Sea cucumber

Check out our 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.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Madagascar Day Gecko

Check out our magnificent madagascar day gecko!

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic Madagascar day gecko miniature is made of somewhat flexible hard plastic. This replica has detailed skin and is painted green with a white belly. This gecko replica has red-brown spots with distinct eyes. This Madagascar day gecko miniature makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama for a school project, or serves as a great collectible. Check out our other gecko toys and gifts.

About Madagascar Day Geckos

The Madagascar day gecko (Phelsuma madagascariensis madagascariensis) is a species of gecko found only in Madacascar. It is a large omnivorous gecko. It feeds on insects and spiders and on fruit. It can be found on tree trunks, branches and on the forest floor. Madgascar day geckos have been heavily collected in the pet trade and seem to do well in captivity. It is an attractive gecko due to the bright brick red spots its back and its distinctive splayed feet.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Orangutan

Check out this orangutan.

This is a small plastic orangutan toy.

The orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) are now found only in northern Sumatra and Borneo. In the Malay languge, orangutan means "Man of the forest. Right now, the biggest problem for orangutans in the wild is loss of forest habitat. The species is now fully protected by law throughout its range, but enforcement is difficult in remote areas.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Spiny Sun Star

Our spiny sun star is awesome!

Starfish are not really fish. They are spiny invertebrates called echinoderms. Other echinoderms are sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. To avoid confusion, biologist prefer to call them "sea stars".

Our Spiny Sun Star will add a colorful splash to your sea-life diorama or school project. You'll find it useful for undersea dioramas, school projects, toys, novelties, animal collections, party favors and more. Our plastic sea star is for decoration or play only. It does not float, and should NOT be put in your aquarium. However, you can make an awesome 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. There is no mess, no feeding, and no tank cleaning :)

The underside of our 2 1/4-inch plastic sun star is white and has grooves and canals like a real starfish. It's name is printed on the underside. Come look through our entire collection of sea star toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Peacock

Our colorful peacock.

The peacock is one of our series of lively and lifelike plastic birds. The base plastic is white, and the colors are applied with paint. The birds are small and light-weight. We measure the size from beak to tail.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Woolly mammoth skeleton model

Check out our woolly mammoth skeleton model.

This realistic-looking woolly mammoth skeleton model is made of strong plastic and is sturdy when assembled. It is 10 inches long and 6 1/2 inches tall. There are about 16 separate pieces, some large, with easy to follow assembly instructions and a diagram. The bones look weathered and connect with one another through pegs or joint sockets. Although most pieces hold together well, it may help to use a little super glue. This miniature woolly mammoth skeleton replica makes a nice display, a gift, or toy for children or adults and could work well for school show-and-tell or as a school science project. Check out our other dinosaur model toys and gifts.

About Woolly Mammoths

The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) first roamed the earth 150,000 years ago. The mammoth migrated from Africa northward into Europe, east through the Steppes of Asia, and then into the Arctic. During the Pleistocene Era (Ice Age), when temperatures were so much colder, the woolly mammoth developed thick shaggy hair, special glands to secrete fat to insulate the skin from the cold, and smaller ears and special teeth to grind tundra. The woolly mammoth developed huge curved tusks up to 15 feet long to shovel snow in order to reach tundra and grass below. The woolly mammoth is the most common mammal fossil. Some have been found in Siberia almost completely intact including tissue remnants. It is breathtaking to see the mammoth's skeleton on display in the museum.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Dragonfly

Our dragonfly is beautiful . . . check it out!

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic dragonfly is made of hard, flexible plastic. It is 2 1/2 inches long and 2 1/4 inches across from wing-tip to wing-tip. Our plastic dragonfly has clear plastic, detailed wings and a red and yellow segmented body. We don't know what kind of dragonfly our plastic dragonfly replicates, but if you do, please e-mail us. It works well for a shoe box diorama or other school projects. It also makes for an interesting party favor or for a gag. Check out our other dragonfly toys and gifts.

A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata. It is has large multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, and an elongated body.

Dragonflies eat mosquitoes, midges, and other small insects like flies, bees, and butterflies. They are valuable predators, since they help control populations of harmful insects. Dragonflies are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands because their larvae, known as "nymphs," are aquatic. Dragonflies do not normally bite or sting humans, though they will bite in order to escape, if grasped by the abdomen. Dragonflies hover above the water, but then can rapidly accelerate. They capture their prey by clasping them in legs studded by spikes. We are most familiar with the adult stage of the dragonfly, but most of their life is spent as a nymph below the water.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Stuffed Raccoon

Check out our adorable stuffed raccoon.

