A few days ago I inquired about locating anyone who made models of
living mollusks; especially cephalopods.  Several of you identified those who
made models and I thank each of you, but no one was found who had mad a model
of a cephalopod.
 
        Yesterday while visiting the mall (something which I despise), I
happened to visit a couple of stores: The Discovery Path and The Nature
Company.  Surprisingly I found that they had models made of rubber (maybe
soft plastic) of several mollusks including snails (shelled), nudibranches,
and of course cephalopods.  Of special interest to me were models of specific
species which appeared quite realistic.  This included Octopus vulgaris and
Vampyroteuthis infernalis.
 
        Several people on this list speak to school children about mollusks.
Usually this is done just using shells.  The shell-less mollusks are often
neglected.  I have several squid and octopi in alcohol that I use in
presentations, but I really dislike keeping such specimens around due to the
potential fire hazard and the hazard associated with handling by children.
These models will serve my purposes well and I share this with the list for
others with similar interests.
 
Doug Shelton
Alabama Malacological Research Center
2370-G Hillcrest Road #236
Mobile, AL 36695   USA