It’s July in the South Africa and mating season for its penguins, the males begin calling out with their harsh braying. A local bystander hears this and decides the perfect name to call this bird…
Alas, the South African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), is unfortunately dubbed the ”Jackass Penguin” for its donkey-like sounds.
Brand: CollectA
Southern Cassowary (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.7 (6 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Only few species of the once varied and numerous group of ratites remain in our modern world. Amonge these, the cassowaries are a very impressive occurrence, they are the most colorful and the second heaviest. Three species are known, but the one shown here is basically the only known to people other than the most dedicated ornithologists, the southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius.
Sow (Farm Life by CollectA)
5 (7 votes)
Today we’re looking at your classic pink pig (Sus scrofa domesticus), what must be one of the most common toy animals you can think of. But, and I hate to say it, this is some pig. And that’s the second Charlotte’s Web reference I’ve made in too short an amount of time.
Sperm Whale, 2018 (Sealife by CollectA)
5 (7 votes)
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
A truly awesome beast, the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of all extant flesh-eating animals, the second deepest diving mammal, the scourge of squid, and the inspiration behind Moby-Dick. Its unusual name is derived from the fact that its head contains a waxy substance called spermaceti, which was originally mistaken for the whale’s seminal fluid!
Spotted Seal (Sealife by CollectA)
4.8 (6 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
A fairly typical member of the earless or “true” seal family, the spotted seal (Phoca largha) inhabits the cold waters of the northern Pacific Ocean. Its range includes the Yellow Sea off China, which may have been a factor in CollectA’s decision to make not one, but two toys of it in 2014.
Striped Hyena (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (8 votes)
The spotted hyena is one of the most well-known and popular animals today, thanks to its many appearance in nature documentaries as well as movies. It has become one of those iconic animals that almost everyone knows or at least can identify.
But the spotted hyena is not alone in its family, today there are actually four extant species of hyenas: the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), the brown hyena (Hyaena brunnea) the aardwolf (Proteles cristatus), and striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena).
Tadjik Markhor (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.7 (7 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The markhor (Capra falconeri) is a wild goat that can be found scattered across the mountains of Central Asia, the Himalayas, and the Kakakoram. Several subspecies of markhor are known to exist, including the rare Tadjik or Bukharan markhor (C.
Tasmanian Devil (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (4 votes)
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Contrary to what was shown in Looney Toons, a Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) doesn’t have brown fur, doesn’t have a short muzzle or tufts of fur resembling horns, doesn’t walk upright, and doesn’t travel around by spinning rapidly like a tornado.
Thylacine (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (5 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
For millions of years, the modern thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), also known as the marsupial wolf and the Tasmanian tiger, was one of Australia’s apex predators. But thanks to over-hunting, habitat destruction, and sheer callousness on the part of human beings, this magnificent animal has gone the way of the dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts.
Turkey (Farm Time by CollectA)
4.6 (5 votes)
Today here in the United States it is Thanksgiving (it is celebrated on other days in other parts of the World)! And what better way to celebrate the holiday than a review of the turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. This figure was produced by CollectA in 2016 but is also distributed by Breyer in North America (as my figure was, hence both companies in the Categories).
Tyrol Grey Cattle (Farm Time by CollectA)
5 (4 votes)
As I mentioned when I reviewed the 2020 Papo Highland cattle, I really like cattle breeds. When it comes to the Eurasian stock (Bos taurus taurus), I started with the 2019 Hereford from CollectA, followed by the aforementioned 2020 Papo Highland Cattle, and now the 2020 Tyrol Grey cattle by CollectA.
White Rhinoceros, 2019 (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (11 votes)
The white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is the 4th heaviest species of terrestrial animal, just edging out the hippopotamus. Only the three extant elephant species are heavier. Males average about 5,070 lbs. (2,300 kg) while females average 3,750 lbs. (1,700 kg) and larger specimens have been reported. Two sub-species of white rhinoceros have been described, the southern (C.
Wombat (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (6 votes)
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Along with kangaroos, koalas, and dingos, wombats are some of the most familiar and famous Australian animals. While they may look cute and round and harmless, they are not helpless when it comes to defending themselves. When confronted by a predator, a wombat will dash into its burrow and use its tough, round rear end to block the tunnel.
Woodland Caribou (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.4 (7 votes)
Everyone knows that Santa’s sleigh is pulled by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) but with 14 extant sub-species currently described has anyone ever wondered what kind of reindeer are pulling it? Probably not. But according to the 1823 poem (which also gave the reindeer their names) A Visit from St.
Yakutian Stallion, Grey (Horse Country by CollectA)
5 (3 votes)
Review and images by Harecraft Horses; edited by bmathison1972
CollectA’s new horses for 2022 are being sent out to stockists in two batches, some breeds now and the rest due in December (although of course these timings will vary by country – there’s always a delay while British collectors wait for the new figures to be shipped over, while the US and mainland Europe are buying them already).