Our stuffed raccoon is lifelike and sturdy. It has a few "beans" inside, but basically it looks and feels like a regular stuffed animal. The nose and eyes are made of black plastic, and the claws are made of soft felt so they can't scratch. Our stuffed raccoon is cuddly and adorable, and has a curious look in its wise-looking eyes. The size is big enough to be snuggled by an adult or child, and its sturdy body makes a good place to rest a little one's weary head. It would make a good companion on trips as well as at home. See our other raccoon toys and gifts.

Raccoons are related to the cacomistle or bassarisk, a small ring-tailed mammal found from Oregon to Mexico. Other relatives are the coati mundi, kinkajou, and red panda. Raccoons belong to the Family Procyonidae. The giant panda was once classified as a member of the raccoon family, but is now considered to be a true bear. According to Wikipedia, "Raccoons are unusual, for their thumbs (though not opposable) enable them to open many closed containers (such as garbage cans and doors). They are omnivores with a reputation for being clever and mischievous; their intelligence and dexterity equip them to survive in a wide range of environments and are one of the few medium-to-large-sized animals that have enlarged its range since human encroachment began (another is the coyote).

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic crayfish

Our plastic crayfish rocks!

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic crayfish miniature is made of hollow flexible plastic with bendable appendages. IT FLOATS! This replica has elaborate detail and is painted red and black. Our crawfish has distinct black eyes and dark claws and is 6 inches long from tail to the tips of its feelers.This red and black crawdad makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great collectible. Our plastic crayfish is for decoration or play only. Even though it floats, it should NOT be put in your aquarium. Best of all, there is no mess, no feeding, and no tank cleaning.

Check out our other lobster, shrimp and crayfish toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Bobcat

Check out our Plastic Bobcat.

Our plastic bobcat is 1 3/4 inches long and 1 inch tall. It has good detail including a pink nose and a black-tipped bobbed tail. This plastic toy or replica bobcat works well for school projects and dioramas as well as for decorations, collections of animal figurines, etc. Be sure to see our other bobcat and lynx toys and gifts.

The bobcat (Felis rufus) is one of the most interesting desert animals found in North America. It likes to live in arid brushy areas where it preys on small mammals, especially rabbits. It is often a problem to sheep ranchers, as lambs are an easy meal for the bobcat. It also enjoys visiting the chicken coop. The bobcat gets its name from its short black-tipped bobbed tail and is distinguishable from its cousin, the lynx, which is larger and has a slightly longer all-black tail. Even though the bobcat looks like a cute pussycat, it is fierce with an extremely agressive growl and snarl. The bobcat is trapped for its fur and is under greater pressure for survival as more population moves into semi-arid and arid regions. It is not presently endangered but its fate remains uncertain as human contact increases.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Frog Peeper Keeper

Our Frog Peeper Keeper

Made of carved and painted wood, this functional sculpture is about 5 inches tall and 5 inches long.

What a classy way to keep your reading or sunglasses from getting lost on your coffee table, bedside table, hall shelf, etc. You can also use this painted wood sculpture to display business cards with pizazz and pride! Try holding recipe cards in the kitchen, too.

"Peeper Keepers" are fun and practical, and come in over 40 different animal types. See our other Peeper Keeper animals here. If we don't have an animal you're looking for on our web site, please ask! Be sure to look over our other frog and toad toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Puffer Fish

Floating Puffer Fish

This engaging, realistic-looking soft play latex FLOATING pufferfish replica is made of foam inside and a latex exterior. It is 9 inches from lips to tail, 7 inches wide and shaped like a bouncy ball, and to me it looks bigger than it sounds by the measurement. Maybe that's because it's so yellow and bright! This replica is soft and squishy and but returns to its original shape. You can even bounce it! It is neither sharp nor poking.This pufferfish toy is a little bit cartoonish like the pufferfish in the cartoon movie "Finding Nemo," but it still serves as a great example for a science project, a gag or toy, or serves as a collectible. Our soft play latex pufferfish is for decoration or play only. Even though it floats, it should NOT be put in your aquarium even if it would fit! Check out our other reef fish toys and gifts and our growing collection of soft play floating, bouncing, squeezable animals!

