This figure recently came up for my daily ‘Museum’ post on the Animal Toy Forum. Because of the dynamic nature of the sculpt I had to take multiple pics before I decided on the one I liked the most for that post. As such, I thought I would put those images to use and highlight the figure on the Blog!
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
Mini North American Animals Figurine Playset (Toymany)
5 (6 votes)
Before I start this Blogpost, I must again thank @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for donating this review sample. It is very much appreciated. As with other Toymany set reviews, this is a general overview to introduce the animal toy community to the set and does not prevent others from doing more in-depth reviews of individual figures.
Porbeagle Shark (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (5 votes)
The porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) is a mackerel shark of cold waters. The origin of its common name is unknown. One theory is that ‘porbeagle’ is a combination of ‘porpoise’ and ‘beagle’, in reference to the shark’s tenacious hunting behavior. Another is that it is a combination of the Cornish words porth (harbor) and bugel (shepherd).
Cute Spider (Tarlin)
5 (3 votes)
Last year I reviewed a fun novelty set called Cute Silkworm by Tarlin. The set included four stylized figures of silkworm moths representing the ecdysis process. In 2025 they reissued that set with a slightly different color for the moths (light beige rather than pure white). Later in 2025 they produced another ‘Cute’ set, and the focus of today’s review, Cute Spider!
Rio Grande Cooter, juvenile (Diversity of Life on Earth – Advanced Turtles Vol. 2 by Bandai)
5 (3 votes)
The Rio Grande cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi) is an enigmatic emydid turtle endemic to the Rio Grange drainage of northern Mexico and adjacent Texas and New Mexico. The species was only described in 1984 as a subspecies of the river cooter (P. concinna). The turtle lives in slow-moving and still bodies of water, including the slow-moving portions of rivers, oxbows, lakes, and ponds, usually in well-vegetated areas with a soft bottom.
Spiny Lobster (Sea World by AAA)
5 (3 votes)
Spiny lobsters (family Palinuridae) are not ‘true lobsters’ (family Nephropidae), but along with the true lobsters and the Polychelida form what appears to be a monophyletic clade. The extinct Eryon is also in this clade. In my last blog review I showcased a pair of AAA Maine lobsters and briefly discussed AAA’s casting of actual specimens to produce some of their figures.
Maine Lobster, large and small (Sea World by AAA)
5 (10 votes)
AAA is well-known for casting figures from actual specimens. They have done it with snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, mollusks, insects, and, the topic of today, crustaceans. Most of these were probably cast from specimens readily available through biological supply companies or possibly wet markets in Asia and other parts of the world.
Madagascar Animal Figurine Playset (Toymany)
4.5 (11 votes)
Before I start my review I must again thank @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for sending me these review samples for the Blog. This may have been the most anticipated set by Toymany for 2025 and having had the figures in hand, it doesn’t disappoint.
When Gondwana broke up, Madagascar split from what is now Africa during the Early Jurassic, about 180 million years ago.
Cats of Osamu Moriguchi Vol. 1 (Art in the Pocket by Kitan Club)
5 (5 votes)
Osamu Moriguchi is a famous sculptor in Japan. In 2007, he started specializing very realistic miniature cat sculptures. He has produced many prototypes for Kitan Club’s Nature Techni Colour line. His first cats produced for them was the Cat Magnet & Strap collection in 2012 (which interestingly was reissued just last year by Ikimon).
Insects & Spiders Tube (Mojö Fun)
4.7 (6 votes)
After recently reviewing Safari Ltd.’s Insects TOOB and having previously reviewed CollectA’s Mini Insects and Spiders tube, I decided to follow them up with an overview of Mojö Fun’s 2024 Insects & Spiders Tube. I didn’t have high hopes for this set. Promo pics gave the impression of typical bin/dollar store-style cheap insects.
House Sparrow (Enthusiasts Garden Birds Collection by Mojö Fun)
5 (5 votes)
The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is one of the most widespread, common, and familiar birds. Native to the Palearctic, it now occurs nearly worldwide through human introduction. A highly adaptable species, it can be found in fields, open scrubland, farms, and urban and suburban settings, including parks, gardens, cemeteries, campuses, fairgrounds, and even around bustling metropolises.
South Island Takahē (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (7 votes)
The takahē are, well were, two species of flightless swamphens endemic to New Zealand. The North Island takahē (Porphyrio mantelli) became extinct shortly after the Maori settlement of New Zealand in the early 1300s. The South Island takahē (P. hochstetteri) is still alive, but just barely.