganda which can be found in the center of the Ugandan flag, but I don't think it is. I have the photo somewhere. We have many exotic plastic bird replicas for sale in the Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

A lotta Bull?

This week I published a picture of some female elephants and calves. Lurking in the background and way from them is usually a bull. This fella rules the herd and does not to like to be irritated. We have many plastic African elephant replicas and some stuffed elephants too in Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Wild about You?

An antelope poses for his picture on a Spring day in Tanzania. We have many plastic antelope replicas, eland puzzles, miniature gazelles and other plastic animals at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Three's a crowd?

These ostriches are gossiping about something. Along with rheas, cassowaries, kiwis, and emus, they are among flightless birdless called ratites in the animal kingdom. They run incredibly fast so who needs to fly! We have excellent plastic ostrich replicas and kiwis too at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Bath Time?

What a joy it is to watch elephants! These are part of a family of females and little ones cooling of on a hot day. Would you like to towel the little guy off? We have many different kinds and sizes of plastic elephant replicas and stuffed elephants too at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Look at me, Whee!

Ah, to be young again! How nice it must be to ride on mom's back. See all our wonderful plastic primate replicas. We have many old world and new world monkey miniatures at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Gazelle Harem!

Maybe you'd like watch over this herd of Thompson's gazelles. One male supervises this entire herd. What a life! We have wonderful plastic gazelle replicas available at Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.