This is a walk-around of the 2014 Safari Ltd Incredible Creatures piranha, Pygocentrus sp. Total length (TL, i.e., including caudal fin) is 120 mm and standard length (SL, i.e., without caudal fin) is 107 mm. The figure shows characteristic traits of both the red piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri Kner, 1858 and San Francisco piranha, Pygocentrus piraya (Cuvier, 1819), e.g., the reddish eyes are more typical for P.
Gray Wolf (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.4 (5 votes)
Rounding out my spooky animal reviews for October it’s time to look at one of the many renditions of the gray wolf (Canis lupis), an animal whose history is intricately woven into our own like few other animals. For much of human history, the wolf would have been a competitor and potential predator of humans.
Townsends’s Big-eared Bat (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
Walk-around of the Safari Ltd. Incredible Creatures Townsend’s big-eared bat, Corynorhinus (Plecotus) townsendii Cooper, 1837, originally released in 2013. Really, I could not think of a better bat replica! Snout-vent length is approx. 90 mm plus 45 mm tail, wingspan measures approx. 275 mm in direct line but would stretch out to approx.
Anglerfish (Sealife by CollectA)
4.2 (5 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
No other sea creatures are associated as much with the darkest depths than anglerfish. These predatory fish come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes but can all be identified by their bioluminescent appendages and enormous mouths lined with frightful fangs! I’ve been a fan of anglerfish since first reading about them as a child and thus I find it perplexing how they seldom seem to show up in toy form.
Barn Owl (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.7 (7 votes)
The barn owl (Tyto alba) is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, and the most widely distributed owl species, living on every continent except Antarctica. As such, it features prominently in many different myths and legends around the world. Going by ominous names such as ghost owl, death owl, and demon owl you can get an idea of how the barn owl typically figures into local beliefs, making it the perfect animal to review this Halloween season.
Malayan Jungle Nymph (Ichiban Kuji World Insect Museum by Bandai Spirits)
5 (1 votes)
The Malayan jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) is a large phasmid (stick insect) endemic to the Malay Peninsula in Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is sexually dimorphic, with the smaller males being 9-13 cm long and the larger females 14-17 cm long, with reports of some females reaching 25 cm in length.
Barn Spider (North Coast Creations)
4.3 (3 votes)
Today’s review is significant in a couple of ways. For one, it’s October, which means it is now spooky season on the blog. A time to focus our reviews on the creepy critters usually associated with Halloween. It also just so happens to be my 100th review. Coming up with a sentimental or special figure to review, that also ties in with our seasonal theme, seemed like such an impossible task that I almost gave up on it.
Nile Crocodile, 2007 (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.3 (8 votes)
Ever since the beginning of civilization, ancient humans in Africa and the Middle East have been fascinated by the crocodile. The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) once had a much larger range–all over Africa and even in Western Asia and the Middle East. A species of Nile crocodile lived in the Jordan River in Palestine until 1912, when the last known one was caught.
Coyote (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd)
4.6 (8 votes)
It was an early spring evening in 1999, in central New York. I was doing what I did most evenings back then, sitting quietly on the bank of an active beaver pond with a VHS camcorder in hand, waiting for whatever wildlife might stroll by. Off in the distance I could hear a pack of coyotes (Canis latrans), a chorus of high-pitched barks and yips.
Aquatic Museum (Wing Mau)
5 (1 votes)
Review of the complete set Aquatic Museum by Wing Mau. While in recent years, it appears Wing Mau is producing and marketing figures by Play Visions, Club Earth, and K&M International, this appears to be an original set of theirs. The set consists of six species of crabs native to Japan and surrounding areas, one of which is a unique figure (see below).
Arabian Mare, Liver Chestnut (Horse Country by CollectA)
5 (4 votes)
Review and images by Harecraft Horses; edited by bmathison1972
When the promotional pictures of this stunning mare from CollectA came out, I was really concerned they might be a ‘too good to be true’ thing, showing a one-off custom artist’s proof paintjob, and then the factory models would be plain and lacking in comparison.
Spiny Lobster (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (2 votes)
Walk-around of the California spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus (Randall, 1840) by Safari LTD, Incredible Creatures, released in 2018. The figure is not marketed at the species level, but given its morphology, color, and that it was originally hinted at being North American, P. interruptus is the most-likely candidate.
European Hedgehog (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (5 votes)
The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) also known as the common hedgehog ranges across much of Europe, from Iberia and Italy, north into Scandinavia and northwest Russia, and west into the British Isles. It is a beloved animal throughout its range and a welcome visitor to backyard gardens where it feeds nocturnally on worms, slugs, snails, caterpillars, beetles, and other invertebrates.
African Bush Elephant (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (11 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The African bush or savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the biggest of all three extant elephant species and the biggest of all extant land animals. An average bull stands 3.2 metres (10.5 feet) tall at the shoulder and weighs around 6.6 tons, but the record specimen was around 3.9 metres tall and 10.5 tons in weight.
Shoebill (Doki Doki Doubutu by Phat!)
5 (3 votes)
Here’s a walk-around of the majestic Doki Doki Doubutu “1/12 scale” model Shoebill or Whale-headed Stork, Balaeniceps rex Gould, 1850. The figure is retired and seems to be the rarest of the Doki Doki releases. Height excluding base is 123 mm, so the scale would be between approx. 1:10 and 1:11.The wild population of this species is in decline due to hunting and habitat loss and IUCN lists it as “Vulnerable”.