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. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of figures by Safari, Papo, CollectA, Schleich, and other companies significant to our hobby. In the case of CollectA they’re often the only place that sells their products at a reasonable price within the United States.
Classification: Amphibians
Animal Collection 1/1 Waxy Monkey Tree Frog & Breviceps adspersus (SO-TA)
5 (2 votes)
So-Ta, a Japanese toy company, released this set of frogs this summer (2022). There are actually two sets. These sets were released as a gashapon set (plastic eggs in vending machines) and as a boxed set. The sets both contained the same two species but in different colour schemes. The box set has the designers initial colour scheme with the mint coloured Waxy monkey tree frog and the duller painted B.
Tiger Salamander (Wild Republic by K&M International)
4.5 (2 votes)
Review and images by stemturtle; edited by bmathison1972
Eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum (K&M). Length is 10.5 inches or 27 cm.
This figure is made of soft rubber. The paint did not hold up well to my granddaughter’s play, so I touched-up the green spots.
Chinhai Spiny Newt (Animals with Superpowers by Yowie Group)
4.5 (2 votes)
As of this writing, amphibians are the most neglected vertebrate group on the ATB, with roughly a dozen reviews representing them. There’s little that can be done about this however, as aside from a few popular species the group as a whole is rarely reproduced in plastic. Frogs are obviously the most popular amphibians and dominate the toy amphibian market, although most are generic and not assigned to any particular species.
Frog, Male (AAA)
3.3 (3 votes)
As the first group to leave the waters to become, at least partially, terrestrial, amphibians have had a long and intriguing evolutionary history. Though no longer the mighty giants they were once, they still exist in a multitude across the globe, in spite of the many trials they face from disease and humanity.
American Bullfrog (Wild Republic FrogWatch USA, by K&M International)
4 (3 votes)
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is the largest frog species native to North America and a member of the Ranidae, or true frog, family. Bullfrogs are native to most of eastern North America but have been introduced elsewhere in North America and around the world. Bullfrogs are bold and voracious feeders, eating anything that moves in front of them that they can fit in their mouths.
American Bullfrog (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) is an iconic American animal. A fixture in still, shallow water portions of swamps, rivers, marshes, lakes, and ponds. Anyone out enjoying a summer night within its range is no doubt familiar with its deep, bellowing, “Jug-O-Rum” call.
Spring Peeper (Wild Republic FrogWatch USA, by K&M Internationl)
4 (3 votes)
With spring fast approaching throughout the northern hemisphere I thought it would be fun to review one of the season’s most famous harbingers, the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer). Of course, the species is only famous if you happen to live within its range, which happens to be the eastern portion of North America, from eastern and central Canada, south to eastern Texas and every state east of the Mississippi.
Wilderness Series 1 Polybag Collection (Wild Republic by K&M International)
3.5 (4 votes)
Today I am reviewing a set of five figures I bought specifically for just one of the figures it contains. However, since I have the whole set, I might as well review all five for the Blog! Also, this will be our first review of an entire Wild Republic Polybag collection!
Japanese Giant Salamander (Sofubi Toy Box by Kaiyodo)
5 (4 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972.
Not a lot time has passed since my last review of a Japanese giant salamander (Andrias japonicus), so there is not much more to tell about the animal itself, so let us get straight away to the figure itself.
Great Lakes TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
5 (5 votes)
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Those are the names of the Great Lakes of North America that boarder the central/east United States and Canada. In total area they represent the largest freshwater lakes on Earth, holding roughly 20% of the world’s surface freshwater and 9/10ths of the water supply for the United States.
Eternal Lost Breeds, Extinct animal (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
5 (3 votes)
Despite the progress we have made as a species, there is one fact we cannot change: extinction is forever. As a result of our hubris, many spectacular species have been wiped from the face of the earth. Takara have created quite an exquisite set, showing a selection of the species that have been lost of the centuries, each with a stand stating scientific names and year of extinction.
Japanese Giant Salamander (Natural Monuments of Japan by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanothus; edited by bmathison1972
Through their long history, the group we accept as amphibians was, and still is, very diverse. Among the many fossils a great number of species grew to sizes that are hardly imaginable for us today. The extinct Prionosuchus grew up to 9 metres, longer than any know specimens of the recent crocodiles.
Alpine Salamander (NaturimBild.at)
5 (2 votes)
Review and photos by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Being new to the blog I decided to go with something very European… [editor’s note: Lanthanotus may be new to the Animal Toy Blog, but he is a regular reviewer for the Dinosaur Toy Blog]
The Alpine Salamander (Salamandra atra) is a livebearing, totally terrestrial species restricted to the Middle-European Alps and parts of the Dinarides.
Tropical Rain Forest Frogs, Part 2 (Real Figure Collection Box by Colorata)
3 (2 votes)
This is the second part of a two-part review of the Tropical Rain Forest Frogs collection box by Colorata. Part 1 covered the Neotropical species. This second part covers the African, Madagascan, and Asian species.
Each figure is a single, solid piece of plastic. Five of the figures in the set come with a habitat-style base, three of which appear to be permanently attached to the base.