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plush pelican

Come check out our awesome plush pelican!

Our stuffed pelican is a sheer delight. It is 15 inches from its floppy brown and pink cloth beak to its wiggly fur tail. It is 7 inches from wing-tip to wing-tip. It has a cute tuft of hair on the crown of its head and its plastic eyes are surrounded by bright pink material. This stuffed pelican makes a perfect companion for a child or fits wonderfully into any stuffed animal collection.

A pelican is any of several very large water birds belonging to the family Pelecanidae. Birds in this family have a distinctive pouch under the beak. They occur mostly in warm regions, but pelicans also frequent the cooler water off the Pacific Northwest (United States and Canada), especially in the summer months. They are large birds with an amazing pouched bill. Pelicans often fly as a flock. They have excellent eyesight. They dive well and can also swim. Fishermen watch for pelicans, since they locate bait fish with such ease. They often catch fish by expanding the throat pouch. Then they must drain the pouch above the surface before they can swallow. This operation takes up to a minute, during which time other seabirds are particularly likely to steal the fish. Large fish are caught with the bill-tip, then tossed up in the air to be caught and slid into the gullet head first.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Giraffe Drinking Cup

Come check out our animal shaped drinking cups!

What fun! The giraffe's neck forms the handle on this delightful kids' drinking cup. It is great for birthday parties, for holding crayons, or for orange juice and milk in the morning. This orca comes on one of four different cup colors: purple, turquoise, green (shown), and magenta. We'll choose a color for you unless you select your preference when you order. NOTE: We'll do our best to match your preference. If we do not have your color-and-giraffe combination in stock, we'll send your giraffe on the color we have. If it MUST be on a certain color, please let us know in the comments box below then click the button to attach your comments to your order.

We currently have 12 different cups in stock. See all our animal cups here. Mix and match animals and cup colors to create your own unique set! Come see our wonderful assortment of giraffe toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Amazingly Lifelike Stuffed Octopus Back in Stock!

"Olive Octopus" has been away for a couple of months, and we've really missed her! So have our customers. Olive is now back on the shelf, and ready to travel! Come take a look, have her shipped right to your door, or send her to someone you love. Olive is big enough to be truly huggable. Doesn't it look like she wants to be friends?

This stuffed giant octopus is so lifelike and huggable, you'll love it at first sight! The length of 36 inches is measured from back of the body to the end of its curled tentacles. The soft plush tentacles are stitched in such a way that they bend and curl, making this octopus one of the most life-like stuffed octopi we've ever seen. Note that it even has "ears." The octopus is stuffed in a soft and yet sturdy manner that makes it extremely huggable for both grown-ups and kids.

One of this octopus's most outstanding features is its bright orange eyes! The center of the plastic eye is black, and the "whites" of the eye are orange. We included a photo (above) showing the face with the bright eye, defined eyelids, and the perky little ears. See a real octopus's eyes here. You'll have to scroll down the page to find the octopus, as the page starts with insect eyes.

Your plush giant octopus comes with a tag that says, "Octopus: The 'eight-armed' creature of the deep, the octopus is considered one of the smarter members of the undersea world. The body of the octopus is remarkable in the way it can change color and pattern to camouflage itself or threaten enemies. [Note: The tag refers to living octopi, not the stuffed ones!] The shape of the body is amazing as well in that octopi can alter their body shapes so they look like long thin sea fish. Eight arms are not used for movement since the octopus uses a water fueled jet system to propel itself through the briny sea depths."

What a fascinating creature! This one has been carefully designed to imitate the real thing and yet be a cuddly friend for you or someone you love. To see a list of our entire inventory of stuffed animals, beanies and puppets, check out our Stuffed Animals Page. Also come see our wonderful assortment of octopus toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Our 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.

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.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Mud Crab

Our Mud Crab

This engaging, realistic-looking plastic mud crab is both solid around the outside (yet slightly flexible) and hollow at the center with a squeeker inside. The legs are are about 7 1/2 inches wide and are both dark green and black. This crab floats. The body is about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. This crab makes a nice pet, a gift or is useful for a diorama. Check out our other crab toys and gifts.

