The fishes of the order Syngnathiformes (pipefishes, seahorses, and trumpetfishes) are some of the most visually bizarre and strangely adapted fishes on our planet and yet most of them look downright conventional when compared to those members of the family that look more like plants than fish. In what is certainly a textbook case of mimicry, the weedy and leafy seadragons have evolved to look like the kelp and seaweed fronds they live amongst.
Author: Gwangi
My name is Arthur but I go by Gwangi on the blogs and forums, as homage to the old dinosaur and monster movies I love so much. In addition to writing about and collecting toy animals (extinct and extant) I also share my home with a variety of living animals, mostly reptiles but a little bit of everything. I have a lifelong interest in all things pertaining to nature and natural history and most of my hobbies can be linked to those things in some way. I currently live in Maryland with my wife and daughter. In addition to writing on here I also write magazine articles, typically about local wildlife and aquarium fishes.All reviews by this author
Jersey Cow (Farm World by Schleich)
4.2 (6 votes)
If you’ve ever seen a cow that you initially mistook for a deer it was probably a Jersey cow. With their large doe-like black eyes, small size and delicate build, and light brown coloration, Jersey cattle are one of the loveliest breeds of cattle around. The breed comes from the island of Jersey, one of the British Channel Islands and is an ancient breed, having been on the island for 1,000 years and a pure breed since 1763.
Black-flanked Rock-wallaby (Animals with Superpowers by Yowie Group)
3.4 (8 votes)
Last week we looked at a macropod that makes its home in the trees, this week we’re looking at one that prefers to dwell among the rocks. The black-flanked rock wallaby (Petrogale lateralis) is a species of rock-wallaby found among rocky outcrops and cliffs in small, scattered populations throughout western Australia.
Matschie’s Tree-kangaroo (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.1 (11 votes)
Tree-kangaroos of the genus Dendrolagus are unique and fascinating animals in that they’re the only macropods adapted for an arboreal lifestyle. Indeed, while they move about awkwardly on land, they are quite agile in the trees. They possess a number of adaptations for living this lifestyle including broad hindfeet, long claws, dexterous hands, patches of rough skin on the hands and feet for gripping, and tails that are proportionally longer than those of their terrestrial counterparts, which allows for greater balance.
Yellow-bellied Glider (Baby Animals by Yowie Group)
4 (6 votes)
The yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) is a species of gliding possum belonging to the same genus as the sugar glider, a species popular in the pet trade. The yellow-bellied glider gets much larger than its popular cousin however, 24 oz vs. the 4.9 oz of the sugar glider.
Wombat (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.6 (10 votes)
Wombats are a group of strong and stout marsupials from Australia that belong to the Vombatidae family. In many respects they are convergent with ground squirrels and other burrowing rodents found elsewhere in the world, living in extensive burrows that they excavate themselves and feeding on grasses, plant roots, and other low growing vegetation.
Eurasian Spoonbill (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.5 (10 votes)
Some of my favorite birds are the spoonbills of the genus Platalea within the Threskiornithidae family. Spoonbills are wading birds found on every continent except Antarctica and characterized by the broad, flatted tip on their bills. Sweeping their bill back and forth underwater, spoonbills use their bill tip to gather up small invertebrates, amphibians, and fishes.
Gypsy Mare (Horse Country by CollectA)
4.8 (6 votes)
In keeping with a tradition that I started two years ago I’m reviewing an Irish animal for St. Patrick’s Day. Only this time I decided not to review a wild animal but a domestic one instead. In finding a subject to review I researched what livestock breeds come from the Emerald Isle and although I was able to find some, very few of them had figurines to their name.
Warthog (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.9 (8 votes)
The common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a species of pig (family Suidae) that occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. Aside from the wild boar it is the most familiar of the wild pig species. It is also common, with a large range that covers grasslands, savannas, and forests. Warthogs are the only pigs adapted to live as grazers in open habitats and the bulk of their diet is made up of grasses.
Common Zebra (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (11 votes)
The common, or plains zebra (Equus quagga), is the most widespread and common of Africa’s three species of zebra. It occurs in south and east Africa, although its range is greatly fragmented. In addition to their native range in Africa the common zebra can also be found in a rather unlikely place, California!
Moon Bear (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (9 votes)
The moon bear (Ursus thibetanus), also known as the Asian black bear, gets its name from the white or cream colored crescent shaped marking on its chest. They’re found in Asia, stretching in a narrow band from southeast Iran across central Asia, and into southeast Asia, including China, Taiwan, far east Russia, North and South Korea, and Japan.
Cormorant (Marine Life by Papo)
4.7 (11 votes)
My recent review of the Safari blue-footed booby motivated me to review another Suliforme bird that I featured in a comparison photo in that review, the 2020 Papo cormorant, which is also my most recent acquisition.
Cormorants, along with shags, make up the Phalacrocoracidae family, made up of about 40 species.
Weasel (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.7 (7 votes)
Today we’re looking at the Safari 2020 weasel, part of their North American Wildlife Collection. Safari’s website doesn’t specify the species, just that it belongs to the Mustela genus. The Mustela genus contains about 18 species, including the domestic ferret, European mink, stoats, and the least weasel…the smallest member of Carnivora.
Blue-Footed Booby (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)
4.4 (7 votes)
At the start of the year, I received an email notification from Safari Ltd. that they would be having a 50% off sale on their already discounted, discontinued figures. Not only were some of these figures now up to 75% off but this was also my last chance to get them, I didn’t squander it.
Braunvieh Cattle, Cow (Farm World by Schleich)
5 (4 votes)
From the Alpine region of Switzerland come the Braunvieh cattle, a dairy breed that has its roots in the Bronze Age and the breed for which the oldest herd book is known, spanning the years between 1775 and 1782. Braunvieh is German for “brown cattle” and the breed is also known as the Swiss Brown.