Get to know your African Dwarf Frog

EDITORS NOTE: This article is a repost of one we published back in 2009. Since each Christmas we gain so many new EcoAquarium Owners, it's a good idea to repost this article since it covers a lot of ground concerning African Dwarf Frogs.

This holiday season, someone somewhere is getting a gift of an EcoAquarium(TM). If you have received one, you may now be searching out more information about your desktop eco-system and it's web-footed inhabitant. Here's some info about our star of the show...Hymenochirus Curtipes, the African Dwarf Frog.
Small in stature, big in personality...

African Dwarf Frogs (ADF) are originally native to the rain forest swamps & wetlands of West Africa, but due to man's development of the land in the region, it's natural habitat has virtually all been erased.

Cybersaver Savings Mania

Everyone seems to go a little nuts on "Black Friday" or "Cyber-Monday", we're no exception, we had our own CyberMonday sale with 10% off everything.  Well, we surprised ourselves on how great the response the one-day sale really was. So we cornered the boss, tied him up, stuck him in a closet, and extended the sale on through the rest of the week.

Don't miss out! 10% off on everything through Saturday, Dec 4th. Order online and add the coupon code "cybersaver" at the check-out.

Happy Thanksgiving

From the Wild Creations family to yours, we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

Flipoutz Coins & Bracelets make Impact at Chicago Toy & Game Show

In Chicago, the Holiday season has a special atmosphere of excitement. An excitement found especially at the Chicago Toy & Games Fair, the largest Toy & Game Fair open for the public. ChiTAG is the place to be to showcase the hottest, newest, greatest toys & games right before the holiday season goes full throttle. Flipoutz was right in the thick of things with a steady crowd discovering the interactive funwear.

Thru-out the two-day event, Flipoutz inventors Erin, Jake, & Lachlan Johnson met with the press, potential retailers, and the public, spreading the word about Flipoutz.  Seeing the young inventors in the flesh went a long way toward showing that great ideas often come from young minds.

Meanwhile, the Flipoutz Booth was seldom empty as a steady stream of curious crowds kept things hoppin'. We even had royalty pay a visit as Miss Illinois, Miss Teen Illinois, & Mrs. Illinois gave us a royal beauty blessing. Having 3 Queens makes for a powerful, winning hand!

Sun setting on a classic design

Bamboo Watergarden

An EcoAquarium design that served as a foundation product for us from the beginning had been the Bamboo Watergarden.  With it's distinctive shape, and vase insert, the Watergarden was a stunning and unique product, set apart from our Classic & Jewel EcoAquarium designs.   However, it's place in the line-up came to an end late 2009 when manufacturing ceased on the signature keystone shaped tank.

However, late last year, we uncovered more tanks in our warehouse. Five hundred of the tapered keystone-shaped tanks quickly became available as the Keystone Classic. It's been a year, and now we're down to only 80 tanks left. Soon, they'll be all gone, and that'll be it for our most unique EcoAquarium.  With the holidays coming up, and if you're looking for that one-of-a-kind gift idea, naturally we can't think of anything more unique than an EcoAquarium. But add to that, a EcoAquarium, in a special tank, never be available again...well, to us, that's a very, very, special holiday gift indeed!  The Keystone Classic is offered in limited supply complete, and as a "Builders Series" Kit, (everything but frogs).

Wild Creations Prez looking for Flipoutz friends at Coastal Carolina Fair

The sounds, the smells, & the excitement of a Fair's midway continues this week in Charleston SC as the Coastal Carolina Fair brings family fun & excitement. Flipoutz is in the thick of it.

Continuing on through Saturday Nov. 5th, make a point to visit the Flipoutz Booth where not only will you'll find a complete selection of Flipoutz Coins & Bracelets, if you say the magic words, you can receive a generous discount as well...

Wild Creations President Rhett Power, born & raised in Charleston, is happy to see Flipoutz being so well received in his own hometown, he's become rather generous... to the point of permitting a 15% discount on any Flipoutz products purchased at the fair... if you say the magic words..."I'm a friend of Rhett"

So don't miss out on a great bargain, as well as making new friends by walking up to the Flipoutz Booth and saying "I'm a friend of Rhett."

