Humans have been fascinated by giant reptiles for many thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians bred and raised them to live in temples to Sobek; the Egyptian crocodile god of the Nile River. They remind us of the incredible crocodilian giants of prehistoric times like Deinosuchus. And they are probably the animals alive today who bear the greatest visual resemblance to the carnivorous dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era.
This plush alligator from Douglas Cuddle Toys measures nearly 15 inches long from snout to tail tip, but the dimensions can be somewhat deceiving in terms of the reptile’s mass because the tail is curved inward and the body is slim. I spent a fair amount of time trying to identify this reptile’s species since it is not specified by the manufacturer; which only gives the name “alligator.” I suspected it was something other than an American alligator because of the short snout and very petite body. My best guess is that he or she is a Chinese alligator because these alligators are smaller, thinner, and have short, but broad, snouts. If this identification is correct, it would make this the only plush I am aware of that depicts a Chinese alligator.
This alligator stands up on her legs nicely and holds its belly off the ground. Most of it is made of a light green fabric. The feet have four toes. There are three lines of rounded green felt spikes sewn into the seams which merge into a single line at the base of the tail. The eyes are black buttons, and a row of white felt teeth grace the closed mouth, giving the alligator a crocodilian smile. Don’t worry; it is perfectly fine and safe to smile at this crocodilian! The belly is a cream color. There is a small dart under the head which adds shape detailing to the lower jaw. In some places a faint scale pattern can be deduced on the green fabric. The toy is stuffed softly to firmly with polyester stuffing, and there is a small bean sack in the belly. The feet do not have bean sacks in them.
This alligator plush figure makes quite an interesting combination of realism with the tiniest bit of whimsy, and his or her expression is very cute. I would recommend it both for kids and for collectors of reptile plushies or Douglas Toys. Children who get scared in the dark might feel comforted by a crocodilian companion in the bed at night, and he or she is an equally fine display piece for an adult reptile or plushie collector. It is probably not the best choice for very small children though owing to the bean sack. This alligator is still in production and available new or used from most plush retailers. It is also worth noting that this is not the only alligator available from Douglas; there is also a larger one as well as a more cartoonish one that is part of the Douglas “softs” collection. It generally sells for around $15. Mine is a girl and I have named her Subie.
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