Auto Dept. Bendy Fun

I found these bendy things in the Auto dept. at my local WalMart. Not sure what they are called or what they are really supposed to be used for, but they are located near the oil section in the automotive dept. They were fifty cents each. I have been picking up one or two every so often to add to my collection. They come in lots of pretty colors. They are threaded on each end (possibly to allow for pouring oil without spills?). The students enjoy making shapes with them, connecting them, looking through them (like a spy lens), pretending they are musical instruments, etc.

My daughter is pictured below showing her shape creation using 2 of our bendy things.