Frogs, Witches & Halloween

Our favorite Halloween Costume

EDITORS NOTE: The following article is excerpted from "Animals & Witchcraft" on Controverscial.com

For thousands of years, frogs and toads have been associated with myths, folklore and magic.  Sadly many of these myths and tales portray them as demons, creatures associated with the devil.  Some cultures however viewed them in a positive light, and saw them as representative of good fortune, protection, rain and fertility.  In some cultures the frog symbolized resurrection and a higher stage of spiritual awakening.  In the Rig Veda creation myths of the Hindus, the Great Frog supports the universe and is representative of the matter from which all is created.
In ancient times clay used to make pottery was collected from the banks of natural rivers and lakes, sites that would have had an abundance of frogs and toads.  The peoples of ancient Mesopotamia for example, collected clay from along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where they undoubtedly encountered frogs and toads and later adopted them into their religious beliefs.

Wild Creations Frog Blog: Flipoutz Inventors in Running for Industry Award

Wild Creations Frog Blog: Flipoutz Inventors in Running for Industry Award: WE'RE IN THE RUNNING!!! Vote for your favorite FLIPOUTZ Inventors...Erin, Jake & Lachlan Johnson for a TAGIE Award! What's a Tagie?...

Flipoutz Inventors in Running for Industry Award

WE'RE IN THE RUNNING!!!

Vote for your favorite FLIPOUTZ Inventors...Erin, Jake & Lachlan Johnson for a TAGIE Award!

What's a Tagie?

TAGIE Awards recognizes toy and game inventors from across the country, whose playful creativity and inventiveness resulted in some of the most fun and entertaining play products on the market today. 

WE CAN WIN WITH YOUR HELP!

That's right!  You can help Lachlan, Erin, & Jake win by voting NOW!

It's EASY...click here.
SPREAD THE NEWS!!! GET FRIENDS TO VOTE!!! 

Wild Creations proves Business Success in a Stalled Economy

Even in a sluggish economy, there's still opportunities for business growth. Wild Creations has proved it possible. Recently Wild Creations was featured in a CNN article that described how different companies have succeeded despite economic hard times.

Check out CNN's article here...

Turtle Falls Off Forest Cliff: You Won’t Believe His Journey Home

EDITOR NOTE:Many thanks to Laura S. at Care2.com for the original post...

Written By Steve O’Neil
In June, a man named Uncle Raoul was driving through a rocky gorge in Western North Carolina when he came upon an adult female Eastern Box Turtle sitting in the road.  He stopped his car to help the turtle across the street because they are usually not lost and do not need to be rescued and do not need to be taken to a new location — but this one was different.

What I Learned From Steve Jobs

by Peter Gasca, Co-Founder and CEO
This week, we lost one of the true visionaries of our time, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple.  Steve's story is impressive when you consider that he set out on his quest to create and develop the most loved technology company in his early 20's, and succeeded beyond anybody's wildest expectations.  He had a dream.  He had a vision.  And he had the wherewithal, drive, and persistence to make it happen.


I learned many things from Steve.  I learned to have vision, not just five or ten years into the future, but a lifelong vision for the direction I see my life.  And, not just in business, but personally as well.  What type of person do I want to be?  How will I live my life?  How do I want to be remembered?  


In business, Steve was clearly one of the most respected product and marketing people in generations.  I still hold many of his business philosophies close.  His company is a model of innovation and efficiency and drive.  The people of Apple are not only great business men and women, they are luminaries, artists, poets.  Steve was never afraid to surround himself with people who filled the gaps.  His style, his philosophies, and his goals were always lofty, but it attracted and excited people.


Of course, there are those who say that Steve was a difficult person to get along with, and that he was a poor manager of people.  Malcom Gladwell, in his book Outliers: The Story of Success, makes the argument that Steve was the product of really good timing, from his birth place (California) to his birth year (entering the dawn of the computing era).  Mr. Gladwell does contend, however, as I would, that Steve was also the product of hard work, dedication and unwavering ambition.  Regardless of how you size up his methods or his timing, his body of work is remarkable.


