You never know how someone is going to affect your day-to-day life. A month ago, someone I knew down my road passed away. He was never a major part of my life, but he was always there, happy to chat about everything and nothing, always accompanied by a black Labrador (Canis lupus familiaris).
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
Dalmatian, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
5 (1 votes)
Often referred to as man’s best friend, dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) have been a major part of human life for thousands of years, helping us hunt, track, and keep us company, not to mention modern adaptations, such as helping the afflicted live better lives. No wonder Noah’s Pals made two sets of these animals (though I’d rather have had more wild species, but there you go).
Cheetah, standing (AAA)
2.7 (3 votes)
When it comes to land speed records, no living animal surpasses the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). This sleek predator can max out between 50 and 80 mph, allowing it to keep up with prey, although in small bursts. It is one of the largest of the Felinae group, not being a big cat as it can’t roar, only purr.
Tortoise, adult (AAA)
2 (3 votes)
If you want to think of a land animal that is the epitome of longevity, it would be the tortoise. Notable member of this family can live for two hundred years, and can have incredible variations in terms of size. While not quite as frequently made in toy form as their aquatic relatives, there are some out there, and this review will look at AAA’s efforts.
Ducks, pair (Bullyland)
4 (3 votes)
If you were to go past a large body of water, be it a canal, lake, or pond, you would likely see a form of duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus). Common in various forms and breeds across the globe, they are often a food source for meat and eggs, although can also provide a useful solution to chemical free pest control.
Skunk, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
3.5 (2 votes)
Evolution has produced many ways for life to defend itself, with eyes and jaws, claws and teeth. More interesting to me is when animals use chemical methods to stay alive. From the venomous reptiles to the explosive force of the bombardier beetle, internal chemistry can be a trump card for many animals.
Manatee (Sealife by CollectA)
4.2 (6 votes)
With a name like Sirenia, you would think I would have gotten to this point sooner, and before anyone else, but I got here at last, a review of a sirenian. These docile aquatic animals are related to Afrotherians, making this another group of mammals that became fully aquatic and large, alongside the whales.
Ring-tailed Lemur (AAA)
3.7 (3 votes)
Recently, I went on a visit to the Bristol Zoo with my girlfriend. Unfortunately, it was raining quite heavily, so we ducked into the more covered areas to get out of it. Whilst we were getting out of the rain, we quite enjoyed watching the ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) in the primate section.
Fallow Deer (AAA)
3.3 (4 votes)
Standing in a glade, head held high, displaying its mighty antlers as he observes his domain. This is the image that comes to my mind when I think of stags, male deer that rut and battle for territory and mates. They are also more common to see in toy form, as their majestic antlers are more likely to grab the attention of kids than the females that lack them.
Hawaiian ‘O’ o (Yowies Forgotten Friends Series A by Cadbury)
3 (1 votes)
As a volcanic island chain, Hawaii is not known for it’s ancient fossil fauna, but it has a selection of modern extinct species. The ‘O’ o (or Moho, based on the scientific name) were a group of birds that were native to Hawaii, now all extinct, the last being recent enough to have recordings of it’s mating call (worth hearing, though prepare to be moved to tears).
Platypus, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
2 (1 votes)
If you wanted to see mammals as they were when they started to differentiate from reptiles, the best place would be to look at the monotremes. These mammals lay eggs, sweat milk, and the one we will look at here, the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) even still has venom.
Green Sea Turtle, young (AAA)
3.5 (4 votes)
There are not many creatures that have such an uphill struggle at the start of life than sea turtles. From getting out of their egg and nest, to the mad dash to the sea, all the time being potentially picked off by predators of land and sky. When they reach the sea, it will take years to be big enough to be safe, having to evade water predators.