Scuttling along shorelines, rummaging in the surf or sand, crustaceans are well known beach living animals, especially the crab. With their pincers, shells and multiple legs, they are well known critters, and have many figures made of them. Here, we see one of many examples made by AAA.
As usual, discerning a species is incredibly tricky, as this is just labelled “crab”.
Review and images by callmejoe3; edited by bmathison1972
Today marks a return to cataloging a member of the group of eight-limbed cephalopods. The order of octopuses, Octopoda, contains 300 extant species. These creatures inhabit a wide range of habitats ranging from pelagic waters and coral reefs to the deepest parts of the oceans.
I’ve always had a fascination for my local wildlife and since moving to the U.S. state of Maryland I’ve taken a special interest in the local fauna here, including the unassuming but economically and ecologically important oyster. Although the Chesapeake Bay is most well known for its blue crabs (which I’ve covered before), the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is a significant local animal as well.
Fame can lead to some animals being overlooked, or associated merely by their appearance. It is undeniable that the giant panda has a major cultural and global significance, which results in the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) being looked over, despite that their faces are similar, both eat bamboo and both are Chinese.
Recently, I went on a visit to the Bristol Zoo with my girlfriend. Unfortunately, it was raining quite heavily, so we ducked into the more covered areas to get out of it. Whilst we were getting out of the rain, we quite enjoyed watching the ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) in the primate section.
Continuing the “Winter Wonderland” series, we are going into the highest elevations of the world, as we look at a figure of one of the rarest cats in the world, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). These beautiful cats are found across the mountainous regions of central and south Asia, hunting across the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia.
When most think of big cats, they probably picture these powerful carnivores majestically tracking their prey in the undergrowth, or roaring to ward off other predators. At the end of the day though, they are still cats, and there is one thing that makes them very good at: sleeping. The mighty tiger (Panthera tigris) is no exception, happy to lounge around when not hunting.
Using actual specimens to mold their toys, the company AAA has made some of the most realistic animal toys ever produced in plastic. Some of them are so convincing in their appearance that they can easily be mistaken for real animals, or taxidermy of them at least. The irony in taking this approach is that the company then often gave their toys inaccurate paintjobs and included incredibly vague names to identify them.
If you want to think of a land animal that is the epitome of longevity, it would be the tortoise. Notable member of this family can live for two hundred years, and can have incredible variations in terms of size. While not quite as frequently made in toy form as their aquatic relatives, there are some out there, and this review will look at AAA’s efforts.
The order Carnivora has had some interesting members over the millennia. From wolves to sabre-toothed cats, they have filled the world with variety, often being apex predators in their regions. They even lay claim to the oceans, becoming adept aquatic agents, capable of chasing and killing prey (hopefully without being caught by even more adapted predators, like sharks and whales).
Among the modern cats, none are bigger than the tiger, and famous among these is the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). The stripes on each being an individuals’ fingerprint, and the orange hiding it in the forests of India. But every so often, one is born heavier and larger than others, as well as lacks the vibrant orange, but instead a bright white.
The days are long, it’s getting warm, there is colour in the trees. It must be summer. And as that’s the case, we see the return of my theme seasons. Welcome, once again, to my “Savanah Summer”!!! Once again. I will travel across Africa, from the Serengeti to the Congo, from plains to coasts, showing figures representing the best this amazing and diverse continent has to offer.
