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.

Munch munch for lunch

In the Fall it seems like the deer seem to be more brazen and appear more often along the roadways and in suburban areas.  Perhaps they have to eat more in preparation for Winter.  The green shrubs in the higher elevations have died  and the streams are dry forcing these ungulates to join mankind in town to celebrate Halloween.

Tapir and Friends Animal Store has a wide selection of plastic and stuffed hoofed animals.Our plastic elk,  plastic reindeer and plastic caribou are nicely detailed and make interesting examples in science projects or as decorations. Also see our novel gift items such as white-tail deer eyeglass holders (peeper keepers) and our deer jewelry.

by Lee

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Really Old Deer

I'm sorry this faded image of a deer isn't clearer, but what can you expect from an ancient pictograph drawn by local natives hundreds of years ago. You might ask why the drawing is so simple or childlike and without any perspective. The answer is most likely that the artist was mainly interested in conveying an idea with the resemblance of the animal rather than sketching a realistic representation. I found several other likewise fascinating pictures painted into the wall at the mouth of Pictograph Cave near Bend, Oregon, on an afternoon hike.

Tapir and Friends Animal Store believes of course in fostering a love for living animals, but encourages its "friends" to enjoy other scientific pursuits as well, such as paleontology, archeology, geology, and anthropology. We have a large selection of realistic plastic extinct animals and plastic and stuffed hoofed animals. including deer jewelry and deer eyeglass holders (peeper keepers), plastic elk and plastic caribou. These plastic animals are educational and fun and fit nicely into a diorama or are useful for any school science project.

by lee

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.