Toward the end of his life, when Steve's mortality was tested, he stated elegantly in his Stanford Commencement Speech to the 2005 graduating class, "Don't live somebody else's life".  He certainly did not, and we should not either.  I strive to live my own life to the fullest of my ability, regardless of timing or surroundings or even luck.  This is what I learned from Steve Jobs.


 
Thank you Steve, for all you gave us.  Rest in peace.

Wild Creations makes Inc.'s 500 Top Companies List

In today's tough economy, establishing a successful company is a major accomplishment. But becoming one of the top 500 fastest growing companies in the country while doing so, is an achievement beyond expectations. South Carolina-based Wild Creations has achieved that mark by being ranked in Inc. magazines 500/5000 list.    Ranked 259 out of the top 500 fastest growing companies in the nation, Wild Creations has shown that is possible to succeed despite hard times.   We thank all our customers for helping us achieve this milestone, and we fully intend to continue our growth by hard work and striving to provide the best products and service that we possibly can.  We're South Carolina proud!

WMBF TV News filed this report...
 

Flipoutz a hit at the Teen Choice Awards

Getting your foot in the door to a high visibility event like the Teen Choice Awards is a major score, getting the chance to show our interactive funwear to the entertainment industry is even better. We did just that, and made some great friends to boot! Erin, Lachlan, & Jake Johnson, stars in their own right, were wonderful spokespersons, at ease with meeting and presenting Flipoutz to some heavy hitters in TV, Music, & Film.

There's some big names sportin' Flipoutz Coins & Bracelets in Hollywood right now!


Ready to see more? Check out our slideshow...

New Thinking might be for the Birds

An age-old question has gained a new twist with new theories on how modern birds & dinosaurs have much more in common than previously thought. Assumptions about the fossil record has been called in question by new discoveries, particularly the belief that certain dinosaurs are more closely related to birds than to modern lizards.

Kentucky Fried T-Rex anyone? One study has concluded that protein from T-Rex collagen is more closely related to collagen protein found in birds than it is to collagen protein found in crocodiles & alligators. This adds to previous skeletal evidence attesting to a dinosaur / bird common ancestor.
With fossils found in China of "feathered" dinosaurs, the distinction between what was bird, what was dinosaur, is becoming even more blurred. So much so that new theory's have been put forth that has even spawned revisions of how dinosaurs may have looked & behaved.

Old science textbooks once showed drab green dinosaurs with thick elephant hide, or alligator scales, and described them much like large, slow herds of prehistoric cows.

But adding bird-like qualities, the look and feel is now quite different... dinosaurs now have plumage.

It's like an artist pallet has been applied. Bold colors, spots & stripes, like what is found in the bird world is now applied to dinosaurs. Plus, like birds, a deftness & quick inquisitiveness, now define a dino's movement. Two
Velociraptors in a modern kitchen in the movie Jurassic Park did more to change our perceptions of how dinosaurs could behave, than anything else.

It's still a lot of speculation, but from it all, a more realistic image of these ancient creatures is emerging. A new image about dinosaurs has been hatched.

Sizzling Hot New Products come to wildcreations.com

Kicking off the summertime season are firecracker new products arriving to the Wild Creations website! Three new products, that have proved popular on their own, are now ready to purchase on our online store.

Roll-Up Roads, the floor & table friendly road tapes are now available in six different colorful styles. Turn any floor or table into a cityscape, railway yard, airport or a busy highway. Available in single rolls or City-planner six-packs.

A little new technology, a dash of imagination, and a whole lot of excitement, and you end up with the E-BIRDS RC Flight Series flying toy. The Radio Controlled Bird,flies like the real thing with it's amazing opposing dual wing design, only that you are in control as it climbs, dives & turns it's way in flight both indoors & out.

Quickly becoming a national phenomena, we're going to help it along by bringing it to the Wild Creations webstore. We're talking about FLIPOUTZ, interactive funwear! The kid-invented bracelet & trackable coins have started to take the country by storm as more & more have fallen under FLIPOUTZ FEVER and begun collecting, trading & tracking the colorful coins. Now you can buy them right here!


