Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
The carpet sharks (Orectolobiformes) includes some of the more interesting shark species in all shapes and sizes: cute bamboos, blinds, collared carpets, zebra sharks, the so called ‘walking shark’ (epualette shark), the sluggish nurse shark, the unpredictable and aggressive wobbegong, and the enormous whale shark (Rhincodon typus).
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Contrary to their common name, killer whales (Orcinus orca), also known as orcas, are a species of oceanic dolphin, although they can be considered whales as all dolphins are considered whales but not all whales are dolphins. They are the largest of all dolphins, reaching lengths of 500 cm to 960 cm with males getting to greater lengths than females and also sporting larger pectoral and dorsal fins, with some getting higher than 180 cm (that’s taller than I am!).
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The Konik is a breed of pony (Equus ferus caballus) native to Poland. It is a solid and sturdy beast with a low set neck, a relatively short height of slightly over 13 hands (140 cm), and a weight of 350-400 kg (770-880 lbs).
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
“A shark!” a couple exclaimed as a bowmouth guitarfish (Rhina ancylostoma) swims past the aquarium viewing panel. It swished its shark like tail from side to side but has a flattened head of a ray, making it look like a hybrid of a shark and a ray.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
In the warm waters around the Galapagos Islands, a giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) swoops by, causing the nearby fish to flee due to the large size of the ray. She opens her large mouth to allow zooplankton to be collected and in turn, her gill rakers filter them, allowing seawater to be exhaled.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
After the kangaroo, the most famous and beloved Australian animal has to be the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) with its thick fur, round face, prominent nose, and even more prominent ears. Not surprisingly then, the humble marsupial has enjoyed a huge abundance of toys, mostly plush ones, but a good many plastic ones as well.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Octopuses are remarkable animals: They have 3 hearts, blue blood, are able to squeeze into tiny spaces that are larger than its beak, change colour and sometimes texture to match their surroundings, and their most remarkable feature: intelligence. Compared to the other invertebrates, the octopus outsmarts all of them due to it having the largest brain-to-body ratio and the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) has around half a billion neurons, two thirds of it are located in the 8 arms of the animal.
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
The cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) is one of the largest raptorial birds of Europe, with wingspans reaching close to 3 metres. It is also known as the black vulture (despite not being black at all, but at least considerably darker than other vultures) and in my home country Germany it is usually called monk vulture, for its head appears like it wears a tonsure.
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
It is said Charles Darwin wrote in letters to his few friends, that he gets sick thinking about the flamboyant and useless plumage of the Indian peacock, it just would not fit into his view on the evolutionary process. Today, 160 years after the publication of The Origin of Species, we know that the ‘fittest’ may not necessarily need to be the biggest, strongest or fastest, sometimes you just need to be good with the chicks; sorry, but I guess you can see it’s just the point in this case.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Sharks are master hunters. They have inhabited the world’s oceans since the Silurian period and are still standing strong today, even though their population is dwindling due to human greed. They have a basic body plan of a streamlined body, having cartilage rather than bone for their skeletal structure, external gill slits on either sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
In the warm seas of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, a small part of the reef got dark as it is obscured by a diamond-shaped shadow, the entity which casted the shadow flaps her wing-like pectoral fins to propel herself through the water as she opens her mouth to feed on krill and zooplankton.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Out of all the shark species, the most distinguishable group is probably the ones from the family Sphyrnidae, while all but the winghead shark of the genus Eusphyra are placed under the genus Sphyra, better known as the hammerhead sharks.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
A conservation icon, a beloved zoo attraction, and a star of a hit animated franchise, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is quite possibly the most immediately recognizable animal on the planet. Naturally then, it has enjoyed countless toys over the decades, including this 2017 figure courtesy of Schleich.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
ANIA is a line of animal figures released under Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. catered towards educating children about wildlife. These figures are highly detailed, inexpensive, and often accurate to the animals they are made to portray. The line has gained popularity in Japan, with them branching out to releasing bath bombs with little animals, gashapons, and blind boxes.
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
The bird life of Middle Europe generally does not flaunt too much color, although if one looks closely there are a few corlorful species, as the gold finch or the green woodpecker. A fairly common species in middle European fields and meadows nowadays is the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus).
