One of the most powerful animals in the Animal Kingdom, having a bite force of over 3,000 psi and able to hold its breath underwater for over an hour, the crocodile is an impressive animal that is feared and yet even revered in some cultures, notably the Ancient Egyptians who worshipped them.
Classification: Reptiles
Saltwater Crocodile, ‘Fiona’ (G.I. Joe: Classified Series by Hasbro)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
G.I. Joe is not a franchise I have any prior affiliation with or affection for; it just never crossed my radar in any meaningful way growing up. Show me a big, articulated reptile toy, however, and I will gladly offer any merchandise brand a moment of my time.
Green Iguana (Wild Life America by Schleich)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The common or green iguana (Iguana iguana) is a reptile of many titles. It’s the largest member of the iguana family, measuring up to 1.7 metres from head to tail, with most of that length being tail. It has probably the widest distribution of any lizard, ranging throughout most of South America and all the way up into southern Mexico, plus it’s been introduced to places like Florida, Hawaii, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan.
Cryptozoology Designer TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
Review and images by Saarlooswolfhound; edited by bmathison1972
This article marks my first multiple model (Safari Ltd. TOOB) production! Presented here are 14 figures, 7 original pieces and 7 later re-released with updated paintwork. The Cryptozoology Designer TOOB by Safari Ltd. #677504 was originally released in 2013 with simplistic paintwork, then re-released a few years after retirement with much improved paint schemes for most of the figures.
Chameleon (Wild Life Africa by Schleich)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Chameleons are a wondrous family of lizards famous for their colour-changing abilities, independently moving eyes, and lightning fast tongues. They are found throughout all of Africa and Madagascar, and range all the way into the Middle East, southern India, and parts of southern Europe.
Alligator Snapping Turtle (Wild Republic – Living Stream by K&M International)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
Turtles and tortoises don’t seem to get the same bad rap their reptilian relatives have historically suffered; perhaps their slower nature, omnivorous diets, and long lifespans have endeared themselves to human sensibilities better. Not all testudines are harmless, however, and as a kid who liked his predators, I was always most enamored with the big-beaked, carnivorous snapping turtles.
Caiman (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
Today I will be reviewing the 2019 caiman by Safari Ltd. I was inspired to review this figure after it came up for my daily Museum post and all the exhaustive research I did on determining its identification. Let’s discuss the identification first, shall we? Safari Ltd. only marketed this figure as a caiman, mentioning both the genera Caiman and Melanosuchus on their website.
ASSASSIN FANG Venomous Snakes (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
I’m a little late to the Hallowe’en party this year…but better late than never. And in that spirit, here’s a set of animals that, if you mess with them, ‘late’ could be your proper adjective. Animals that as a group tend to create a visceral if generally unnecessary fear and loathing, even though most are harmless.
Nile Crocodile, 2007 (Wild Animals by Papo)
Ever since the beginning of civilization, ancient humans in Africa and the Middle East have been fascinated by the crocodile. The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) once had a much larger range–all over Africa and even in Western Asia and the Middle East. A species of Nile crocodile lived in the Jordan River in Palestine until 1912, when the last known one was caught.
Collared Lizard (Conservation Critters by Wildlife Artists, Inc.)
Review and images by Febrogon; edited by bmathison1972
Dogs, cats, and teddy bears tend to be the general preference for people wanting a stuffed animal; but I’m the sort of person who would rather cuddle a giant squid or lizard if given the chance. Naturally, good plush toys of creatures like reptiles are relatively less common, so I couldn’t help my attention being grabbed by a very nice-looking collared lizard on the shelf of the gift shop while visiting the Zion National Park last year.
Green Iguana (Wildlife by CollectA)
Aside from large crocodilians and tortoises, one of the most iconic reptiles of the Americas would be the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Green iguanas are native to South and Central America with invasive populations in parts of North America and the Caribbean. Taxonomy within this species has been controversial, with the current convention being the recognition of tentative subspecies.
Sahara Desert TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
The Sahara Desert covers about 25% of the African continent and is the largest hot desert in the world, with an area of 3,600,000 square miles (9,200,000 km). This immense ecosystem is made up of sand dunes, some of which are 500’ tall, stone plateaus, sand seas, gravel plains, dry valleys, and sand flats.
Green Anaconda (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
The green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is the heaviest species of snake in the world, and one of the longest. It is also one of the most familiar and feared species of snake. In capturing the human imagination the anaconda has become the subject of pulpy adventure novels, and B grade monster movies that have perpetuated many tall tales about its maximum size and potential man-eating abilities.
Crested Gecko (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
The Safari crested gecko (Correlophus ciliatus) is new for 2022 and part of their Incredible Creatures line. It’s a fitting addition too. The crested gecko is only found on the island country of New Caledonia. Specifically, on the southern portion of the island of Grand Terre and on Isle of Pines.
Leatherback Sea Turtle (Marine Life by Papo)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is a species of sea turtle and the sole member of Dermochelyidae family. It is the largest and heaviest reptile alive today that isn’t a crocodilian (disclaimer: while many snakes like reticulated pythons and anacondas are twice the length of these turtles, they are way lighter).