Super-soft stuffed alligator now online - very, very cuddly for kids!

This is the same stuffed alligator plush toy I posted about yesterday, but today it's online where it can be ordered with the click of a button! Come take a look and maybe take one home for child who likes snuggly toys. The alligator is EXTREMELY soft, and the teeth are made by stitching into the fur, so there is no way they can scratch. This toy alligator from Wild Republic meets all US safety standards, and is surface-washable.

Four new friends: Stuffed alligator, stuffed eagle owl, stuffed naked mole rat, stuffed pteranodon hand puppet

These four toy animals are so new in our store, you'll have to call to order them until we complete putting them online. You can reach us toll free at:

1-888-325-3179 - Call for price

Stuffed Alligator

All four of our new stuffed plush animals are non-toxic and surface-washable, made of new materials and conforming to the new standards of toy safety in the US. The stuffed alligator at the top of the page is super-soft and cuddly. It measures 14 1/2 inches from nose to tail.

Stuffed Eagle Owl

The stuffed eagle owl above is also very cute and cuddly, standing 8 inches tall. Among other things, the eagle owl preys on meerkats - but ours promises to be friendly!

Stuffed Naked Mole Rat

We've had requests for stuffed naked mole rat toys for quite some time, and we finally got them in this week! Some say our toy mole rat is cuter than the real thing, but we know that everyone has his or her own idea of what's cute and what isn't. We present you with our new naked mole rat, and let you decide!

Here you can see the critter's soft nose, its felt teeth, and its bright, shiny eye. So what could be cuter than this?

Stuffed Pteranodon Hand Puppet

Above you see our Pteranodon hand puppet, made just for child-size hands. With extra-soft plush fur around the neck (where your hand goes inside the puppet), this colorful flying reptile is prepared to say anything you want it to!

. . . and there's more . . .

This is just the tip of the iceberg of our new shipment of wonderfully approachable and usually lifelike stuffed animals. We'll be posting them for you to see as the next few days go by. If you want to hear the whole list, give us a call at (503) 325-3179, or toll-free at (888) 325-3179. Or just stay tuned. We'll be putting them on display on our blog as we get them photographed!

Unusual pals: Stuffed manatee and stuffed extinct squid Tusoteuthis - NOW, WHAT'S YOUR STORY?

You just never know. Our very popular 30-inch stuffed manatee has befriended one of the newcomers under its sheltering paddle, so to speak. Tusoteuthis (an extinct giant squid) seems very happy in the company of its new buddy. Tusoteuthis may well look a little concerned. We had already announced that he was AGAIN becoming extinct (out of manufacture), when we discovered that there had only been a complication causing a confusion between the manufacturer and the importer, and indeed Tusoteuthis has a brand new lease on life.

In the background, you can see the green felt "spines" on our Folkmanis iguana stuffed hand puppet, and to the right at the bottom, another popular creature is trying to get into the picture - our purple latex Soft Play octopus with the posable tentacles. Not quick enough, Octopus. Better luck next time!

DO YOU OR YOUR KIDS LIKE TO TELL STORIES?

If you'll send us your stories based on the animals in our online Animal Store, we'll post the stories along with pictures of the animals. We'll be happy to give you credit for your story or you can choose to be anonymous or use only your first name. If you'd like to name the animal, we'd like that, too! You can name ANY of our collection of animals and write something about them. If they end up with two or three names because several people wrote about them, that's OK, too. Every once in awhile we name an animal ourselves, and the name sticks with it and ends up on the order page for that animal. Maybe you'll be the one with the name that fits the animal perfectly! The stories can be written by kids of any age or with an adult's help. They don't need to be long or complicated. Maybe you just want to tell us what one of the animals is thinking, or whether they are friends with some other animal. Or maybe they took a trip together, or. . . . It's up to you! If it seems like we need to take a new picture of the animal to fit the story as I've done on this post, we may be able to do that!

So, what are you thinking?

Wonderful bald eagles - from our collection to yours!

