12/20/2024

Capybaras Are the "It" Animal Inspiration for Toys This Holiday Season

The world's largest rodent is having a big moment

The capybara — a semi-aquatic South American relative of the guinea pig — is the latest in a long line of "it" animals to get star treatment during the holiday shopping season. 

Shoppers can find capybara slippers, purses, robes and bath bombs. There are cuddly plush capybaras and stretchy or squishy ones. Tiny capybaras wander across bedding, T-shirts, phone cases, mugs, key chains, crochet patterns and almost any other type of traditional gift item. Last year, it was the axolotl that took pride of place on many products, and the endangered amphibian remains popular. Owls, hedgehogs, foxes and sloths also had recent turns in the spotlight.

Trendy animals and animal-like creatures aren't a new retail phenomenon; think the talking Teddy Ruxpin toys of the 1980s or Furby and Beanie Babies a decade later. But industry experts say social media is amplifying which animals are hot — or not.

Please select this link to read the complete article from CBS News.