Soft Play Plastic Thorny Devil - 19 Inches Long!

Our Soft Play Latex Thorny Devil

This engaging, realistic-looking soft play latex thorny devil replica is made of foam inside with a natural latex rubber exterior. It is 19 inches from nose to tail, and IT FLOATS! This replica is soft and squishy and but returns to its original shape after you squeeze it. You can even bounce it on the floor! It is neither sharp nor poking. These latex rubber "soft play" squeezable floating animals are SO much fun! You can use them in the tub or pool, or play with them as a toy on a dry surface. They are so realistic that they are educational, too, as they teach youngsters about living animals. Because this thorny devil toy is so amazingly realistic, it serves as a great example for a science project, a gag gift, or serves as a collectible. Check out our other lizard toys and gifts and our growing collection of soft play toy and replica animals.

About Thorny Devils or Thorny Dragons

The thorny devil or thorny dragon (Moloch horridus) is an Australian desert animal. It grows up to 8 inches long and can live to the age of 20 years. Thorny devils have large external spines which discourage predators. This strange desert animal has a false head. It dips its real head between its legs and only a head-like protrusion on its back shows. It has an amazing ability to camoflauge. It is brown and tan with spots, making it almost indistinguishable from the desert floor. It eats ants and can stuff itself with well over a thousand in a day. It drinks water in the inhospitable desert from dew which it collects at night.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Floating, Bouncing, Squishy Foam-filled Latex Rubber Puffer Fish!

This fun puffer fish can be used in all sorts of ways to keep you and your kids or grandkids entertained for quite a long time. Let's see - since it floats, you could use it in the pool or bathtub, or even launch it in a lake or ocean, as long as you make sure to capture it again! You can bounce it on the floor (it won't get hurt, and neither will anyone else, but it doesn't behave quite like a real bouncing ball, because it only bounces a few inches off the floor after you throw it). You could play toss-the-fish, or you could enjoy explaining to a young child the wonders of the ocean and the creatures that live there.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Lifelike Small Plastic Skate or Stingray

We love filling our online store with lifelike plastic and stuffed animals for you to enjoy! Our newest is this plastic skate (or possibly stingray - they are hard to tell apart). It is 6 inches from snout to tail, and you can add it to your collection here. Come on over and visit! Recently, as toys for kids become less realistic and more cartoonish, we find that more and more of our customers are zoos, museums, interpretive centers, and parents and grandparents helping their kids get the right props for their school projects. Of course, realistic toy animals are great educational ideas in any year and at any age!

Tapir and Friends Animal Store - because we love realistic animals, and so do you!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Olive the Lifelike Stuffed Octopus is Back In Astoria and Ready to Travel!

It's just the nature of the business. Here one day, gone the next. And we always hope there will be another "here again." Olive Octopus is back with us after a hiatus of a couple of months. She is anxious to explore the world (doesn't that eye look curious?), which means she'd be happy to travel to your house or someone you'd like to give her to. We ship anywhere around the world.

Olive Octopus is one of the most popular stuffed animals we've ever had in our store, and I think it's easy to see why. She has character! She has personality! She has big, orange eyes! And oh, what fun, you can have with those floppy tentacles! People from adults to kids love this cuddly octopus replica year after year. We think we have enough to get us through the holiday season, but you never know. As of this posting date, our stuffed octopus is anxious to explore! You can see and order her on our web site or call (503) 338-8646.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Squid and Coffee, Anyone?

We try to be responsive to our customers' requests. "C" wanted to know just how big our 18-inch plastic squid really is.

"Would it be possible to see a picture of your 18 inch giant squid toy next to someone (or a size reference), I just cant picture how big/thick this will be..."

No problem, C, Here ya go. The photo also goes to prove that occasionally the sun does come out here in the rainy, stormy, Pacific Northwest. In fact, we're supposed to be in the midst of a big storm right now, but you see that the sun is bright and actually a bit warm on our happy plastic squid.

By the way, this photo is not to imply that you should be having squid with your morning coffee, but if that's your "cup of tea," we don't want to discourage it, either. Mmmmmm! Hmmm. Maybe it's not such a bad idea. Are you getting bored with the normal routine? Squid and coffee, anyone? Think about it.

We like to stay open-minded here at Tapir and Friends Animal Store. It's always fun to hear what YOU do with your stuffed and plastic animals. Let us know, OK? Even better . . . send photos and become famous on our blog  :) (Check out the Customer Comments label below to see some fun stuff our customers have done with toy animals.)

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.