Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Biggest of all rays, the magnificent manta ray is an imposing but gentle giant that feeds only on zooplankton. What you may not be aware of is that there are currently two recognized species: the giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) and the smaller reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi).
Ever since CollectA started releasing collections of mini dinosaurs based on their larger and standard-size dinosaurs, I knew that if they ever released a set of mini arthropods, it would represent miniature versions of their Insects and Spiders Collection. I was correct. I was not expecting it 2020, but at least I had figured out their plan.
Review and images by callmejoe3; edited by bmathison1972
The common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) is the smallest species of rorqual and the second smallest baleen whale after the pygmy right whale (Caperea marginata). They range from 6.0-9.5 meters in length and weigh 4-8 tons.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
As its name suggests, the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) inhabits chilly mountain forests in a tiny section of Central Africa, at elevations ranging from 2200 to 4300 metres. Much of what we know of this wonderful ape comes from the meticulous research of mammalogist George Schaller and the late primatologist Dian Fossey, who gave her life in the service of protecting her beloved gorillas.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Like human babies, gorilla babies are born helpless and entirely dependent on their parents for care and protection. They do, however, develop much faster than human babies and will begin spending time on their own at less than two years of age. Their juvenile stage lasts from age three to six, after which they sleep apart from their mothers.
Review and photos by OkapiBoy
High in the mountain woodlands of Ethiopia lives one of the most distinctive and endangered of Africa’s large antelope. Here and nowhere else lives the mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), a large and shy antelope that was first described in 1910. It is monotypic with no subspecies.
For author’s summary of species look here
Over this past year, I’ve made the choice to replace my Schleich Muskox with CollectA’s version. With a shoulder height of about 6.5cm, this figure roughly belongs to the 1:18-1:23 scale. This places it well within the range of most other figures of large terrestrial animals.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
The narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is a species of toothed whale that lives in the Artic waters of Greenland, Canada, and Russia. Along with the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), they are the only living members of the Monodontidae family of whales and it’s not too hard to see why.
Review and images by EpicRaptorMan; edited by bmathison1972
Behold, the nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), the largest Asian antelope native to much of India. This antelope is a bit of an oddity once described by Elizabeth Cary Mungall in her book “Exotic Animal Field Guide” as a “[…] combination of a horse and a cow with the beard of a turkey and short devil horns.” Which is a fairly accurate description.
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Highly intelligent, masterful at camouflage and deception, and capable of compressing and contorting its body in countless ways, the octopus truly is an iconic and incredible creature. And from plush toys to rubber bathtub toys to good old hard plastic toys, it has long been a favourite among children and collectors alike.
From the rolling savanna, we now head eastwards and deep into the jungles of central Africa to meet one of its most elusive, beautiful, and mysterious animals, the okapi (Okapia johnstoni).
As you may have noticed that both of my forum and blog name is OkapiBoy, any guesses? When I first saw an okapi in person, it was more than a decade ago when I was in the Midwest visiting family.
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The word “orangutan” means “person of the forest,” and you need only observe one of these beautiful and brilliant apes for a few minutes to see what a fitting name that is. There are presently three species: the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), the Sumatran orangutan (P.