It's a sizzling summer of new products now available at the Wild Creations On-line Store!

Creative Child Awards come to more Wild Creations Products

Wild Creations recently garnered more Toy Industry Awards, as Creative Child Magazine's 2011 Awards Program held a number of Wild Creations Products in high regard. Creative Child Magazine's Awards Program is unique in that all products submitted are reviewed by parents, educators and professionals alike. Products are not reviewed by any one person. They are reviewed by many people-the very people who purchase them.

Most noteworthy is the Product of the year award given to Flipoutz®, the interactive funwear product designed by kids for kids. Since it's inception, and most recently it's debut on the popular ABC TV show Sharktank, Flipoutz is gaining a tremendous following, showing all the signs of becoming a major hit. "Flipoutz Fever" is catching on as more stores are stocking the Flipoutz® coins & Bracelets each day. Check out the growing list of retailers on the Flipoutz Google Map.

Another new toy that has captured the imagination is Roll-Up Roads, the long-lasting, reusable roadway tape. As long as there has been toy cars, trucks, trains, & airplanes, children have often designed imaginary roadways of travel. Roll-Up Roads takes it one step further with it's tacky-back tape that can transform a tabletop into a downtown cityscape, a railway terminal or a busy jetport. And parents can rest easy knowing that the family dining table won't end up with permanent strips of tape all over. The tacky-back tapes leaves no mess, no "goo". UPDATE:Roll-Up Roads is coming to stores & on the Wild Creations website July 1st.

Take modern RC technology, lightweight & durable materials, and a spark of inspiration, and you end up with a RC Toy that will delight and amaze. You get Wild Creations RC Skybird, a remote controlled toy that flies like a real bird under your control, this years Toy of the Year in the RC Toy Category. UPDATE:Look for the RC Skybird in stores & on the Wild Creations website July 1st.

You can experience the thrill of discovery by uncovering the bones of a long lost animal ancestor with the Ice Age Excavation Kits by Geoworld, this years Preferred Choice Award winner for the Educational Science Kits category.
Encased in a block of soft chalk stone is the faithful replica bones of a Woolly Mammoth, Cave Bear, or Saber-tooth Tiger. It's your task to uncover the bones just like a real palaeontologist with the included hammer & chisel, and assemble them together into a museum quality skeleton replica.

It is our mission at Wild Creations to provide products that Inspire, Educate, & Entertain. We're proud to receive these awards, but we're equally proud to bring a level of quality to the products we provide.

Wild Creations - Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist

Wild Creations is proud to be awarded a finalist of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year. Peter Gasca & Rhett Power launched Wild Creations on it's path 4 short years ago as a prominent company in the toy industry. From it's entry to the national market with it's EcoAquarium line, Wild Creations has expanded it's product line-up to include a popular string of toys that inspire play, imagination, and exploration. Today, Wild Creations continues it's growth with more products like the imaginative Roll-Up Roads™ road building tapes, that can turn a tabletop into a bustling cityscape, as well as the kid-inspired Flipouts® Interactive Funwear, with it's collectable trading coins & innovative, child-friendly social networking website. Being a Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist is a honor that Wild Creations shall hold dear, and will continue to treasure for years to come. Finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year line the stage at the recent Awards Gala

WCTV connects a smart way to Inform, Educate, & Entertain

Wild Creations foray into streaming video, Wild Creations Television, has been established to give free access into interesting science & nature based programming. It is our intention to offer exposure to science, nature, & exploration to everyone. This week we kick things off with one of the most informative historical documentary series ever presented... Episode 1 of Connections by James Burke.

Connections is a ten-episode series created, written and presented by Burke, and was produced and directed by Mick Jackson of the Science & Features Department and first aired in 1978 (UK) and 1979 (USA). Connections explores the surprising and unexpected ways that our modern technological world came into existence. The entire ten-episode series is available to view online, as well as the web-based incarnation of the series with the Knowledge Web by the James Burke Institute. If you wish to purchase the entire series on DVD, you can do so here.

