When you think of stuffed animals, images of teddy bears, puppies, and cats probably speckle your mind. You likely aren’t thinking about cuddly water bears or roly poly pill bugs. But Hashtag Collectibles is bringing a boatload of weird animals to plush collections around the world. They’ve sent us a handful (more like two handfuls) of their unique cuddly creatures to get a closer look at them.
Pangolin ($39.99)
Hashtag’s plush pangolin is much cuter than the real thing. I had never heard of the pangolin, so I had no idea what it was or how it looked. After doing a little research (yeah…just Googling), I came across an animal that looks fairly similar to an armadillo. No, these scaly anteaters aren’t bright pink. And they do have long, slender necks and tails. But, for some reason, I don’t think a scientifically accurate pangolin plush would be as cute as this one.
Mudskipper Mini ($15.99)
The mudskipper definitely qualifies as a weird animal. While I was already familiar with the animal (if only from Ren and Stimpy’s Muddy Mudskipper Show), I wasn’t aware that these amphibious fish can actually survive on land for three and a half days. Hashtag went for a look that’s quite close to that of Muddy, giving their mudskipper a blue-green body and blue fins/tail. And he/she has got a big old smile...or is just gasping for air.
Pill Bug Mini ($14.99)
When I was a youngster, I used to dig up all sort of creatures and put them into a homemade terrarium. Pill bugs were heavily represented, as they were in abundance. But I had no idea that they were actually a land crustacean. Yes…like a crab or a lobster. One thing I do remember is that pill bugs are not blue. But Hashtag’s version is by far better looking than the original. And if you try, you can probably scrunch the Pill Bug Mini into a little ball.
Blobfish Mini ($14.99)
Hashtag Collectibles’ blobfish plush is probably their most popular. I think folks like it because of how close it resembles the infamous blobfish photo that circulated several years ago (and likely freaked a lot of people out). This version of the deep-sea fish has its well-known frown and disturbingly human-like nose. This is one of their characters that they have available in all different sizes...including a pair of slippers.
Water Bear Mini ($14.99)
The Water Bear, or Tardigrade, is one of the most resilient animals on the face of the earth, being able to live through extreme temperatures and bouts of dehydration/starvation. Hashtag’s version is equally resilient. I watched my children toss it back and forth to each other without the little Water Bear taking any damage. This plush ‘weird animal’ might be my favorite of the lot, with it’s simple blue color palette and big black eyes.
