I do not engage in the ‘wishes and wants’ and ‘predictions’ threads on the forums. For one reason, I like to be surprised, and I find it more rewarding when something is announced that wasn’t expected. Secondly, is that many people’s wishes and wants tend to be really obscure things that have a low probability of getting produced, thus resulting in disappointment when official announcements are made.
Author: bmathison1972
I am Blaine, known by bmathison1972 on the forums and blogs. I am a professional parasitologist specializing in agents of human disease, including medically-important arthropods. I am also an amateur entomologist and study Nearctic click beetles (family Elateridae). Historically, much of my collection was devoted to insects and other arthropods, but in late 2018 I started building a Synoptic Collection of other species, to have one good exemplar of any animal species (my personal ‘Natural History Museum’). Other hobbies include hiking, bird-watching, running, and lifting weights, but my other ‘big’ hobby is visiting sports arenas, especially baseball stadiums. Whenever I travel for work (which I do with some frequency), I always check to see if there is a local college, independent, minor, or major league team to see.All reviews by this author
Hermit Crab (Marine Animal Models by TNG)
5 (8 votes)
Despite having the common name ‘crab’, hermit crabs are not ‘true’ crabs, meaning they are not a part of the clade Brachyura. They belong to its sister group, Anomura, which also contains porcelain crabs, squat lobsters, mole crabs, and king crabs. Broadly speaking, hermit crabs encompass the superfamily Paguroidea which includes the king crabs.
British Shorthair, 2024 (Farm World by Schleich)
4.7 (7 votes)
To start this review I again extend my thanks to the folks at Happy Hen Toys for donating this review sample. I had this figure on my radar when it was announced, but was hesitant to pursue it. I am grateful for the opportunity to receive it so I can evaluate it in-hand!
Wildcat (Large Woodland Animals by Bullyland)
4.6 (13 votes)
Before I start this review, I must thank the folks at Happy Hen Toys for yet another review sample! It’s been a pleasure working with them in recent years and their generosity is very much appreciated.
Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary history of life on Earth, and one of my favorite disciplines of Zoology.
Pig Family Playset (Toymany)
5 (6 votes)
Before I start this review, I must again thank @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for gifting me this set as a review sample for the Blog!
The set we are looking at today consists of eight figures of domestic pigs. There are four sculpts: 1) sow, standing; 2) boar, sitting; 3) piglet, resting; and 4) piglet, standing.
Frogs Figurines Playset (Toymany)
5 (8 votes)
Today I will be presenting a brief overview of the 2024 Frogs collection by Toymany, which was kindly gifted as a review sample by @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for the Blog. This was intended to be posted yesterday when the set was announced, but I was traveling for work so it’s coming up a day late.
Bats (Play Visions)
5 (3 votes)
There are two mammals, or perhaps broadly groups of mammals, that exemplify Halloween. One is the black cat. The other is the bat. Bats have a long history in human folklore, tradition, and fictional literature and cinema. In North America, the Creek, Cherokee, and Apache viewed the bat as a trickster god.
Tobacco Hornworm (Accoutrements)
4 (3 votes)
Mosura ya MosuraMosura ya MosuraMosura ya Mosura
Hard to believe my first two Halloween-inspired posts this year would be sphingid moths, not a group of animals typically associated with being scary, spooky, or dangerous. But after having very recently acquired this big bad beast, I had to channel my inner Shobijin and summon it for the Blog!
Death’s-head Hawkmoth (Garden Animals by Papo)
5 (5 votes)
The genus Acherontia, whose members are commonly referred to as death’s-head hawkmoths, contains three species broadly distributed in Eurasia and Africa. The greater death’s-head hawkmoth (A. lachesis), which is the largest of the three, occurs in Central and East Asia to Japan and the Philippines; it has also recently become established in Hawaii.
Gorilla, infant (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)
4.8 (4 votes)
Author’s note: Normally in October I follow the ‘spooky’ critters theme. However, I wanted to get this sixth and final Toymany baby African animal up on the blog, which like others I have reviewed recently, was courtesy of @Kenc and our friends at Toymany. My other posts this month will stick to the traditional theme :-).
Common Zebra, foal (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)
5 (6 votes)
Before I start this review I must once again thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for donating this review sample. This is the fifth in a series of six baby African animals I will be reviewing as part of Toymany’s 2024 Baby Wildlife collection.
Baby zebras are remarkable creatures.
Old English Sheepdog, 2024 (Farm World by Schleich)
4.5 (4 votes)
Before I start this review I would again like to thank our friends at Happy Hen Toys for donating this review sample. It was on my radar when it was first announced, but I wasn’t 100% sure I wanted it. I am happy to have received this figure to see it in-hand and better appreciate it.