The barn owl is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful birds of prey in the world. With its white, golden-ash plumage, and uncannily silent flight, there’s an otherworldly allure to these birds; undoubtedly this is why the bird is also nicknamed the ghost owl, and how it’s managed to spook many a farmer or unwary traveler throughout history.
Author: Fembrogon
All reviews by this author
Insects 02 (Diversity of Life Mini Collection by Bandai)
5 (7 votes)
Praying mantises are cool – I think that’s an opinion I can safely say is shared between many animal enthusiasts. Out of all the hundreds of thousands of insects known to science, probably no group is equal parts so peculiar and charismatic as Order Mantodea, the mantises. It’s only natural, then, that a number of toy and collectible animal brands have tackled mantises and continue to do so.
Amazon River Dolphin (Sealife by Collecta)
5 (11 votes)
My thanks to Happy Hen Toys for providing this figurine for review. Be sure to check out their website down below.
River dolphins might not be as famously charismatic as their oceanic relatives, or as infamously dangerous as some contemporary freshwater predators; but they’re a remarkable and precious sample of the diversity of life which can be found in the planet’s river systems.
Axolotl (Alotl Bit Crazy, LLC)
4 (6 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
The trouble with collectibles is you often have to act quickly – or, at least, not slowly – to get what you want. The same is true if you wish to share your find with others. A while back I visited a local reptile expo and found myself coming home with several critters – not real ones, sadly, but ones of the plastic and plush varieties, charming enough in their own way to win over me and my wallet.
Platypus (Wildlife by Mojö Fun)
5 (10 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
Is there any animal more perfectly suited as the poster child of nature’s weirdness than the duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)? …Well, okay, there probably is; but the platypus is almost certainly the most ubiquitous. When it was first discovered by the Western scientific world, many did not believe this “flat-footed” mammal was real; of course, today we know clearly otherwise.
Crested Gecko (Diversity of Life on Earth by Bandai)
4.5 (11 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
There’s a Gashapon for just about everyone, I’d wager. Bandai’s trademarked capsule toy brand (an onomatopoeia name for the “gacha-pon” sound of the machine crank and tumbling capsule) has been running strong for over forty years, covering just about anything that can feasibly be made into a miniature – from company mascots and popular anime characters, to erasers and food items, to even highly realistic insects and lizards.
Saltwater Crocodile, ‘Fiona’ (G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro)
5 (20 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
G.I. Joe is not a franchise I have any prior affiliation with or affection for; it just never crossed my radar in any meaningful way growing up. Show me a big, articulated reptile toy, however, and I will gladly offer any merchandise brand a moment of my time.
Barn Owl, ‘Swoop’ (Douglas Cuddle Toys)
4.3 (10 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
If you were to ask me what my favorite owl species was, I think I could safely say the barn owl is my pick. The most famous and widespread of species under the Tyto genus, Tyto alba is iconic for its striking plumage, silent flight, and piercing cry – earning it the nickname “ghost owl”.
Axolotl (MatMire_Makes)
3.4 (10 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
With the onset of commercial 3D printing and a growing number of online shops and artist-friendly websites, a new world of hidden treasures and surprises has opened up for collectors and hobbyists. One such surprise I recently encountered was featured on a table at a reptile expo, where the handlers were not only selling the typical real (and rather cute) reptiles, but also a selection of equally cute articulated toys.
Harpy Eagle (Wild Life America by Schleich)
4.4 (14 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
I would like to start by offering my genuine thanks to Happy Hen Toys for this generously offered review sample. Happy Hen toys is one of the best current retailers for extant & extinct animals alike, from brands including CollectA, Mojö Fun, and of course Schleich.
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Wild Republic – Living Stream by K&M International)
4.1 (10 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
Turtles and tortoises don’t seem to get the same bad rap their reptilian relatives have historically suffered; perhaps their slower nature, omnivorous diets, and long lifespans have endeared themselves to human sensibilities better. Not all testudines are harmless, however, and as a kid who liked his predators, I was always most enamored with the big-beaked, carnivorous snapping turtles.
Tardigrade (Unknown Company)
4.3 (3 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
There probably aren’t many invertebrates – especially outside of arthropods like insects and spiders – which could be considered legitimately “famous” on one level or another, compared to the broader popularity of backboned animals. One exception among invertebrates is the tardigrade, a microscopic ten-limbed oddity that sits in a group of its own, distinct from other animals.
Giant Squid (Adorables by Adore Plush)
4.3 (3 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
Hello, Animal Toy Bloggers! My name is Fembrogon, from the Dinosaur Toy Blog. Although the vast majority of my creature collecting has been devoted to extinct life, there are plenty of extant animals which have long been a source of fascination as well.