There are criminally few toys of hummingbirds, which are surely some of the most beloved and extraordinary birds across the Americas. Perhaps their diminutive size and delicate forms intimidate toy manufacturers, or maybe they just get bad luck of the draw when new releases are chosen. Whatever the cause, toy companies have left a vacuum in this corner of bird collectibles; so any new contribution is to be welcomed.
Brand: Papo
Thresher Shark (Marine Life by Papo)
4.8 (6 votes)
Review and images by Alopias superciliosus; edited by bmathison1972
I’m happy to be back for my third Shark Week with the Animal Toy Blog, and this year I will be contributing two reviews! First up, arriving just in time for Shark Week, Papo’s newly released thresher shark.
Thresher sharks are a fascinating family of mackerel sharks easily distinguished by their incredibly long upper caudal fin lobes.
Hippopotamus (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.5 (8 votes)
Now having two pygmy hippopotamus reviews under my belt I figured it was time to check the other hippopotamus species off my review list, the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). This species has been reviewed a few times and is so widely familiar that it needs no introduction from me, so let’s dive on in.
Red-eared Slider (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (13 votes)
In 1992 the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were at the height of their popularity and like many young boys of my generation, I was obsessed! To the point where my vast toy collection wasn’t enough. I wanted a real turtle, and shockingly enough my mother obliged me. He was a red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), a sub-species of the pond slider native to the mid-western United States, around the Mississippi River and its tributaries.
Polar Bear (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (8 votes)
Paradoxically, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is both the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore and a marine mammal. They get their marine mammal designation because they live on water, albeit in the form of ice. Yes, that makes it a bit of a stretch to call it a marine mammal, but the polar bear is quite capable in liquid water as well.
Sailfish (Marine Life by Papo)
4.6 (10 votes)
With alleged speeds of up to 68 mph the sailfish is said to be the fastest animal in the sea. However, recent studies suggest a maximum speed of only 34 mph. That’s still fast for an aquatic animal though, matching other ocean speedsters like the mako shark and killer whale. And with its tall, sail-like dorsal fin, it is one of the sea’s most visually distinct and impressive fishes.
Guineafowl (Farm Animals by Papo)
4.6 (9 votes)
Before we begin the review, I would like to extend my gratitude towards Happy Hen Toys for sending this figure along as a review sample. Check out their large selection of animal and dinosaur figures by clicking the banner below.
Guineafowl are Galliformes belonging to the family Numididae and are native to Africa.
Phantasmal Poison Frog (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (6 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The phantasmal poison frog (Epipedobates bicolor) is native to the Andean slopes of central Ecuador, where it typically dwells in leaf litter near streams of tropical dry forests. It is sometimes appropriately called the candy cane frog due to its coloration.
Caiman (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (21 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Caimans are members of the alligator family that reside in Central and South America. There are presently six living species ranging in size from the 1.4 metre-long Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, which is the smallest living crocodilian, to the 5 metre-long black caiman, which is the largest member of Alligatoridae.
Tigress (Wild Animals by Papo)
4 (6 votes)
This Papo tigress #50003 was first released in 2004 and retired in 2012 as part of their Wild Animals line and was also included in their gladiator series of figures; there was a fighting male lion figure alongside her.
The following post will regale yet another tale of an animal with a predilection for human kills.
Green-and-black Poison Dart Frog (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.5 (6 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
While toads have long been associated with witchcraft and the occult due to their unpleasing appearances (to some) and the toxins they excrete from their backs, they have nothing on the poison dart frogs of Central and South America in terms of lethality.
Tarantula Wolf Spider (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.1 (9 votes)
No spooky season would be complete without a member of Araneae, the spiders, quite possibly the animal most symbolic of Halloween. What haunted attraction isn’t covered in fake spider webbing? And what child doesn’t bring home at least one plastic spider ring after a night of trick or treating? Today we’re looking at the 2016 Papo “tarantula”, a figure that our own Blaine Mathison stated, “might be the best spider figure ever produced”.