My thanks to Happy Hen Toys for providing this figurine for review. Be sure to check out their website down below.
River dolphins might not be as famously charismatic as their oceanic relatives, or as infamously dangerous as some contemporary freshwater predators; but they’re a remarkable and precious sample of the diversity of life which can be found in the planet’s river systems.
Being December we’re now at the height of the holiday season and so for my next couple of reviews I’ll be featuring seasonally appropriate animals. “But this is a cat”, I hear you say, “what do cats have to do with the Holidays?” Well, if you’re asking that question then you’ve apparently never heard of the Yule cat, my favorite piece of Christmas folklore.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The charismatic Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is the nominate tiger species and probably the one that most people envision in their minds when you mention tigers to them. Native to the Indian subcontinent, it rivals the Siberian tiger for the title of world’s biggest living cat.
Yesterday, the Blog showcased the 2023 Papo Salers bull. Today we will look at his counterpart, the cow. This cow was originally released in 2005 and retired in 2014, only to be released again in 2019. Today we will be looking at the 2019 release (although it is still stamped with the original production year of 2004).
Before we begin the review, I would like to thank Happy Hen Toys for supplying this figure for review. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of animal figurines and a member and supporter of the Animal Toy Blog and Forum. Of particular note is that they’re one of the few U.S.
Before I start with the review, I would like to thank Happy Hen Toys for providing me with this review sample for the blog! Our friends there have an excellent selection of animal models for collectors and enthusiasts alike; feel free to go check out their website for products like this.
The elephant seals (Mirounga spp.) are easily among the most visually striking pinnipeds. Two species respectively inhabitat the coasts of the North Pacific (M. angustirostris) and Southern Hemisphere (M. leoninae). Elephant seals exhibit the most extreme sexual dimorphism amongst pinnipeds and most mammals.
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is the widest ranging of all otter species, with a distribution covering most of Europe, large portions of Asia, and even part of northern Africa. It is also the most commonly made otter species by toy companies, although the North American river otter and sea otter are well represented too.
The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is an iconic animal in the American West. Currently living in the Salt Lake region of Utah, I myself can barely go a couple days without seeing them, whether in my neighborhood, while running or birding up City Creek Canyon, commuting through the University of Utah Campus, our outside my office and lab at the University’s Research Park.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
As its name suggests, the Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica) is an Old World porcupine that ranges across most of India as well as much of the Middle East. And like most porcupines, it is covered in a formidable coat of quills for defense against predators.
Happy spooky season to everyone! I hope this article finds you in good spirits to enjoy a spooky old bed time story. The topic is on the Papo wolf pair (Canis lupus) introduced in 2022, #50283 and #50284 respectively, but our story begins in Europe… La Beté du Gèvaudan is a longstanding horror story from Southern France.
Welcome to the spooky season series of articles! I hope you have had a nice time so far and will enjoy my contributions. My selection for my first article is the Papo “Cassis Lapdog” #54013. This model was released back in 2012 and retired in 2019. It appears to resemble a grizzled older animal with a dark coat washed with a lighter graying and special attention was given to graying brows and around the mouth of the animal.
Carrying on with Spooky Season here on the Animal Toy Blog, it’s time to look at the “big bad wolf” and based on its appearance, this one certainly fits that description. It’s the Schleich 2015 gray wolf (Canis lupus). If I’m being honest, it’s not a figure I would pick for my own collection.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest wild dog on the South American continent and with its very fox-like head and coloration, and long, spindly limbs, easily one of the weirdest-looking members of the entire dog family.
Released in 2013, the CollectA maned wolf is sculpted in a walking stance with its head turned to look to the right, its right front paw extended forward, and its left hind paw raised very slightly off the ground.
