I'd love to play the beaver
I can imagine one does so by sitting it on one's lap, squeezing the middle and pumping the tail up and down.
( Captain Wow Don't fuck with me now, man, I am Ahab, Thu 7 Feb 2008, 11:43, archived)

The alligator is a two man instrument
one plays the back like a xylophone, the other holds the jaw shut to stop it biting.
( chenobble bogling to Aswad, Thu 7 Feb 2008, 11:54, archived)