Now becoming increasingly rare, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) has had a long history with humans, often being trained to do work; especially in India. They are also the closest living relative of the extinct woolly mammoth. Though we usually think today of the Asian elephant as a denizen of the Far East, such as in India, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, historically in classical and ancient times they also roamed stretches of modern-day Iran and even nearly as far west as the northern part of Palestine, near Syria.
Type: Plush
Whale Shark (The Petting Zoo)
4.5 (4 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Of all the aquariums in North America, perhaps none are as impressive as the biggest one of all: the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. It houses a vast number and variety of both freshwater and saltwater denizens, including alligators, otters, puffins, penguins, sea lions, dolphins, beluga whales, and most notable of all, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus).
Tiger Shark (Wild Republic Cuddlekins by K&M International)
3.3 (7 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
There is no shortage of attractions to found in the great city of San Francisco, California, but my own personal favourite is the California Academy of Sciences. It encompasses a natural history museum, a planetarium, a multi-level indoor rainforest, and last but especially not least, the Steinhart Aquarium.
Blue Shark (Rhode Island Novelty)
3.3 (4 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
There are more than 350 known species of shark, and while many of them are quite distinctive, others are difficult to tell apart unless you are an expert or an enthusiast. Perhaps that helps explain why there are so many generic shark toys out there.
Spotted Turtle (Wild Republic by K&M International)
5 (4 votes)
Today it is my great pleasure to introduce you to one of my all time favorite turtle species, the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata). Since no one has produced this species in plastic I am forced to review a plush specimen instead [EDIT: Apparently there is a spotted turtle by Play Visions that was also re-released by Yujin].
Narwhal (Folkmanis)
3.7 (3 votes)
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Perhaps the most bizarre of all living whales is the narwhal (Monodon monoceros), AKA the unicorn of the sea. This review will examining the one from Folkmanis, a company renowned for their top quality animal hand puppets. Unlike the previous plush toys I’ve reviewed here, this one didn’t come from an aquarium or zoo gift shop.
Leopard Shark (Wildlife Artists, Inc.)
3.7 (3 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Thanks to its elaborately patterned hide and ability to adapt well to captivity, the leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) is among the most familiar of sharks. Over the years, I’ve been to saltwater aquariums throughout the continent of North America, and I cannot think of a single one that did not feature leopard sharks.
Blue Rock Rattlesnake (Wild Republic by K&M International)
4.3 (4 votes)
Where plastic toys often fail in species diversity plush toys seem to shockingly excel. The Wild Republic line of plush animals is a major player in the plush animal game and responsible for much of this diversity. Although I don’t collect plush animals I do have a young daughter, as well as an eye for quality toys, so our house has a lot of these plush animals sitting around, including the 54” (137 cm) blue rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus) we’ll be looking at today.
Blacktip Shark (Wild Republic by K&M International)
3.7 (6 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), not to be confused with the blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus), is a requiem shark found in coastal tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Like the overwhelming majority of sharks, it has never been rendered as a plastic toy (at least as far as I can tell), but it has been made into a plush one courtesy of Wild Republic.
Spotted Eagle Ray (Wild Republic by K&M International)
4.2 (5 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) is one of the most distinctive and beautiful rays. It also adapts well to captivity, making it a frequent resident of public aquariums and zoos. I acquired this plush version at the Toronto Zoo back when they had a temporary exhibit of rays.
Giant Squid (Wild Republic by K&M International)
4.9 (7 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Who hasn’t heard of the legendary giant squid (Architeuthis dux)? From Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to Peter Benchley’s Beast (fun read, that one!) and to countless artistic depictions of epic underwater clashes with sperm whales, it certainly has quite the reputation as a genuine sea monster.