About Mud Crabs

The most common mud crab (Scylla serrata) is generally a mangrove crab but can also refer to several similar crabs found in mud throughout the world. Some mud crabs are large crabs with a smooth, broad carapace. They have 9 even sized teeth on each side of their eyes. Their two hind legs are flattened for swimming. In the most common form, the color varies from very dark brown/black to mottled green. Mud crabs inhabit sheltered estuaries, the tidal reaches of some rivers, mud flats and mangrove forests. These crabs are found scuttling along a soft, muddy bottom, often below low tide level. Some are harvested commercially especially in Australia but, for the most part, they make excellent bait for larger agressive fish.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Stuffed Mosquitoes for Summer!

Whether you're raising funds for mosquito netting projects for Africa or you simply don't think there will be enough mosquitoes on your camping trip and you'd prefer to take one along with you, we have just the thing!

Check out our engaging stuffed mosquito right here!

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.

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.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Our realistic African Elephant would make a wonderful party favor for those summer birthdays!

Until recently, it was believed that there were only two species of elephant - African and Asian (Elephas maximus). However, in 2004, DNA evidence proved that there are actually two true species of African elephant - African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) and African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis). African savannah elephants are the largest elephant, African forest elephants are slightly smaller and Asian elephants are the smallest elephant. African elephants have larger ears than the Asian elephant. In the African species, both the male and female elephants have large visible tusks. In the Asian species only the males have large visible tusks. The females have small tusks called tushes that are not usually visible. African elephants only have one dome on the top of their head, and the flat forehead is slightly sloped. The Asian elephant has two distinct domes at the top of its head. There is a projection on the end of the elephant's trunk that is referred to as a "finger." African elephants have two "fingers" on the end of their trunk, and will use a grasping motion when picking things up. (This is much like the way we use our thumb and forefinger.) The Asian elephant has only one "finger," so it has to curl the end of its trunk around anything it wants to pick up. All three elephant species are endangered because of poachers who hunt them for their tusks.

Come check out this small plastic African elephant on our online gift shop. Nicely detailed for a small item, this African elephant toy animal is made of solid white plastic with the color painted on. It measures 2 1/2 inches tall to the tip of the trunk. This plastic animal toy is great for school projects, toys, novelties, animal collections, party favors and more. Our plastic elephant is for decoration or play only. You can make an outstanding African wildlife shoebox diorama using this and other plastic creatures from our gift shop. Best of all, there is no mess, no feeding, and no tank or cage cleaning :) Check out our terrific selection of African elephant toys and gifts.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Bring this BEAUTIFUL slithery green moray eel to your summer poolside party!

Our Plastic Green Moray Eel

This moray eel is beautifully detailed nearly matching the real thing, its made out of floppy, flexible (not posable) rubber-like plastic that always pops back into its original position (shown here). It also it squeaks when you squeeze it. Check out our other eel toys and gifts.

About Moray Eels

Like our rubbery plastic moray eel, real "green moray eels" (Genus Gymnothorax) appear to be yellow-green in color. They are actually brown, but the mucus covering gives them a green or yellow-green tone to the human eye. These eels grow to about 5 or 6 feet long, and occur in the western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to Bermuda and the northern Gulf of Mexico, south to Brazil, including Ascensión Island. They are commonly found in the ocean, and are popular for salt-water aquariums, although there are problems keeping them with other fish and keeping them from escaping from the tank. The green moray eel is found throughout the warm waters of the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, and Florida Keys. Apparently a similar-looking eel is also found in the waters along the southern coast of Australia and Tasmania. This family of moray eels contains many species.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

How about a humpback whale for the bath tub?

Our plastic humpback whale

Our humpback whale measures approximately 6 inches in length. It is bluish gray in color with white markings, and is slightly squeezable. This whale would make a wonderful pal for the bath, as it floats and is sure to bring hours of bath time fun. It would also be great to use in school projects and would be a unique addition as a party favor for those summer birthdays! Come see our wonderful assortment of humpback whale toys and gifts.

About humpback whales

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 39-52 feet and tip the scales at approximately 79,000 pounds. Take a look at this image to see the comparison of the whale's size to that of a human. The humpback whale has a unique body shape, with long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is also an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water.

Humpback whales typically migrate up to 16,000 miles each year, and are found in oceans and seas around the world. Humpbacks feed only in the summer, and migrate to tropical or sub-tropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During these winter months, the whales fast and live off their fat reserves. During the rest of the year, their menu consists mostly of krill and small fish.

There are at least 80,000 humpback whales worldwide. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, humpbacks are now sought by whale-watchers, typically in parts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South America, and the United States.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.