Author: Guest Reviews

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All reviews by this author

Gray Wolf, mother and pups (Boxed Sets of Wild Life by Schleich)

3.7 (3 votes)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

Wolves (Canis lupus) are burdened with an unjustly sinister reputation for a variety of reasons and one is the centuries-old myth of werewolves. One most frightful tale is that of Peter Stubbe, ‘the Werewolf of Bedburg.’ In 1589, he confessed under torture to having received a wolfskin belt from the Devil that allowed him to transform into “the likeness of a greedy, devouring wolf, strong and mighty, with eyes great and large, which in the night sparkled like fire, a mouth great and wide, with most sharp and cruel teeth, a huge body, and mighty paws.” I will not go on to describe the many horrific crimes Stubbe committed, or the equally horrific punishment that was meted out to him on October 31, but suffice it to say, you shouldn’t read the entire story if you’re squeamish.

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European Robin (Wild Animals by Papo)

Name(s): Erithacus, Erithacus rubecula, European robin Brand: Papo Classification: Birds, Perching birds Type: Figurine Range: Africa, Europe

5 (5 votes)

Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972

Probably even the most urban European citizen can instantly recognize the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) by its striking red breast. So it a small wonder it took the toy companies so long to produce a figure of this small bird.

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Scorpion (Wild Animals by Papo)

Name(s): Androctonus, Androctonus australis, yellow fattail scorpion Brand: Papo Classification: Arachnids, Arthropods, Scorpions Type: Figurine Range: Africa, Asia

5 (5 votes)

Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972

Today I want to introduce you to a creepy crawly that is probably even more abhorred or feared than its close relatives, the spiders. Where I live this is mainly an abstract fear, as there are no scorpions here as of yet (let’s see what climate change brings us within the next 20 years).

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Platypus (Wild Life Asia and Australia by Schleich)

Name(s): Ornithorhynchus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, platypus Brand: Schleich Classification: Mammals, Monotremes Type: Figurine Range: Oceania

5 (4 votes)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

When I began amassing an animal figure collection for my boys to play with and learn from, my goal was for a wide diversity of genera from across the globe. Popular beasts like the lion, the tiger, the elephant, the giraffe, the hippo, the crocodile, the kangaroo, and the wolf, of course, but I also wished to include odder ones like the Komodo dragon, the sloth, the cassowary, and the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus).

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Red Kangaroo, male 2021 (Wildlife by CollectA)

Name(s): Osphranter, Osphranter rufus, red kangaroo Brand: CollectA Classification: Mammals, Marsupials Type: Figurine Range: Oceania

5 (4 votes)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

For a male red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), the journey from adorable joey to towering boomer centres mainly around one thing: the ritualized fighting known as boxing. Only the victors win the privilege of mating rights, and as such, battles between boomers can be extremely violent and ugly.

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Common Otter (Wildlife by CollectA)

Name(s): common otter, Lutra, Lutra lutra Brand: CollectA Classification: Carnivorans, Mammals, Weasles, Otters & Kin Type: Figurine Range: Asia, Europe

4 (9 votes)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

Otters belong to the mustelid family, which also includes weasels and their kin, badgers, skunks, and wolverines. There are currently 13 extant species of otter that all range from semiaquatic to marine in their lifestyles. The Eurasian or common otter (Lutra lutra) is probably the most familiar member of the lot, with a range throughout Europe, much of Asia, and parts of Africa and the Middle East.

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Falcated Duck (Water and Lake Birds by Maia & Borges)

Name(s): falcated duck, Mareca, Mareca falcata Brand: Maia & Borges Classification: Birds, Waterfowl Type: Figurine Range: Asia

4.5 (2 votes)

Review and images by Birdsage; edited by bmathison1972

The Falcated Duck (Mareca falcata or Anas falcata) is a species of dabbling duck found in the wetlands in East Asia. It eats primarily water plants and aquatic invertebrates. It breeds in Russia and Mongolia and winters in East and Southeast Asia.

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Leopard Seal (Sealife by CollectA)

Name(s): Hydrurga, Hydrurga leptonyx, Leopard Seal Brand: CollectA Classification: Carnivorans, Mammals, Seals, Sea Lions & Walrus Type: Figurine Range: Antarctica, Southern Ocean

4.4 (13 votes)

Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972

We usually picture seals as these cute bumbling blobs that are clumsy and slow on land and behave like puppy dogs. Make no mistake: once they get into the water, they transform into fast moving predators preying on fish and invertebrates like cephalopods and crustaceans.

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Bornean Ground-Cuckoo (Wildlife Conservation Society Series by Yowie Group)

Name(s): Bornean ground-cuckoo, Carpococcyx, Carpococcyx radiceus Brand: Cadbury/Yowie Group Classification: Birds, Cuckoos Type: Figurine Range: Asia

4.7 (3 votes)

Review and images by Birdsage; edited by bmathison1972

The Sumatran ground-cuckoo (Carpococcyx viridis) and the Bornean Ground-Cuckoo (C. radiceus) are two closely-related species of terrestrial cuckoos that are endemic to Sumatra and Borneo, respectively. Both species are poorly known and rarely seen.

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Leopard Moray (Shinagawa Aquarium by Kaiyodo)

Name(s): Enchelycore, Enchelycore pardalis, leopard moray Brand: Aquatales, Kaiyodo Classification: Eel & tarpon, Fish Type: Bottlecap Figure, Figurine Range: Indian Ocean, Oceania, Pacific Ocean

5 (2 votes)

Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972

With it’s bright colors of an orange head, mouth lined with narrow teeth used for grasping slippery prey, a brownish body decorated with spots, an ornate pattern, and, to top it all off, a pair of distinctive horn like nostril tubes that gave the fish its name and makes it stand out from the rest of its relatives, the leopard or dragon moray (Enchelycore pardalis) is certainly one of the most distinctive fish on the reef.

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Jellyfish (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)

Name(s): mauve stinger, Pelagia, Pelagia noctiluca Brand: Incredible Creatures, Safari Ltd. Classification: Corals, Anemones & Jellyfish Type: Figurine Range: Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Oceania, Pacific Ocean

5 (4 votes)

Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972

Jellyfish, along with sponges, are among the oldest living creatures on earth. They have been traced all the way back to the Cambrian period, dating back over 500 million years ago. Jellyfish are part of the phylum Cnidaria and are closest related to corals and anemones.

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Maine Lobster (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)

Name(s): Homarus, Homarus americanus, Maine lobster Brand: Incredible Creatures, Safari Ltd. Classification: Arthropods, Crustaceans Type: Figurine Range: Atlantic Ocean

5 (5 votes)

Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972

Homarus americanus, better known as the American, Canadian, Atlantic, Maine, or northern lobster, is both the heaviest crustacean and the heaviest of all extant arthropods. Old individuals regularly average around 20 lbs and the record holder, caught off the coast of Nova Scotia in 1977, weighed a staggering 44 lbs, which is heavier than my four year old son!

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