This plastic American bald eagle replic is only the latest in a wonderful series of bald eagles we sell at Tapir and Friends Animal Store. Check them out! We have plastic eagle replicas, bald eagle jewelry, and even a stuffed bald eagle. Consider them collectibles, toys, or gifts. . . .

You can feel confident purchasing via our secure shopping cart and secure online checkout system. We ship within one or two days of receiving your order, and it should only take two to four days for you to receive it after you place the order!

Sabertooth Cat Puzzle and Saber-toothed Cat Plastic Replica

Saber tooth cats are among the most recognized and popular of all the Ice Age animals. Fearsome predators, these cats roamed the earth thousands of years ago, using their enormous canine teeth to defend themselves in that competitive environment and to bring down their Ice Age prey. We have sabertooth cats in our store in two different styles: a challenging 3-D plastic puzzle seen above, and a lifelike model or replica (no assembly needed) shown below.

The more scientifically-accurate name for the sabertooth is the smilodon. The smilodon, or saber tooth cat (sometimes also called saber-tooth tiger), roamed parts of North and South America around the time of the last Ice Age. The most familiar is Smilodon fatalis, of which many remains have been found in the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits. It became extinct about 11,000 years ago.

Today the smilodon is extinct, and we can only imaging how one really looked, the color and markings of its coat, the way it moved, or what it would be like to look into its eyes the way we can with big cats in zoos today.

Your purchase helps preserve living animals (specifically tapirs and other animals in their habitat areas). Conservation efforts attempt to give them a chance to avoid the onrush of extinction that we are seeing all around us today. It's frightening to think that so many of the animals we know and love may not last another generation or a human lifetime. Many that the adults of today grew up with, or that our parents grew up with, are already gone or are perilously close to extinction.

On the other hand, conservation can work! In some cases, extreme conservation efforts have been able to increase the numbers. One success story is the American bison. A success story in the making is that of the California condor. Many familiar animals that we know and love are facing challenges that could wipe them from the earth - for instance, polar bears, walruses, and even tigers. The more we learn about the animals, the more we care, the more we can do to help preserve the amazing animals that still roam the Earth.

Happy Customer Report: Soon this plastic piranha will have a new home!

Our turnaround is so fast you barely have a chance to blink. We usually ship your order the day we get it, and we ship by US Priority Mail in the US, which means that it takes no longer to reach the East Coast than it does to reach nearby cities and towns (we're located at the far northwest of Oregon).

If the box leaves our store for the 5 p.m. mail, it reaches Portland, Oregon, sometime that night. In many cases, it's on the plane that night. Of course, we don't see the package to follow its route, but typically it will be delivered as quickly to Boston as to Los Angeles, even though one is a continent away. If you live in a peripheral, or small zip code area, it may add a day to the delivery time on your end. That's why we say that your order is "usually delivered in two to four days" from the time you place it with us. And all this is for a minimum shipping and handling fee of $6.50 on an order of $20.00 or less. A larger order will cost a little more. We use the Post Office rather than UPS, because ground shipping may take a week to travel across the country. We like quick service, and so you do you!

Kevin needed this plastic piranha and some other items for his child's school project. After some discussion with Sue (our Customer Expert) about possible deliver dates, he wrote:

November 19, 2009

Just finished up the order, Sue.

Thanks again for your quick replies and speedy service. Now it's up to our friends at the USPS.

Kevin

You can read comments from other happy customers here.

Beautiful hand-painted tiger jewelry (pin)

This beautiful hand-made, hand-painted tiger jewelry was crafted in Washington state, USA. At $29.00, it makes a completely unique gift or keepsake priced that could fit your pocketbook in this difficult economy.

Stuffed Ice Age Woolly Mammoth - yours to cuddle!

STUFFED WOOLLY MAMMOTH

Our popular Fiesta Ice Age Woolly Mammoth stuffed animal makes a great gift any time. It's VERY affordably priced for today's economy, and it's attractive and compelling for any kid to snuggle with - young or old.

Our adorable and affectionate stuffed woolly mammoth is 16 inches long from trunk to tail and stands 10 1/2 inches tall. It has a soft brown furry body, red-brown mane on the top his head, long gentle white tusks and red-brown trunk. It is sewn of soft fabric. This woolly mammoth has a kind and gentle expression. It makes for a thoughtful child's toy or fits nicely in a stuffed animal collection or collection of extinct animals. See our other cool mammoth toys and gifts.

