Although they share the vulture moniker the Old World vultures of the Accipitridae family and the New World vultures of the Cathartidae family are not closely related. Their similar appearance and feeding habits are the result of convergent evolution. They are however more closely related than was once assumed. For a time, the New World vultures were thought to be more closely allied to storks than other birds of prey.
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
Sperm Whale, 2018 (Marine Life by Papo)
5 (3 votes)
The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is one of my hands-down favorite animals and yes, I know I’ve said that before about other species, but there’s only three animals tattooed on my arm and one of them is the sperm whale. The other is the giant squid (Architeuthis dux) and as you can expect, they’re locked in combat, a small shark lurks in the background.
Black-Browed Albatross (Marine Life by Papo)
4.6 (5 votes)
Albatrosses, members of the family Diomedeidae, are some of the most spectacular seabirds, perfectly adapted to a life of sea and air. Albatrosses are some of the largest flying animals alive today, with the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) having a wingspan of up to 12.2’ (3.7 meters) and weighing in excess of 20 lbs (9 kg).
Butterflies TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (3 votes)
Butterflies are unquestionably the most popular and universally loved insects. You would be hard pressed to find someone that fears or loathes butterflies in the same way a lot of folk’s fear and loathe moths, for example. Even if butterflies are basically glorified, diurnal moths themselves. Butterflies and moths both belong to the order Lepidoptera and although moths first appear in the early Jurassic, 200 million years ago, butterflies don’t show up until the Paleocene, 56 million years ago, having evolved directly from moths.
Llama (Wildlife by Mojö Fun)
4.7 (3 votes)
The llama (Lama glama) is a domesticated South American member of the Camelidae family and is notable for being one of the only large animals domesticated outside of Eurasia. Alpacas, another domesticated Camelid from South America are similar to llamas but belong to the genus Vicugna along with the wild vicuña (V.
Highland Cattle, Bull (Farm World by Schleich)
4.2 (5 votes)
In his review of a Highland cow our own bmathison1972 professed his love for cattle (Bos taurus) breeds, so it only seems appropriate that I do the same in my own review of the Highland breed. I fortuitously came across this Schleich 2020 Highland bull while shopping at a Tractor Supply Company store and fell right in love with it.
Bull Shark (Marine Life by Papo)
5 (6 votes)
Counted among “The Big 3”, the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is considered one of the most dangerous sharks in the world, right alongside the great white and tiger shark. The frequency in which this species encounters humans is due to its preference for habitat that humans also enjoy, shallow warm coastal waters, estuaries, and bays.
American Bullfrog (Wild Republic FrogWatch USA, by K&M International)
4 (2 votes)
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is the largest frog species native to North America and a member of the Ranidae, or true frog, family. Bullfrogs are native to most of eastern North America but have been introduced elsewhere in North America and around the world. Bullfrogs are bold and voracious feeders, eating anything that moves in front of them that they can fit in their mouths.
American Bullfrog (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is an iconic American animal. A fixture in still, shallow water portions of swamps, rivers, marshes, lakes, and ponds. Anyone out enjoying a summer night within its range is no doubt familiar with its deep, bellowing, “Jug-O-Rum” call.
Reef Squid (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (4 votes)
The reef squid, also known as the Caribbean reef squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea) is a small member of the Loliginidae (pencil squid) family. At first, it might seem like a somewhat random addition to Safari’s Incredible Creatures line, just one out of over 300 squid species and with nothing particularly remarkable about it.
Spring Peeper (Wild Republic FrogWatch USA, by K&M Internationl)
4 (2 votes)
With spring fast approaching throughout the northern hemisphere I thought it would be fun to review one of the season’s most famous harbingers, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer). Of course, the species is only famous if you happen to live within its range, which happens to be the eastern portion of North America, from eastern and central Canada, south to eastern Texas and every state east of the Mississippi.
Thresher Shark (Wild Safari Sea Life by Safari Ltd.)
4 (3 votes)
The sharks of the genus Alopias, within the family Alopiidae, are among the oddest and most recognizable sharks. Commonly known as the thresher sharks there are 3 extant species: the pelagic, common, and bigeye thresher. Their exceptionally long tail has long been the stuff of myth and speculation.
Sturgeon (Red Rose Tea, Endangered North American Animals Series IV, by Wade Ceramics)
4 (2 votes)
Here’s something a little different, and not an actual toy, but worth taking a look at anyway. This is a ceramic sturgeon by Wade Ceramics, a pottery manufacturer operating out of Stoke-on-Trent, England. Wade Ceramics got its start in the 1950’s and produced ceramic figurines up until 2018. In 1967 Wade Ceramics entered a partnership with the American Rose Red Tea company who started including Wade figures in their boxes of tea.
Blue Shark (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
Sharks are, generally speaking, the living embodiment of efficiency and elegance. Most of this is owed to the sleek, aerodynamic body plan possessed by the majority of shark species, but one shark takes these classic shark attributes to the next level. The blue shark (Prionace glauca) has refined the efficiency and elegance of sharks like no other, with its long, trim, lithe body.
Wild Boar (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.7 (6 votes)
An adaptable, intelligent animal, the wild boar (Sus scrofa) was already a successful species long before it was domesticated and transplanted around the world by humans in the form of the domestic pig (S. scrofa domesticus). Naturally, they range across Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, where they thrive in a variety of habitats.