Plastic Elk Replica

A majestic and revered woodland neighbor!

Our Plastic Elk Replica

Check out the details of this wonderful elk (Cervus elaphus) made by Safari, Ltd. Its 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. It can also be be used for school reports and displays or as a toy. This animal is made of very sturdy solid plastic, and each one comes with an information card.

About Elk

Elk are members of the deer family, and belong to a group called ungulates, the Latin word for "hoof." They are herbivores which means they eat only plants. Elk are able to eat tough plants, such as grass and twigs, that most other mammals cannot digest. Their multi-chambered stomachs are designed to allow them to digest tough plant fibers while extracting the most nutritional value they can from their food. On top of every male elk's head are two cup-shaped bones called pedicles. It is from these pedicles that antlers grow.

The antlers become locked into the pedicles so tightly that 10 bowling balls could be suspended from each antler and they still wouldn't come loose. However, in the early spring, the antlers eventually snap off and the cycle that causes antlers to grow begins again. Before they are hardened, antlers are protected by a soft covering called velvet. When velvet is harvested sometime during May or June, a mature male elk will yield 20 to 30 pounds of Grade A velvet. Historical scrolls that date back to the Han Dynasty in China document the use of antler velvet as a remedy for 52 different illnesses. Today, antler velvet is still used in holistic medicine.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.