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.

Cat and other animal Peeper Keeper eyeglass holders, many still available!

We hate to make this kind of announcement, but our fantastically popular animal eyeglass holders have been discontinued by the manufacturer. We expect that most (if not all) of the styles will be gone by Christmas. As of today, there are still quite a few left in the styles that are still available. CHECK OUT OUR PEEPER PAGE and order now in our Secure Shopping Cart or give as a call toll free at 1-888-325-3179.

Made of carved and painted wood, this functional sculpture is about 6 1/4 inches tall to the tips of it's ears.

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 house cat toys and gifts.

Capybara jewelry

Did you know that you can get capybara earrings, pins, and pendants in NINE different colors? And that's only the color of the capy's body. The bead color can be mixed or matched to an almost unlimited degree. Artist and animal-lover Corinna Bechko makes this capybara and a distinctly unique array of other animals out of light-weight aluminum, and she has a bead collection you won't believe. Just choose the colors and the result will be a stunning piece of original art you will not find anywhere else.

Even though our aluminum jewelry is quite affordable, jewelry prices can drive up the shipping cost if you buy in small "herds." Value-based shipping works great for most things, but in order to accommodate the light weight of jewelry and to make it easier on your pocketbook, you'll find a new option in our secure shopping cart: if your order contains only jewelry, click on the "Jewelry Only" shipping rate, and we'll ship as many pieces as you want anywhere in the world for $5.00 per address. Is that a deal?

Come check out our delightful aluminum animal jewelry art by Corinna!

Red Ant Stuffed Animal Toy

Isn't this stuffed red ant attractive? It also comes in black. These affordably-priced unusual stuffed animals can be found at Tapir and Friends Animal Store. Come on over and check them out!

This engaging, realistic-looking stuffed red ant is soft and cuddly. Its body is made of soft plush fabric and shows well-defined segments. The body is red and has large plastic eyes and fine antenna. Our red ant replica has a kindly expression and promises not to bite. This stuffed red ant makes a nice pet, gift, novelty, presentation piece for a school project,or gag gift. See our other ant toys and gifts.

There are over 200 species of red ants, some small and some large. The most common red ant is known as the fire ant. It is a biting ant which grabs on and then stings with a poison called Solenposin. Fire ants live in mounds in moist open area and spend time eating plant material and occasionally a cricket. The colony consists usually of one or more queens, surrounded by drones and workers. The queen can produce up to 1500 eggs in one day.

Your purchase from Tapir and Friends helps us fund wildlife conservation in the field!

Animal 3-D Plastic Puzzles Discontinued - Get Them While They Last!

We hate to see these wonderful animal puzzles disappearing, but that is a fact. They are no longer available to us, having been discontinued by the importer. We've been looking for a new source, but have not found one. These puzzles have been among our top sellers, and they are also wonderful replicas of the real animal. Just the other day we sold out of our zebra puzzle and had to take it offline.

We still have a great selection of puzzles, but almost every day we sell out of one more animal. For instance, today we have only six left of the octopus you see above. If you're looking to find small, affordable, interesting and unique gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday event, do check out our puzzles before the selection is gone. As of this post, we still have some puzzles left in the general categories of:

Dinosarus
Whale
Coral Reef Animals
Wild (Jungle) Animals
Polar Animals
Endangered Animals
Extinct Animals
Desert Animals
Reptiles

The details on this 3-D puzzle animal toy add another dimension, so you could say it is 4-D (3-D + details)! It is certainly one of the more detailed we have seen, making it an interesting replica as well as a fun toy for adults and children above the age of 3. This colorful octopus measures 4 1/2 inches across its tentacles and is 3 1/2 inches tall. It comes unassembled in a beautiful plastic ice cube. The pieces are cleverly fitted, flexible, and not too difficult to assemble. When completed, this striking octopus sits nicely straight up for display with your favorite treasures. To see our entire inventory of puzzle animals, go to our 3-D Puzzle Animals page. Be sure to look over our other plastic octopus toys and gifts.

