Time to head to central and southern Africa for this “Savanah Summer”, as we look into an intriguing omnivore. The aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is the last of the order Tubulidentata, it is a burrowing, nocturnal creature, feeding on ants, termites and the Aardvark cucumber, they are an amazing species, with it’s pig like nose for digging out insects.
Brand: Noah’s Pals
African Bush Elephant, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Continuing on with my “Savannah Summer”, when on safari, you want to see the largest species a country have to offer. And when it comes to Africa, there is no larger than the largest land animal on earth, the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana). These powerful proboscidians populate a large section of Africa, though their numbers are in decline as a result of poaching for ivory made from their tusks.
Chimpanzee, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Humans, despite our technology and power, are still just another mammal. Specifically, we are primates, related to many of the ape family. Of all of them, we are most closely related to the Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), found in Eastern Africa, they are known for intelligence, tool use and (at least in the UK) adverts for tea.
Coyote, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
In previous reviews, I have looked at Noah’s Pals domestic dogs, the dalmatian and Labrador. Time I think to look at one of their wild species. Here we look at a North American species, smaller than wolves but just as accomplished: the Coyote (Canis latrans). Living in gregarious packs, they hunt the small rodents and other smaller herbivores of the region they live in, as there are several subspecies.
Dalmatian, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Often referred to as man’s best friend, dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) have been a major part of human life for thousands of years, helping us hunt, track, and keep us company, not to mention modern adaptations, such as helping the afflicted live better lives. No wonder Noah’s Pals made two sets of these animals (though I’d rather have had more wild species, but there you go).
Dodo, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
If something is “as dead as a Dodo”, it is very dead, gone forever, reflecting on the fate of said animal, the Dodo. From the island of Mauritius, these flightless pigeons roamed the land, eating fruit and shellfish and lacking fear. Then man came along and introduced new predators, ones that Dodo’s lacked, and soon they were gone from their native lands, never to return.
Dove, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Whatever your stance on religion, it is hard to deny the impact that the story of Noah has had on animal welfare and conservation. Zoos have been named in his honour, and peace symbols based on animals in his story. In the mid 2000’s it also inspired a toy line, Noah’s Pals, where animals are packed two-by-two and numbers based on their conservation status, educating children in a fascinating way.
Dromedary, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Well, here we are. We have reached the end of Summer, and of the “Savanah Summer” series of reviews. Still, while it is still here, we can enjoy the summer sun with one last review. Heading to the north of Africa, we see masters of life in the sand and heat, the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius).
Impala, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
The major force behind the variety of life is the evolutionary arms race between predator and prey. Predators evolve to catch and kill, it’s prey to run or fight back. One of the major groups to have evolved a mix of these ways of prey surviving are antelopes, as they can run quickly, they have horns to fight back.
Jackrabbit, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Jaguar, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
In the forests of South America, is an incredible and capable killer. With a camouflaged pelt, acute senses and a powerful bite that allows it to crush turtle carapaces and mammal skulls, it is famed for power and features in many myths and legends of the region. This animal is the Jaguar (Panthera onca), and despite the problems from hunting for it’s pelt, it is still among us across South America, though in many areas it’s numbers are incredibly low, hence why, in the Noah’s Pals line, it is part of the “vulnerable” line, limited to 20,000 pairs.
Kinkajou, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Noah’s Pals was a line of toy animals that featured male and female pairs of select species. The line was produced by Caboodle! Toys LLC starting in 2006 but was taken over by Schleich a couple years before production ceased. The line was divided into four subsets: Endangered Pals, Vulnerable Pals, Common Pals, and Exclusive Pals.