Review and images by Sam; edited by bmathison1972
The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is an animal of unusual proportions. These insectivorous mammals are native to the tropical rainforests and grasslands of Central and South America, and in Brazil, they are known as tamanduá-bandeira, which translates to “flag anteater,” a reference to their big, fanlike tail.
“Life will find a way.” These words, spoken in the Jurassic Park franchise, are so poetic and beautiful in their simplicity. They are also very true, as, no matter where you are in the world, there is liable to be life, even in the most inhospitable locations. Thermal vents in the pelagic zone seems a bad spot to live in, yet life has found a way to live in this harsh environment and reap the benefits, such as this review’s subject, the Giant Tube worm (Riftia pachyptila), an annelid that lives by these vents, harvesting the minerals they spew out.
Today I am continuing reviews of Kaiyodo’s Revogeo arthropods with the giraffe stag beetle (Prosopocoilus giraffa) which was released in late 2021. This is the fifth figure in the series following an emperor scorpion (2019), red-clawed crab (2019), Asian giant hornet (2020), and Japanese giant water bug (2021).
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.
Walk-around of the Kaiyodo Aquatales Polyresin Aquatic animal figure collection Series 1 No. 005 Indo-Pacific sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus Shaw, 1792. It was one of my most anticipated figure from the series. This small gem has a length of 131 mm FL (= Fork Length) or 118 mm SL (Standard Length, i.e.
I am continuing what seems to have become a tradition of mine, which is to review the next Kaiyodo Revogeo arthropod. Today we are looking at a pair of Japanese carpenter ants (Camponotus japonicus) which were released just last month. I discussed the geographic distribution and biology of this species here the last time I reviewed the species, so for this review I will focus exclusively on the figures themselves.
This is a modified version of the walk-around I did for the Animal Toy Forum.
Walk-around of what is probably my favorite figure, the Japanese firefly (also known as genji-botaru), Luciola cruciata Motschulsky, 1854 by Kaiyodo, No. 45 in the Natural Monuments of Japan line. The species has been made a couple times, including previously by Kaiyodo for their Choco Q Animatales line.
Review and images by Lanthanothus; edited by bmathison1972
Through their long history, the group we accept as amphibians was, and still is, very diverse. Among the many fossils a great number of species grew to sizes that are hardly imaginable for us today. The extinct Prionosuchus grew up to 9 metres, longer than any know specimens of the recent crocodiles.
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972.
Not a lot time has passed since my last review of a Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), so there is not much more to tell about the animal itself, so let us get straight away to the figure itself.
Today we are looking at the fourth figure in Kaiyodo’s Revogeo line, following the emperor scorpion (2019), red-clawed crab (2019), and Asian giant hornet (2020). The subject of today’s review is the Japanese giant water bug, Kirkaldyia deyrollei (historically referred to as Lethocerus deyrollei). This giant belostomatid occurs throught much of East Asia, including eastern China, the Amur region of Russia, the Korean Peninsula, Indochina, and Japan.
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.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
The Kidako moray (Gymnothorax kidako) is a species of moray eel inhabiting coral reefs in subtropical and tropical seas around western to central Ocean Pacific area from Taiwan to Polynesia, including Hawaii, and from south Japan and Korea to New Caledonia.
