Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
All the poison dart frogs of Central and South America are decked out in vivid colours, but the blue poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius var. azureus) is particularly unique due to being decked out in brilliant blues.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
As its name suggests, the Australian green tree frog (Ranoidea caerulea) can be found throughout the northern and eastern regions of Australia, and in New Guinea as well. They prefer to live in moist forests, but will also inhabit swamps, grasslands, and around human dwellings.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), or simply bullfrog, is the biggest and best known true frog in North America. I have fond memories of catching them at my old family cottage back when I was a child. I even once caught a bullfrog tadpole and raised it until it grew limbs and lost its tail, upon which I released it back into the river.
Before I start my review I must again thank @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for sending me these review samples for the Blog. This may have been the most anticipated set by Toymany for 2025 and having had the figures in hand, it doesn’t disappoint.
When Gondwana broke up, Madagascar split from what is now Africa during the Early Jurassic, about 180 million years ago.
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.
Today I will be presenting a brief overview of the 2024 Frogs collection by Toymany, which was kindly gifted as a review sample by @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for the Blog. This was intended to be posted yesterday when the set was announced, but I was traveling for work so it’s coming up a day late.
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.
Over the course of the summer I reviewed the entirety of Safari’s famous and sadly discontinued Tennessee Aquarium Salamanders line, a set of 7 life-like and life-size models released in 1995 (one in 1997) and retired in the mid-2000s. But I also hinted at a spiritual successor that, while not in the line, fits alongside them in theme, style, and production…also geographically.
So here we are–the final figure in the Tennessee Aquarium series from Safari, the only figure released after 1995 (1997 to be exact). This is the common mudpuppy Necturus maculosus, number 210672, probably the hardest to find one and, when stacked together, the largest and most imposing by a wide margin.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a critically endangered salamander native only to Lake Xochimilco in southern Mexico City, Mexico. Only between 50 and 1000 individuals reside there, although there are many more being raised in zoos, research laboratories, and the pet trade.
For the first time since I introduced the Tennessee Aquarium salamander figures with the fire salamander we are going back to Europe, the northern crested newt, Triturus cristatus, and this is also the last European species in the series. This one is item number 210572, the sixth and final figure in the original 1995 releases–and the penultimate figure in the series overall.
Here is one more lungless plethodontid salamander from the official Tennessee Aquarium series, the yonahlossee salamander Plethodon yonahlossee, item number 210472. Probably the figure with the most distinctive colours, it may also be one of the salamander figures with the longest lasting presence on the various Safari lines overall.
