Collared Lizard (Conservation Critters by Wildlife Artists, Inc.)

Review and images by Febrogon; edited by bmathison1972

Dogs, cats, and teddy bears tend to be the general preference for people wanting a stuffed animal; but I’m the sort of person who would rather cuddle a giant squid or lizard if given the chance. Naturally, good plush toys of creatures like reptiles are relatively less common, so I couldn’t help my attention being grabbed by a very nice-looking collared lizard on the shelf of the gift shop while visiting the Zion National Park last year. After a short deliberation between the lizard and a California condor, it was the lizard who ended up coming home with me at the end of my trip – which proved to be a better choice than I realized, because even by reptile standards, this toy seems to be quite rare.

Wildlife Artists, Inc. is a merchandise company dedicated to conservation campaigns and environmental awareness; their products boast freedom from microplastics and thorough recycling of materials, among other things. The Conservation Critters line is a series of semi-realistic plush toys of various sizes, representing a wide range of animal species from around the globe. When browsing Wildlife Artists’ 2022 catalog, however (and double-checking the 2021 catalog as well), there appears to be no sign of the collared lizard; indeed, the North American Western reptile is quite hard to find online at all. The only place I have currently found the lizard listed and in stock is on the online store for the Canyonlands Natural History Association, a non-profit organization credited on the back of the toy’s tag. I suspect that Wildlife Artists, Inc. may have produced this CC member uniquely for the Canyonlands Association and related organizations/attractions, resulting in the toy’s apparent scarcity online. Alternatively, Wildlife Artists might have simply discontinued this product a while ago – the tag on my copy is, admittedly, copyrighted from 2016 – and so only a few locations may be left with remaining stock.

It’s too bad this toy has become so scarce, because this is an impressively nice plush of a collared lizard. Measuring 51 cm (20 in) long, the plush scales at about 2:1. The fabric skin is very soft to the touch, and the inner polyester fibers are evenly distributed to keep the toy in proper shape, while still being pleasantly squishy. The plush is posed in a resting, but alert posture, with the forelimbs raising the body off the ground to watch for food or danger. One quibble I would make about this is the hind legs are stitched in a manner which makes the lizard look like it’s on its knees with its soles up, which is definitely not normal positioning for lizards. The seam lines themselves are pretty well obscured for the most part; and some extra fabric is applied to the neck and stomach to imitate loose rolls of skin, which is a nice touch.

Proportions of the plush are pretty good for this type of toy. The head appears a little small and narrow for the species, and the tail is noticeably reduced; but these compromises probably help improve the production and durability of the toy. Body and limb proportions look good; this individual has its belly tucked in rather than puffed out, indicating it’s probably ready to dash off at a moment’s notice. The feet are short a toe, bearing four toes each instead of five; but for a plush toy this is another compromise to be expected. In contrast, however, a yellow fabric trim is featured to represent detail of the eyelids around the two bright round plastic eyes which adorn the lizard’s face. Attention to detail on this toy isn’t the most consistent, perhaps; but it’s definitely there!

The most striking trait of the plush is its coloration. Real-life collared lizards can display variety in their patterns, so Wildlife Artists, Inc. could have gotten away with some simpler colors; but no, this conservation critter is fully decked out in blues, greens, and yellows, all printed neatly into the outer fabric. There is no mistaking the lizard’s signature black double-striped “collar”, or the almost sparkling pattern of light spots spread across the lizard’s vibrant body. The head and feet are a brilliant yellow, with splashes of brown and orange to give definition to the scales. The undersides are predominantly white, but just enough shading is applied to still show off the scale patterns. Collared lizards are a beautiful species that almost look like they’d be more at home in a tropical rainforest than a drab desert; and Wildlife Artists, Inc. have captured that beauty exquisitely.

The Conservation Critter collared lizard is a delightful toy to decorate one’s household or playroom; it captures the best traits of the species while remaining cute and playable as a stuffed toy. Although it’s regrettably rare in the online realm, as of this writing it’s at least still available through the website store for the Canyonlands Natural History Association; and of course one can always try scouring eBay for a few strays in the secondary market.