We're honored to present this historical series, and bring programming of this caliber to Wild Creations Television.
ALSO ON WCTV THIS WEEK: 2 featured shorts... The Nature of Light & Squeaky the Squirrel. Enjoy WCTV!

Another New Blog on the Block!

We're proud to introduce a new blog to the blog-o-sphere...The Flipoutz Blog! The new interactive funwear coins & bracelets are gaining momentium. They're growing so fast, we needed a blogsite as new stores start carrying Flipoutz products and public interest starts to "Flipoutz!" Of course the Flipoutz® website is the center of all trading and Flipoutz social interaction, and Flipoutz can be found on Facebook, Twitter & Youtube, but adding a blog goes a long way toward posting news and announcements to an ever growing audience. Take a peek...we're sure you'll Flipoutz® too!

Pardon our Dust!

Time for some Spring Cleaning & Maintenance on our wildcreations.com website.

We have scheduled an Update for Wednesday, May 11th. around Noon Eastern Standard Time. It may require a SERVICE INTERRUPTION that could take around 2 hours or more.
Once we're done you'll find some added improvements like improved Customer Checkout, Search Engine Optimization and some neat-o goodies that make it easier for us hard-working stiffs to work behind the scenes.
DON"T WORRY if you find our wildcreations.com website offline this Wednesday, It'll only be temporary as we do a bit of maintenance.
(A nod to Norman Rockwell for the wonderful illustration of "Rosie to the Rescue")

An Eye on Bugs with the BugsWorld 12 pack

Heather Sanders of OMSH has written another wonderful review for The Pioneer Woman, of one of our new products from Geoworld, the Bugs World Collection of 12 Real Insects. One of our new Science & Exploration products, Geoworld has taken twelve (12) insects of many different orders and species, and mounted them within clear Acrylic blocks for upclose examination. It's a wonderful starter collection of insect specimens for any budding Entomologist.
Be sure to check out her review, "It's a Bugs World" at thepioneerwoman.com.

Oh yeah... check out the Bugs World Collection of 12 Real Insects on our website too!

They dig Sea Monsters!

Heather Sanders, who authors Oh My Stinking Heck, did a wonderful review of one of our upcoming Sea Monsters Evacuation Kits and was featured today on The Pioneer Woman, one of the nations best blogs around. Her article describes her sons experience unearthing a Elasmosaurus Skeleton and assembling the replica fossil bones to make a quality model of a creature that ruled the oceans eons ago. The Elasmosaurus is one of the Sea Monsters Evacuation Kits by Geoworld that we'll be bringing to America soon. Look for it, along with other Geoworld Fossil kits coming to a store near you this summer, or get your name on the list for one online today at our website. Look for the Elasmosaurus and it's other Sea Monster Cousins, here by June 1st.

Many thanks to Heather, and the good folks at The Pioneer Woman!

Flipoutz™ is on fast track

In the three weeks since the hot new interactive apparel Flipoutz™ appeared on ABC's episode 2 of SHARKTANK, the buzz has been growing daily, with store vendors reporting customers appearing in greater numbers searching for the wearable, tradeable, coins and bracelets. Demand of Flipoutz™ products have quickly outpaced supply of some of the bracelets, and the volume of trading of the Flipoutz™ coins has spiked on the interactive website, as more and more kids have gotten into the action of trading their coins with others. Luckly, new orders, as well as refill orders are quickly being filled. Along with our fresh orders comes a new packaging look. We're cautiously optimistic, but at the rate things are developing, we just might see the whole country flip out over FLIPOUTZ™ this summer.

Love is in the Water

It’s spring again! The time of year that signals the start of warm weather, green grass and bright flowers, baseball, BBQs, and amplexing. That’s right, you heard me … amplexing.

And, while this may not float your boat this time of year, it is definitely on the minds of our little African dwarf frogs.

Spring is mating season for frogs, the time of year when frogs become a little more aggressive … and a little more provocative. For the most part, the mating season passes quickly, but it undoubtedly raises very stimulating questions about the behavior of your frogs.

First, it doesn’t matter whether you have a male and female in an aquarium. When mating season starts, he will start his mating ritual without reservations and regardless of whom he shares company with. Dwarf frogs have very poor vision, so most of the time they can’t see what is in their aquarium anyway. So when the season of love starts, so does your frog.

