The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is the smallest and most wide-ranging bear species in North America. They’re found from coast-to-coast, from Alaska to Mexico, where they prefer forested environments. Once found in every state in the U.S. their population has been greatly reduced, especially in the Midwest, but they’ve been steadily repopulating areas they were previously extirpated from.
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
Guineafowl (Farm Animals by Papo)
4.6 (9 votes)
Before we begin the review, I would like to extend my gratitude towards Happy Hen Toys for sending this figure along as a review sample. Check out their large selection of animal and dinosaur figures by clicking the banner below.
Guineafowl are Galliformes belonging to the family Numididae and are native to Africa.
Grizzly Bear, Female (2004) (Wildlife America by Schleich)
4.8 (6 votes)
The brown bear (Ursus arctos) is the world’s second largest carnivoran and has the largest distribution of any bear species, with a range stretching across Europe, Asia, and North America. They even once inhabited the Atlas Mountains of Africa. As with any animal with such a large range there are many subspecies of brown bear and in North America none is more well known than the grizzly (U.
North African Hedgehog (Baby Animals by Yowie Group)
3.3 (6 votes)
Today we’re looking at the North African hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) by Yowie Group, part of their Baby Animals set. Although the figure is meant to be a baby (or hoglet) there’s nothing about it that indicates it’s a baby and it can be used to represent an adult hedgehog.
Howler Monkey (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (7 votes)
The howler monkeys of the genus Alouatta are among the largest and most widespread of new world monkeys and are famed for their loud vocalizations, among the loudest of all terrestrial animals. With the aid of an enlarged hyoid bone the guttural howls of these monkeys can be heard up to 3 miles (4.8 km) away.
Humpback Whale (Sealife by Mojö Fun)
4.8 (10 votes)
Although the blue whale is the largest of all baleen whales it seems that the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is the most popular, but maybe that’s just my personal assumption after seeing it plastered all over Christian Lassen school supplies in the 90’s. The toy market seems to back up my claim though, with Toy Animal Wiki cataloging several more humpback figures than blue whale.
Wallaby (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (6 votes)
The Safari Ltd. wallaby was released in 2016 and sculpted by Doug Watson. Although currently available on Safari’s website it has been perpetually on sale for some time, which likely means it has been retired and is being cleared out. Let’s take a closer look at it and see if it’s worth grabbing before it’s gone.
Tasmanian Devil (Wildlife by Mojö Fun)
5 (7 votes)
With the extinction of the thylacine the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) claimed the title of the largest extant marsupial predator, weighing up the 18 lbs. (8 kg.) in the case of males. Not a terribly impressive size for the largest marsupial predator, I’ve had cats that outweigh the Tasmanian devil!
Caribou (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (8 votes)
A few years ago, I reviewed the CollectA woodland caribou for the holiday season and since I’m a one-figure-per-species collector I thought I would be done with caribou aka reindeer after that. But here I am again with another figure of the same species, again for the holiday season. Why? Well, I got this idea in my head that for Rangifer tarandus I might want to collect some of its many subspecies.
Killer Whale, 2018 (Wildlife Ocean by Schleich)
5 (13 votes)
The world’s largest and most visually striking dolphin, one of its most intelligent animals, and undisputedly one of its most accomplished predators, the killer whale (Orcinus orca) needs no introduction from me. Whether they’re attacking boats or wearing dead salmon as hats the orca is constantly generating interest and is one of our most beloved and familiar animals.
Pilot Whale (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (12 votes)
Pilot whales are members of the Delphinidae family that get their name from the unproven belief that a single member of the pod leads the rest and that they’ll follow that individual even if it means certain death, which is supposed to explain why pilot whales strand en mass. Indeed, pilot whales are among the most likely cetacean species to become stranded.
White-tailed Deer, Buck 2012 (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.6 (11 votes)
In May 2016 the President of the United States signed the National Bison Legacy Act, making the North American bison the official National Mammal of the United States. I think they made the wrong choice and should have gone with the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) instead. Hear me out.