Across the globe, fish populations are under threat as a result of human expansion, altering the environment to suit us. From the Yangtze to the Atlantic, aquatic populations are struggling. This has led to many extinctions, such as the subject of this review: the New Zealand Grayling (Prototroctes oxyrhynchus).
Author: Sirenia
I'm Daniel Waite (aka ‘Sirenia’ on the Animal Toy Blog/Forum and ‘Indohyus’ on the Dinosaur Toy Blog/Forum). Ever since I was young, I would love any chance to see animals. Whether it’s visiting Safari parks, zoos, farms or local parks, I would love seeing animals around, doing what they did. Though I skewed towards ancient species later on, I still kept my love for extant species alive. I’ve had many pets, including dogs (my greyhound River is in the photo), cats, ferrets, mice and goldfish. I liked collecting many animal figures over the years, often from my trips to zoos and safari parks, resulting in a vast menagerie of models. As a result, my reviews can come with a heavy feeling of nostalgia. Hope you enjoy!All reviews by this author
Domestic Sheep, ram (AAA)
4 (3 votes)
Now to something a little more domestic in our “Winter Wonderland” series. The domestic sheep (Ovis aries) has an impressive fur coat, which would help with coping with high or cold climbs across the globe. Giving us wool and meat, sheep are a mainstay of the farmland, so there is a lot of figures of the various breeds.
Emperor Penguin, adult and chick (AAA)
4.2 (5 votes)
Welcome, once again, to my “Winter Wonderland” series! We started in the great white north, now we shall go to the frozen south of the world: Antarctica, responsible for such icy greats as the Ice Age. It is also an area where terrestrial mammals aren’t present, thus the major terrestrial animals are penguins, having adapted to the cold climate over millions of years.
Gray Wolf Howling (Large) and Brown Wolf Cub (AAA)
3.5 (2 votes)
With Christmas over but winter still here, I wanted to highlight and celebrate this season, starting several reviews on a “Winter Wonderland” series! Each are animals adapted for the ice and snow of the world’s coldest environments, captured in the snow that has recently fallen for my area. We start with some large hunters of the snow, the gray wolf (Canis lupus).
Reindeer (Early Learning Centre)
3 (1 votes)
Well, the holiday season is upon us, and Christmas is just around the corner, so I thought I’d do a review of an animal that is quintessential to the holiday. And I can think of no better than the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), famous for carrying Santa’s sleigh.
Walrus (AAA)
3.7 (3 votes)
The order Carnivora has had some interesting members over the millennia. From wolves to sabre-toothed cats, they have filled the world with variety, often being apex predators in their regions. They even lay claim to the oceans, becoming adept aquatic agents, capable of chasing and killing prey (hopefully without being caught by even more adapted predators, like sharks and whales).
White Tigress Roaring (AAA)
1.6 (5 votes)
Among the modern cats, none are bigger than the tiger, and famous among these is the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). The stripes on each being an individuals’ fingerprint, and the orange hiding it in the forests of India. But every so often, one is born heavier and larger than others, as well as lacks the vibrant orange, but instead a bright white.
Dolphin (Authentics Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
3 (2 votes)
Among the animals of the world known for intelligence, one of the top three is the dolphin. These crafty cetaceans are known to be playful, agile and inventive, learning to deal with their ever changing world in many ways, like using river banks and bubbles to hunt. These clever critters do suffer as a result of humans, whether caught in nets, polluted oceans or captured to be used for our entertainment.
Giant Panda, right front paw up (AAA)
4.5 (2 votes)
When one thinks of animal conservation, the image of one rare animal will often pops into mind: the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). The symbol of the World Wildlife Federation, this magnificent bear nearly became extinct in the wild, but fortunately, it is in a better state than it was, now listed as venerable, so it can continue to live carefree, bamboo eating lives.
Leopard, youngster (AAA)
2.5 (2 votes)
When most think of big cats in heraldry, most will think of lions, rampant on shields, but very often they will represent another of Africa’s magnificent big cats, the leopard (Panthera pardus). These rosette-marked cats had large ranges across Africa and Asia, now only pockets of their former territories remain, pushed out by humans, by hunting and loss of habitat.
Gorilla, baby sitting with banana (AAA)
3.3 (6 votes)
Primates. The order of which humans and our closest related species belong to. One of the groups that we are also included in are the great apes, the largest being the gorilla (Gorilla gorilla). These magnificent African apes are critical endangered and need protecting. It has many, many figures of the species made.
Thoroughbred, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
5 (1 votes)
One of the large mammals that survived the Ice Age is the horse (Equus ferus). As a result of domestication by humans and travelling to Asia, it survived the extinctions in North America, and are now widespread across the globe, helping humans travel across tough terrain and long distances.