He will start by performing his mating dance, which consists of arching his back and kicking outward. This is accompanied by soft humming, which is your frog crooning to Sinatra. When it is very quiet, you can hear this beautiful singing. He typically prefers to sing at night, which is when your frogs are more active, but you may hear him sing any time of the day.

This is when it becomes interesting. If the there is a mate in the water, and sometimes even if there is just another male frog, the crooning frog will grab his companion around the waist just above the lower legs, as if engaging in a big-brother type of bear hug from behind … and he will not let go. This is “amplexing”. If he is grasped to a female, the female will swim to the top of the water and release her eggs, which are later fertilized in the water by the male after the ritual. If your frog is affixed to another male, well then all bets are off. A fight will seemingly ensue, with the winner gaining bragging rights at the next major sporting event they attend with their friends. They prefer to call amplexing a “bro hug”. Regardless, this behavior is completely natural and nothing to be concerned about.

African dwarf frogs are very unique breed of frogs, because they will not grow very large and actually learn to adapt to the environment they are in. Unfortunately, their eggs and off spring aren’t as adaptable, and often the water conditions in an aquarium are not conducive for raising fertilized frog eggs to maturity. More often, the adult frogs, given their lack of proper eyesight, will mistake the floating eggs as food and … well, you can conclude your own ending to this paragraph.

In all, the ritual looks as though the frogs are engaging in a fight, and often individuals believe that one frog is trying to hold the other frog down. This is not the case. While it’s not dinner and flowers, this is actually froggie romance … se la vi. It’s natural, and there is nothing you need to worry about or need to do.

So, when it’s time to make up the family picnic and head out for a day at the park, just remember that someone in your house may have different plans, and it doesn’t’ involve taking in a baseball game in your absence … more like a wrestling match.

We wish to thank the readers of our facebook page who submitted the photos included in this article-ED.

Flipoutz... the next new thing?

Hope are high the newest fashion trend for kids of all ages come in the form of little metal buttons. Worn by kids, designed BY kids, traded by kids, FLIPOUTZ show all signs of becoming BIG! Big enough for Wild Creations to recently aquire FLIPOUTZ with all intentions of bringing the product to Worldwide distribution.

What are FLIPOUTZ? It's the newest wearable, exchangable, collectable that’s fun to wear, fun to show, and using the internet, fun to track! Register each flipoutz button online and trade with friends. Then track the button as it goes on it’s way. Who knows where it goes? You do!
Watch ABC's SHARK TANK, Friday April 1st. as Flipoutz makes it's national debut. Does it have what it takes to swim with sharks? Find out Friday, 8PM Eastern.

New Product was shelved on "Porpoise"

In the constant quest to develop new products, several criteria are established that a prospective Wild Creation product must meet before we fully develop a product for market. One promising product that didn't make the cut was our African Dwarf Dolphin EcoAquarium.

While the playful, intelligent mammal had our product development team excited, we just couldn't figure out how to keep the lid on the EcoAquarium, and the crafty dolphin from jumping out of the tank.

KidStuff PR showcases Wild Creations

Our hats off to Lisa Orman and everyone at everyone at KidStuffPR for helping us get the news out about our products. Great Job!

Wild Creations wins US Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon

Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced Wild Creations as one of 75 Blue
Ribbon Small Business Award® winners, recognizing their critical role in job creation and economic growth. The award honors their strong
commitment to their employees, customers, and community. “The recipients of this year’s Blue Ribbon Small Business Award are on the forefront of our economic recovery,” said Thomas J. Donohue, U.S. Chamber president and CEO. “These small businesses are our nation’s job creators, and this award recognizes their significant contributions to
our economy.” “Our award winners are committed to putting our nation back to work. Each has made important contributions to their employees and communities, and the Chamber is proud to recognize their achievements,” said Donohue. Blue Ribbon businesses are also eligible for the Community Excellence Award, decided in March by online public voting. In addition, 25 Free Enterprise Honorees were commended for their strong business practices and contributions to the economy.