This will be the first of several brief posts I’m planning to migrate over from the now-defunct Animal Toy Forum Walk-arounds section. The posts were originally just intended as walk-arounds on the forum so I don’t have much to say in addition to the photos, or if I do have thoughts, I don’t have the time to articulate my comments right now.
Brand: Chocoegg/Choco Q
Fischer’s Lovebird (Chocoegg Pet Series 2 by Furuta)
3.5 (2 votes)
Today is Valentine’s Day, and what better way to celebrate with a lovebird! Today we will be looking at Fischer’s lovebird (Agapornis fischeri) that was produced by Furuta for the second series of the Chocoegg Pet line. Fischer’s lovebird is endemic to the east-central African countries of Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Frogfish (Chocoegg Funny Animals Series 6 by Furuta)
4.8 (5 votes)
All manner of bizarre-looking creatures lurk down in the darkest deepest oceans, but you don’t have to descend too far to meet the unusual frogfish. The Furuta version of the frogfish under review here is absolutely one of the best toys of its kind available.
The packaging doesn’t specify the species, but the Furuta frogfish is probably Antennarius striatus, the striated frogfish or hairy frogfish (thanks go to Brontodocus for the likely ID).
Hummingbird (ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta)
4.3 (4 votes)
This miniature in the ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta is usually listed under the broad name “hummingbird”, so that’s how I’m listing it in the title here, but some websites specify it as the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macoura, a species of hummingbird from South America. However, since the figurine lacks many of the distinctive characteristics of that specific bird, not least a forked swallow-like tail, something is clearly amiss, and that’s why I was reluctant to adopt the specific name at face value.
Humpback Whale (Choco Q Animatales Series 6 by Takara and Kaiyodo)
4.7 (3 votes)
Sometimes I wonder how Kaiyodo do it! How can it be possible to squeeze so much detail into such minuscule figures, what sorcery is at play in the ChocoQ lines? The mystery Kaiyodo sculptors are clearly masters in their field, and the humpback whale figure (Megaptera novaeangliae), part of the ChocoQ Animatales series (series 6), is one such example of that mastery.
Japanese Tiger Beetle (Choco Q Animatales Series 9 by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
The Japanese Tiger beetle Cicindela chinensis japonica is a subspecies of Cicindela chinensis, a species of ground beetles native to Asia. The real beetles size can reach 2 cm, the figurine is 3,5 cm (not including the legs and antennae).
Kaiyodo released the figurine of this beautiful beetle in their 9th ChocoQ Animatales series line up in 2004.
Large Brown Cicada, ecdysis process (Bandai, Bandai Spirits, Break Co. Ltd., & Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
Today we are looking at the ecdysis process of the large brown cicada (Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata), a species of cicada distributed throughout much of Southeast Asia, including China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. The ecdysis process is whereby a growing animal sheds its skin as it gets larger (e.g., a molting snake) or an insect advancing to the next stage of development, as we will see in this review.
Meerkat (ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta)
4 (4 votes)
Here’s a walk-around of the miniature meerkat figurine from the ChocoEgg Series 6 by Furuta. I previously shared this on the Animal Toy Forum, where member Isidro commented that it looks like it has a meerkat body and ring-tailed lemur face. Brontodocus also commented that its pose and size is nearly identical to the Play Visions ‘Civets & Mongooses’ meerkat.
Tuatara (Dinotales Series 2 by Kaiyodo)
4 (2 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Despite its long and interesting history, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) keeps a surprisingly low profile among modern fauna. That may be because of its unexciting lifestyle, which renders the reptile a less sought-after star for modern media. Right in line with that is its rarity in the toy or model world.