Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Spider monkeys, which belong to the genus Ateles, live in the jungles of Central and South America. They derive their popular name from their long, spindly limbs and prehensile tail. Such adaptations make them superbly agile climbers despite their relatively large size.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Spotted or laughing hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are masterful hunters of the African savannah that kill up to 95% of their food as opposed to scavenging it. They have the largest group sizes and the most complex social behaviour of any member of the order Carnivora.
Review and images by EpicRaptorMan; edited by bmathison1972
When you think of the word “rhinoceros” the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is likely not the first species to come to mind. Unfortunately, that is likely because it is a rare and dwindling species with an estimated scattered population of 80 or less putting them on the “Critically Endangered” list by the IUCN.
Review and images by Kikimalou; edited by bmathison1972
The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is the largest carnivorous marsupial still alive. About the length of a Corgi, with a stocky body, a large head full of teeth, and a tail about half the length of its body. The coat is black with, most of the time, white markings on the neck and on the rump at the base of the tail.
There are few predators in the world as well equipped for the hunt as members of the cat family. With stealthy bodies, keen senses, and a powerful array of weapons at their disposal, it is no wonder they have spread across the globe, and are often the top predators of their regions.
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The word “sloth” means slowness, laziness, indolence, or a habitual disinclination to exertion, and looking at the arboreal South American mammals called sloths, one might think that they fit their name to a tee. But while sloths are indeed slow-moving, they are not at all lazy.
The common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a species of pig (family Suidae) that occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. Aside from the wild boar it is the most familiar of the wild pig species. It is also common, with a large range that covers grasslands, savannas, and forests. Warthogs are the only pigs adapted to live as grazers in open habitats and the bulk of their diet is made up of grasses.
Today we’re looking at the Safari 2020 weasel, part of their North American Wildlife Collection. Safari’s website doesn’t specify the species, just that it belongs to the Mustela genus. The Mustela genus contains about 18 species, including the domestic ferret, European mink, stoats, and the least weasel…the smallest member of Carnivora.
Another ride out on the “Savanah Summer” and we cover a figure of the last of the Big Five African mammals for me to review, the Rhino. In this case, it is the largest of the rhinos, the White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum). There are two subspecies, the more common southern and the near extinct northern, now with only two individuals remain.
Today I am presenting one of my favorite ‘large mammals’. As a kid growing up in Phoenix, one of my favorite animals to see at the Phoenix Zoo was the white rhinoceros, Ceratotherium simum. As with most large, familiar animals, this species is no stranger to toy form.
I recently bought a lot on eBay, mainly for some Play Visions prosimians and bats. Within this lot was this baby white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simium) by Safari Ltd. Normally I do not collect baby animals to compliment adults, but this a rather nice figure, especially given it was produced back in 1996.
In May 2016 the President of the United States signed the National Bison Legacy Act, making the North American bison the official National Mammal of the United States. I think they made the wrong choice and should have gone with the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) instead. Hear me out.
An adaptable, intelligent animal, the wild boar (Sus scrofa) was already a successful species long before it was domesticated and transplanted around the world by humans in the form of the domestic pig (S. scrofa domesticus). Naturally, they range across Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, where they thrive in a variety of habitats.
Wombats are a group of strong and stout marsupials from Australia that belong to the Vombatidae family. In many respects they are convergent with ground squirrels and other burrowing rodents found elsewhere in the world, living in extensive burrows that they excavate themselves and feeding on grasses, plant roots, and other low growing vegetation.
