Easter Basket Gift Ideas

Looking for some fun treats to fill those Easter baskets? No need to search any further - The Jungle Store has everything you need for Easter. Check out some of our selection below!

From top left: Webkinz Lamb, Green Hello Kitty Beanie, Lil' Lamb Baby Costume, Lana The Flopsie Lamb, Plush Duckling Hand Puppet, Striped Easter Basket

From top left: Lil' Chickie Baby Costume, Plush Baby Rabbit Puppet, Fleecie Lamb, Duck Puppet, Yellow Hello Kitty Basket Beanie, Fleecia The Lamb Beanie

From top left: Cheery Cheeks Sunny Bunny, Lovely Baby Lamb, Chick Bell Bottoms, Plush Polka Dot Basket, Webkinz Blue Bunny, Quack Quack Duck

And these are just a few of the great Easter gifts that we have available. Visit TheJungleStore.com to see our entire selection of rabbits, lambs, chicks and other animals!

Rabbits Vs. Hares

Though most people know him as the Easter bunny, this traditional originate with a hare. In the 18th century, German immigrants in Pennsylvania Dutch country began telling their children stories of the “Osterhas” or “Oschter Haws”, who would bring good children colored eggs as Easter gifts. In this case, “has” means “hare”.

Left: Hares, Right: Rabbits

So what’s the difference between a rabbit/bunny and a hare, you ask? Well, for starters, rabbits live underground in burrows and live in groups. Hares live in above ground nests, usually on their own.

Hares are generally bigger in size than rabbits, and have longer ears. Hares are also very fast-moving. And while rabbits have become common domesticated pets in America, hares are usually wild.

P.S. If you're a fan of rabbits, check out our great selection of stuffed and plush rabbits and bunnies!

The Hunger Games, Starring... Beanie Babies

Were you one of the millions who flocked to theaters to see The Hunger Games this past weekend? Then you might enjoy this YouTube video that’s currently sweeping the internet: an adaptation of The Hunger Games starring a sparkling cast of Beanie Babies.



Want more Beanie Baby Hunger Games? Follow the hashtag #KatnissEverBEAN on Twitter or visit the Beanie Baby Hunger Game Tumblr. And check out some of the stars of the video and their beanie friends over on our website!

World's Oldest Animal with a Skeleton

Up until recently it has been generally accepted that animals with skeletons did not appear on earth until the Cambrian period, which began approximately 542 million years ago. However, researchers have recently discovered fossilized remains of creatures in Australia that challenge that notion.

The impression in this sandstone bed in southern Australia is that of Coronacollina acula, an animal that lived between 550 and 560 million years ago on what was once a shallow seafloor. The animal looked roughly like a thimble and had four needlelike arms to support its body, each up to 14.5 inches long.

It is likely that Coronacollina acula was a stationary animal that fed by filtering nutrients from the seawater, much like a modern sponge. If the research holds true, Coronacollina acula represents the earliest known animal with a hard skeleton.

If you’re a fan of the prehistoric, check out The Jungle Store’s selection of dinosaur gifts!

Via MSNBC.

The Sinai Agama – Blue Lizard

Though brown in color and relatively inconspicuous throughout much of the year, male Sinai Agamas show their true colors each breeding season by turning a striking shade of bright blue.

Photo: Ester Inbar

Sinai Agamas are lizards native to arid climates throughout much of the Middle East. They are diurnal carnivores, spending their days hunting for small insects, spiders, and occasionally plants. Mature males undergo their annual color change during the summer, at which time they become very territorial; females retain their normal color during this time, but gain brownish-red spots.

Photo: Lior Golgher

Waterbears - World's Toughest Animals?

They may not be the biggest, fastest or cutest animals, but waterbears may just be the toughest residents on our planet. They can survive temperatures ranging from 300 degrees to -459 degrees Fahrenheit, live for nearly a decade without water; and even survive being exposed to the vacuum of outer space! It’s not surprising then that waterbears can be found virtually everywhere on earth, from 13,000 feet below the surface of the ocean to some of the highest Himalayan peaks.

Although there are well over 1,000 species of waterbears, they aren’t animals you’ll be able to see too easily. Most are less than one millimeter long, and are actually kind of cute for what they are. The name “waterbear” comes from the way these eight-legged creatures amble along with a gait that resembles that of a bear. Their scientific name, Tardigrada, literally means “slow walker”.

Clownfish and Sea Anemones - A Working Relationship

Clownfish are a prized addition to most any collector’s aquarium, as their bright colors are quite beautiful. However, in the wilds of the open ocean these small fish have little in the way of natural defenses, and there are plenty of hungry predators that would love to have them for lunch. What’s a clownfish to do? Find a much bigger best friend!

Clownfish share a symbiotic mutual relationship with sea anemones, predatory animals closely related to corals and jellyfish. The sea anemone inhabits coral reefs and uses its stinging tentacles to paralyze prey and enemy alike. Using fast-acting toxins for both offense and defense makes the anemone seem rather a self-sufficient creature, yet it harbors, even welcomes, the small tropical clownfish to take up residence among its tentacles.

The clownfish not only gets a wonderful living defense system from the anemone, but also an occasional meal from the scraps of fish the anemone fails to ingest. This relationship works both ways as the anemone will snack on any scraps the clownfish drops as well. The action of the clownfish also stirs up fresh water currents and moves them over the sedentary anemone.

So, how does the anemone know not to sting? There are a few different theories. One is that the anemone doesn't know, but that the mucus coating of the clownfish protects it from the anemone's toxins. This is possible because clownfish that have had this mucus wiped off of them have been stung and killed by their previous hosts. Another theory states that the chemical content of the mucus coating prevents the anemone from recognizing the clownfish as a food source, and therefore the anemone fails to react to the little fish's presence.

Meet the Iguana

Popular as exotic pets the world over, iguanas are perhaps as abundant now in introduced environments as they are in their native ranges.

There are only two species of iguana; the Lesser Antillean iguana and the green iguana. Green iguanas are by far the more common of the two, though they come in many colors other than green. These large lizards have a native range that stretches from southern Mexico through most of South America. However, in recent centuries they have become established in the wild as far north as Florida and Texas due to pet owners unlawfully releasing them. Green iguanas can survive in any humid environment above 79 degrees, and former pets often thrive under the right conditions.

Most green iguanas grow to a total length of about 5 feet. They are herbivores and must eat a specific mixture of leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables to remain healthy. Iguanas are primarily diurnal, which means they are active during the day, and have eyesight that can detect ultraviolet rays; important for finding the warmest place to sun themselves and regulate body temperature.

T-Rex Had Quite a Bite

As imposing as Tyrannosaurus Rex must have looked, some scientists have contended for years that it was likely a scavenger, not possessing the bite force to be an effective predator.

Photo: Christophe Hendrickx

However, new research is suggesting that this might not have been the case. According to National Geographic News, scientists have digitized T-Rex skulls and reconstructed them virtually to discover their true potential bite force, and the results have been surprising.  With the size of T-Rex’s jaw muscles, scientists estimate it could have generated over 12,000lbs of force at its back teeth; more than ten times the power of an alligator! If this is true, it would mean T-Rex possessed the strongest bite of any known land animal in history and most likely hunted for whatever it wanted!