Soft Play Hedgehog Toy

Do you know anyone who loves hedgehogs? Come take a look at our adorable ("he's got personality") squishable, non-breakable foam-filled realistic latex hedgehog toy. Not only is he durable when you play with him, but he's not likely to break or damage anything (or any person) when he's tossed across the room.

Our Soft Play Latex Hedgehog

This realistic-looking latex-coated soft play hedgehog is a terrific replica. It is 9 1/2 inches long a nd 4 inches tall.tail. Our hedgehog replica has a hard plastic coating and a soft inner body possibly made of foam. It is an excellent toy for children because it is light weight and durable. It serves as an educational toy for a science project or as a gag or unusual gift. Check out our other hedgehog toys and gifts.

About Hedgehogs

The hedgehog is a small spiny nocturnal mammal which feeds primarily on insects. It gets its name because it is found frequently among hedgerows and has a small pig-like snout. The hedgehog has quills like a porcupine, except that they neither sting nor come free from the hedgehog's body. The hedgehog has actually few predators. Occasionally the hedghog is annoyed by larger mammals such as foxes but, in response, roll up into a little ball to protect its soft belly. The hedgehog controls insect populations, but is vulnerable to agricultural and household pesticides. It lives for about seven years and produces litters of 3-4 at least twice a year. Like many nocturnal creatures, the hedgehog is often run over by cars during the night.

Our very popular plastic MARYLAND BLUE CRAB and RED LOBSTER are back!

Come on over and celebrate! Take a couple home to Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, your best friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, hubby or wife, your teacher, or even your dog. Need decor for your crab cook or lobster bake? Squishy and adorable, these plastic sea animals are favorites with our customers. Click on the photos to visit each critter, or check them both out on this page of our online store.

Our blue crab and red lobster were so popular they sold right out of inventory. But the good news is . . . guess what? THEY ARE BACK!

Give someone a cute pig nose "Swine Flu" H1N1 - don't give the actual virus!

Did you imagine anyone would make a swine flu virus plush toy? Well, the ever-creative and ever-weird Giantmicrobes did just that.

Our Swine Flu (Influenza A virus H1N1) Plush Stuffed Toy

This imaginative-looking stuffed, plush swine flu (Influenza A virus H1N1) toy is soft and cuddly and is 5 1/2 inches long. It is adorned with red plastic eyes and embroidered nostrils. The surface is washable: Simply sponge with a mixture of warm water and mild soap. Allow to air dry, then brush to restore fabric to its original fullness. (SAFETY PRECAUTION: Remove plastic hangtags and ribbons before giving to a child under 3 years of age.) This stuffed plush swine flu virus replica is a great collectible or makes for a gag gift. Check out our other worm, leech, and virus toys and gifts.

About the Swine Flu (Influenza A virus H1N1)

Swine flu is an influenza virus that usually affects pigs. However, just as the common, seasonal flu that affects humans is constantly mutating (as our immune systems and vaccines compromise weaker strains), swine flu is always trying to improve itself so that it can become more virulent, spread faster - and even associate with better company. Occasionally, a pig-headed virus such as Influenza A (H1 N1) actually succeeds and begins infecting other species - like humans. Naturally, this raises philosophical questions as to whether it is still a swine flu: since it's new, it isn't widespread in the porcine population - and anyway, once it's affecting other species, well. . . . Nevertheless, once a virus such as swine flu makes the jump to another species, the health risks in the new population are substantial. In the original host-population, some immunities generally exist against the original strain, and these immunities are often at least partially effective against new mutations. In a new host, however, there may be no natural immunity to the original strain and no partial immunity to the new strain - so the virus can spread rapidly. In addition, a virus that produces mild effects in one species may be life-threatening in another - so catastrophic health consequences can result. Fortunately, swine flu viruses are generally fragile, and in most cases basic health precautions (such as hand-washing and avoiding close contact with those who are ill) significantly reduce the chance of infection. Nevertheless, the dangers of future mutations and infections will continue to abound until, well, pigs fly.

