Today’s review is significant in a couple of ways. For one, it’s October, which means it is now spooky season on the blog. A time to focus our reviews on the creepy critters usually associated with Halloween. It also just so happens to be my 100th review. Coming up with a sentimental or special figure to review, that also ties in with our seasonal theme, seemed like such an impossible task that I almost gave up on it.
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
Coyote (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd)
4.7 (10 votes)
It was an early spring evening in 1999, in central New York. I was doing what I did most evenings back then, sitting quietly on the bank of an active beaver pond with a VHS camcorder in hand, waiting for whatever wildlife might stroll by. Off in the distance I could hear a pack of coyotes (Canis latrans), a chorus of high-pitched barks and yips.
European Hedgehog (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (6 votes)
The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) also known as the common hedgehog ranges across much of Europe, from Iberia and Italy, north into Scandinavia and northwest Russia, and west into the British Isles. It is a beloved animal throughout its range and a welcome visitor to backyard gardens where it feeds nocturnally on worms, slugs, snails, caterpillars, beetles, and other invertebrates.
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
4.4 (7 votes)
The Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is a member of the family Delphinidae that can be found in temperate and tropical waters throughout the Atlantic. Calves are born unspotted, and spots don’t appear until 3-4 years of age, on average. More spots appear as the dolphin ages and physically mature dolphins have the heaviest spotting, although the amount of spotting can still vary between individuals.
Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (6 votes)
With its distinctive, sharply contrasting mix of gray, black, blue, white, and yellow coloration, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) is one of the ocean’s most attractive species of dolphin. And yet, it is not terribly popular with toy manufacturers which tend to focus on the far more popular but somewhat bland bottlenose dolphin.
Blacktip Reef Shark (Marine Life by Papo)
4.8 (4 votes)
The blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) is one of the most recognizable sharks, a staple in aquariums that frequents shallow coral reefs in the wild, which makes it popular among tourists and SCUBA divers. The blacktip reef shark is a generally timid species with only 11 unprovoked attacks and 21 attacks total to its name, none of them fatal.
Salmon Shark (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (9 votes)
It’s Shark Week once again, the Discovery Channel’s weeklong marathon of shark documentaries that has been 34 years running. So popular is Shark Week that it’s practically a national holiday here in the United States. National Geographic has gotten in on the action too with their own Shark Fest which celebrates the cartilaginous fishes with an entire month of shark content this year.
Sahara Desert TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (8 votes)
The Sahara Desert covers about 25% of the African continent and is the largest hot desert in the world, with an area of 3,600,000 square miles (9,200,000 km). This immense ecosystem is made up of sand dunes, some of which are 500’ tall, stone plateaus, sand seas, gravel plains, dry valleys, and sand flats.
Green Anaconda (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
4.9 (11 votes)
The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is the heaviest species of snake in the world, and one of the longest. It is also one of the most familiar and feared species of snake. In capturing the human imagination the anaconda has become the subject of pulpy adventure novels, and B grade monster movies that have perpetuated many tall tales about its maximum size and potential man-eating abilities.
Razorback Sucker (Marsh Education by Safari Ltd.)
5 (6 votes)
It is my great pleasure today to introduce my readers to one of my holy grail collectibles, the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) by Safari Ltd. This figure is one of a set of 6 produced by Safari Ltd. for the Marsh & Associates Native Fish Lab, all of which represent endangered fishes native to Arizona, USA.
Black-backed Jackal (Wildlife Collection by CollectA)
4.7 (6 votes)
The black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) is a fixture of the east and southern African landscape. Usually seen skulking around the periphery of kills made by Africa’s much larger predators. Although regarded as lowly scavengers at the bottom of the predatory pecking order jackals are cunning, resourceful, and successful little generalist predators.
Diana Monkey (Wildlife Collection by CollectA)
5 (7 votes)
The Diana monkey (Cercopithecus diana) is a species of catarrhine (old-world) monkey native to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Côte d’Ivoire. It’s named after the Roman goddess, Diana, goddess of wild animals and hunting, and the boundary between the wild and civilization, among other things. The Diana monkey gets this name due to its white crescent-shaped browband, which resembles the bow that the goddess is often depicted with.
Minke Whale (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
4.4 (5 votes)
The minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) belongs to the same genus as the world’s largest animal, the blue whale, but at 26-33’ (8-10.2 meters) is only a fraction of its giant cousin’s size. Indeed, the minke whale is the world’s smallest species of rorqual and the second smallest species of baleen whale (the pygmy right whale is the smallest).
Crested Gecko (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (9 votes)
The Safari crested gecko (Correlophus ciliatus) is new for 2022 and part of their Incredible Creatures line. It’s a fitting addition too. The crested gecko is only found on the island country of New Caledonia. Specifically, on the southern portion of the island of Grand Terre and on Isle of Pines.
Hereford Cattle, Cow (Farm World by Schleich)
3.8 (9 votes)
The Hereford is a breed of cattle that originated in Herefordshire, England, in 1742. Originally used as a multi-purpose breed, Hereford cattle are now bred specifically for their meat. They can be easily identified by their mostly dark red body and white face. The Hereford is smaller than the similar Simmental cattle, and in general has less white spotting and tends to be darker red in color too.