One of the things that distinguishes an alligator from a crocodile is that an alligator is usually dark gray, green, or black in color, sometimes with bright yellow bands on juveniles and more faded ones on some adults. Crocodiles are lighter in color, often very light greens and browns with mottling.
Classification: Reptiles
American Alligator, small (Flopsies by Aurora World)
4.5 (6 votes)
Alligators have held a unique appeal for me for many years since I was quite small. I remember watching an old VHS on reptiles in 2003 that prominently featured alligators. It was called “Crocodile Rocks: Itty Bitty Kiddy Wildlife.” The program played classic rock in the background, but was quite informative about alligators.
Komodo Dragon, 2019 (Wild Life by Schleich)
4.1 (8 votes)
Giant animals exist throughout the world. This can be seen in insular gigantism, and the isle of Komodo has the mighty dragon, the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis). This ten foot lizard is the top predator in it’s environment, using it’s size, strength, speed and venom to outmatch any species in the area, no matter where they are.
Galápagos Tortoise, 2020 (Wild Animals by Schleich)
4.3 (9 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
“I frequently got on their backs, and then giving a few raps on the hinder part of their shells, they would rise up and walk away;—but I found it very difficult to keep my balance.” – Charles Darwin
Such was the experience of the legendary naturalist when he studied the giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands in 1835.
Red-eared Slider, baby (Primary Turtles in Colour by Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
3.3 (3 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) are a semi-aquatic species of turtles (in some places, they are also known as terrapins). They are found in most freshwater habitats of North America, including the southern United States and Northern Mexico. Juveniles are typically a green colour with a ‘red ear’ (hence the name) but as they get older, they turn to more of a brownish colour and the red ear fades.
Monitor Lizard (AAA)
5 (4 votes)
Don’t worry, this is not a case of déjà vu, I did indeed review a AAA monitor lizard already. But AAA produced several monitor lizards and this one, although it’s probably the same species as the last one I reviewed, is substantially different. The last time I reviewed one of these I admitted that I was unsure what species it was supposed to be.
Tortoise, adult (AAA)
2 (3 votes)
If you want to think of a land animal that is the epitome of longevity, it would be the tortoise. Notable member of this family can live for two hundred years, and can have incredible variations in terms of size. While not quite as frequently made in toy form as their aquatic relatives, there are some out there, and this review will look at AAA’s efforts.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Sealife by CollectA)
2.8 (4 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is the second largest living turtle after the leatherback, averaging around 135 kg (298 lbs) in mass, but capable of achieving up to 545 kg (1200 lbs). Its name derives from its large head and powerful jaws, which it uses to crush hard-shelled prey.
Green Sea Turtle, young (AAA)
3.5 (4 votes)
There are not many creatures that have such an uphill struggle at the start of life than sea turtles. From getting out of their egg and nest, to the mad dash to the sea, all the time being potentially picked off by predators of land and sky. When they reach the sea, it will take years to be big enough to be safe, having to evade water predators.
Komodo Dragon (Wild Rush 04 by Kaiyodo)
2.5 (2 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Here comes #6 of Komodo dragon reviews on the blog, and thanks to the other five I do not need to introduce you to the animal I guess, so straight onward to the figure.
This small Komodo dragon figure was released by Kaiyodo in the forth set of their Wild Rush series.
Wedge-tailed Eagle with Brown Snake (Southlands Replicas)
4.7 (3 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Glaring sun scorches the land as a venomous death silently slides towards its den beneath the sparse shade of the burned grass. Suddenly night falls and accompanied by a hot but soft wind, eight fiercely piercing blades start to cut all life from its automatically wildly curling body.
Frilled Lizard (Capsule Q Museum: Reptiles Lounge by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
Images by postsaurischian; additional text by bmathison1972
The frilled lizard is a popular and familiar again that lives in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. It is famous for being able to run bipedal, but mainly for its neck frill, which makes it so distinctive, the species is immediately recognizable in even the cheapest of figures (luckily the one we are looking at today is one of the nicer representatives of this species in toy forum).
Jackson’s Chameleon (African Animals by PNSO)
3.3 (3 votes)
Walkaround of the Jackson’s chameleon, Trioceros jacksonii (Boulenger, 1869), by PNSO African Animals (2018). This has always been one of my favorite reptiles, and always surprised they were not more commonly made in toy/figure form due to the armature of the males. When I decided to build a synoptic collection, I was happy PNSO released one, and at a decent size for my tastes!
Leatherback Sea Turtle, 2017 (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
4.6 (5 votes)
Review and images by suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is by far the biggest of all living turtles and one of the world’s biggest reptiles, exceeded only by a few crocodilians. The largest scientifically verified specimen weighed in at 650 kg (1433 lbs), although it’s quite possible that even larger individuals exist somewhere out there in the deep blue sea.
Spotted Turtle (Wild Republic by K&M International)
5 (4 votes)
Today it is my great pleasure to introduce you to one of my all time favorite turtle species, the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata). Since no one has produced this species in plastic I am forced to review a plush specimen instead [EDIT: Apparently there is a spotted turtle by Play Visions that was also re-released by Yujin].