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

Reticulated Giraffe, calf (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)

4.8 (5 votes)

Before I start this review I must once again thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for donating this review sample, the fourth in a series of six I will be reviewing!

The reticulated giraffe (Giraffa reticulata) breeds every 20-30 months. The gestation period is roughly 457 days.

African Bush Elephant, calf (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)

4.3 (3 votes)

Before I start this review I must once again thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for donating this review sample. The quality of Toymany’s figures, their relatively inexpensive price point, and their willingness to engage with, and take thoughts and comments by, the toy animal collector community shows why they are a quickly rising star in our hobby!

Shiba Inu (Best in Show by Safari Ltd.)

5 (8 votes)

Before I start this review I would like to thank our friends at Happy Hen Toys for providing this review sample for the Blog! I have been waffling back and forth on whether or not to get this particular figure, so when an opportunity came up to review it, I was most grateful!

Hippopotamus, calf (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)

5 (5 votes)

Before I start this review, I would like to thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for providing this review sample for the Blog! It is very much appreciated!

The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) usually mates during the wet season. Mating typically takes place in the water, with the female almost entirely submerged, only poking her head up on occasion to draw a breath of air.

White Rhinoceros, calf (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)

4.2 (6 votes)

Before I start this review, I would like to thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for providing this review sample for the Blog! It is very much appreciated!

White rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) live in herds (commonly called ‘crashes’) of up to 14 animals. These crashes are composed primarily of females.

King of Wasps (Diversity of Life on Earth: Advanced Wasps Vol. 2 by Bandai)

4.3 (8 votes)

Megalara garuda, commonly called the King of Wasps or Garuda wasp, was only formally described in 2012. It was named after the Hindu deity Garuda, the bird-like mount of the Hindu god Vishnu. This crabronid wasp is endemic to the Mekongga Mountains of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Acorn Woodpecker (Woodpecker Action & Magnet Figure Collection by Kitan Club)

5 (3 votes)

I officially started birding in late January, 2021. One of my first ventures up City Creek Canyon, the canyon immediately behind my neighborhood in the foothills of Salt Lake City, Utah, was in mid-March of that year. As I was walking up the canyon, two birders were coming down the canyon and asked me, ‘have you seen it?’ Now, for those of you that are not birders, when you are in the field and a fellow birder asks ‘if you’ve seen it’, the ‘it’ is usually something rare that’s been reported in the area, and it’s assumed that if you are birding in that spot, you are there to see ‘it’.

Japanese Sawshark (8PCS Shark Toys by Toymany)

4.3 (8 votes)

Sawsharks, which are in the family Pristiophoridae, should not be confused with sawfish of the family Pristidae. Sawsharks, as their name implies, are ‘true’ sharks within the Selachimorpha, whereas sawfish are rays within Batoidea. Sawsharks are squalimorph sharks, and are more closely related to lantern sharks, sleeper sharks, angel sharks, and dogfish than they are to more familiar taxa such as great whites, tiger sharks, whale sharks, and hammerheads.

Brown Dog Tick (Merial)

4 (4 votes)

Commonly called the brown dog tick or kennel tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus is the most widely distributed tick species in the world. It’s primary hosts are dogs and other canids, but it can bite humans as well. However, it doesn’t have a strong predilection for humans, and even in households where dogs are infested, their human owners may never get bitten.

Rabbit Figurines Playset (Toymany)

5 (4 votes)

Before I start this review, I must once again thank @Toymany-kenc and all our friends at Toymany for the donation of these review samples for the Blog. I had a keen interest in purchasing this set, so I was very happy to be able to get one for review!

The domestic rabbit is descended from the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Mini Crustaceans (Diversity of Life on Earth by Bandai)

5 (3 votes)

In early 2024, Bandai announced a set of seven miniature crustaceans in their ever-growing Diversity of Life on Earth line. I was must admit, I had mixed emotions for this set. Two of the figures I really wanted! For one of them, I go either way. And for the remaining four, I didn’t need or really want any of them.

Crawlers (Pocket Explorers by Phidal Publishing Inc.)

3 (4 votes)

Pocket Explorers is a line of books by put out by Phidal Publishing. They designed for children and are educationally driven. Looking at their website, the themes are Reptiles, Wild Cats, Dinosaurs, Sharks, Polar Animals, Birds of Prey, Bears, and Crawlers, the last of which we will be looking at today.

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