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.
Brand: Kaiyodo
Leopard Moray (Shinagawa Aquarium by Kaiyodo)
5 (2 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
With it’s bright colors of an orange head, mouth lined with narrow teeth used for grasping slippery prey, a brownish body decorated with spots, an ornate pattern, and, to top it all off, a pair of distinctive horn like nostril tubes that gave the fish its name and makes it stand out from the rest of its relatives, the leopard or dragon moray (Enchelycore pardalis) is certainly one of the most distinctive fish on the reef.
Long-spined Porcupinefish (Enoshima Aquarium Series 1 by Kaiyodo)
5 (1 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Pufferfish and their close cousins, the porcupinefish, have a particular defense mechanism of swallowing water and thanks to their expandable stomach, it makes them look bigger, rounder and less appetizing for potential predators (One example in popular media is Mrs Puff puffing up when Spongebob fails his driving test for the X amount of times and going ‘Oh, Spongebob.
Northern Fur Seal (Enoshima Aquarium Series 2 by Kaiyodo)
4.2 (5 votes)
The northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) is among the most widespread otariids of the North Pacific. This species, like other ”fur seals”, is more closely related to sea lions than to ”true seals”. This species is mostly pelagic, living across the North Pacific, Bering Sea, and Sea of Okhotsk.
Red-clawed Crab (Revogeo by Kaiyodo)
5 (2 votes)
This review is one of my walkaround carryovers from the Animal Toy Forum, presenting the red-clawed crab (Chiromantes haematocheir) by Kaiyodo, which was released earlier this year as part of their Revogeo line. I cannot find too much information on the Revogeo line. It appears to be an offshoot from their Revlotech line, which features large articulated sci-fi and anime characters.
Serval (Wild Rush 01 by Kaiyodo)
4.8 (5 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
When it comes to cats on the African savanna, those that comes to mind to most people are the lions, leopards, and cheetahs. There are other cats that people don’t think off, like the caracal or the subject of this review, the serval (Leptailurus serval).
Sloane’s Viperfish (MIU Deep Sea Odyssey 2 by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
The deep ocean is one of the most inhospitable habitats on this planet, and animals have to find extreme ways to adapt or die out. For one, sunlight only goes as low as 1000 m, although any significant light rarely goes to 200 m, which means that there are no plants to photosynthesize and in turn, no plants for herbivores to graze on.
Smokybrown Cockroach (Capsule Q Museum: Sanitary Insect Pest Exhibition by Kaiyodo)
4.3 (3 votes)
Today we are reviewing the smokybrown cockroach, Periplaneta fulginosa, by Kaiyodo for the Sanitary Insect Pest Exhibition from 2015. A year later, Kaiyodo would release a nymph of this same species in the Sticky Tack Insect set (see the third image). Like most anthropophilic species, the smokybrown is native to Asia.
Snail-eating Ground Beetle (Capsule Q Museum: Japanese Animal Collection, Tohoku by Kaiyodo)
4.3 (4 votes)
The ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles (Carabidae) with more than 40,000 species worldwide. Many species of ground beetles (adults and larvae being predators of many invertebrates, including various pests) are considered beneficial organisms to humans.
Carabus blaptoides is a species ground beetles distributed in Russia and Japan having many subspecies.
Tropical Fish Market (Okinawa Bussan Exhibition by Kaiyodo and Sapporo Beer)
5 (2 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Kaiyodo is a well known brand in Japan and throughout the world for their often small but highly detailed figures. They do make well known species but where they truly shine is in their unique and obscure species, especially in the Choco Q, Natural Monuments of Japan, Dinotales, and Aquatales lines.
Tsuchinoko (Sofubi Toybox by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
Review and images by stargatedalek; edited by bmathison1972
Editor’s Comment: We are posting this in appreciation of April Fool’s Day. However, please note that fantasy creatures in general will not be accepted for potential Blog reviews, except for fun occasions such as this or after Admin/Editor approval.
The Tsuchinoko is a small pit viper native to southern Japan.
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.