After all, it's all about animals

Normally on this blog we show you pictures of toy animals (stuffed animals, plastic animas), animal jewelry, decor and gifts. But we believe in conservation of real, living animals, and we also believe that people want to know more about the real species, whether they are in need of conservation or not. Animals are fascinating, and for so many reasons, we love them!

To that end, we've started a project to add photos of real animals to our web site and to link between the real ones and the ones you can buy. Here's a start, and an experimental page to see how the format works for all of us:

Toy sea lions

Real sea lions

Enjoy!

Jumbo stuffed animals new in our online store!

We have four new stuffed animals - jumbo size to amaze and enchant kids of any age. Shown here is the brown bear (it's a grizzly bear, but ours has a peaceful personality) and three huge dogs (scroll down a bit when you follow this link).

Our Stuffed Plush Jumbo Grizzly Bear

This endearing-looking jumbo plush brown bear has soft, soothing, cuddly features. It fits nicely on a bed or sofa and is squeezable and foldable and is suitable for children age 3 years and up. It is 60 inches long. Shipping is a minimal cost of $15.00 anywhere in the U.S. Please no international orders on this item. Check out our other bear toys and gifts.

About Brown Bears

The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is North America's largest bear and can weigh up to 1500 pounds. It feeds primarily on plants and fungi, but enjoys almost any kind of bug, small rodent, fish or even larger game animals. Brown bears have furry coats in shades of blonde, brown, black, or a combination of those colors. The longer outer guard hairs are often tipped with white or silver, giving a "grizzled" appearance. Their tail is 4–5 inches long. They often stand on their hind legs to reach food at higher levels or to posture a threatening pose. Brown bears are mainly nocturnal and hibernate in the winter where they share a den often with a mate. Brown bears often are attracted to campsites by the smell of food. It is best to keep all food stuffs locked up to avoid confrontation with this interesting, but wild and often dangerous, animal.

New plastic alligators in our online store

Here's a family of little 'gator hatchlings.

. . . And an alligator handler . . .

. . . And even a swimming alligator viewed from the top! We have quite a few new plastic alligators on board, just the right size for your shoebox diorama or school project.

For example . . .

Our Plastic Toy Alligator with Babies

This realistic-looking plastic alligator with babies miniature is made of somewhat flexible hard plastic. This replica has a detailed face and body and has three babies riding on its back. The alligator is curved and is 2 1/2 inches long.This alligator with babies makes for a nice pet, fits into a shoebox diorama, or serves as a great collectible. Check out our other alligator toys and gifts.

About Alligator Babies

Baby alligators come from a clutch of eggs. The young are born with a sharp front tooth which helps them peck out of the shell. If they are fortunate enough to avoid prey such as hawks, vultures and large lizards on their way to the water, they have a chance of surviving. Most are carried tenderly by their mother in the her mouth down to the water. A baby alligator is called a hatchling.

Popular big stuffed manatee back in stock

Although the middle-sized manatee in the center is now discontinued, we have the large and the small manatees available to ship anywhere in the world. The big manatee continues to be very popular, and you can see why when you try to get your arms around this soft and quite large water-loving animal.

Our Stuffed Manatees

These gentle, realistic-looking stuffed manatees are wonderfully soft and floppy. The bodies, flippers and tail are made of soft plush fabric allowing for lots of movement. The whiskers are made of gray-black thread. Our manatees have a kindly expression and promise to be your friend. This manatee makes a nice pet. Check out our other manatee toys and gifts.

About Manatees

In the wild, there are three species of manatee: (Genus - Trichechus) West Indian, West African, and Amazonian. All three are endangered and protected by international law. They are gentle, slow moving marine mammals which spend most of their time searching underwater for edible plants. They can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and eat about 100 pounds of aquatic plants per day.

They loved our plastic mammoth bones!

Sent: Wed, October 21, 2009 7:27:28 AM
Subject: RE: TAPIR PRESERVATION FUND Customer Receipt/Purchase Confirmation

Good morning,

We received our box this morning and have had great fun putting [the mammoth skeletons] together.

Many thanks!

[LMK]