Review and images by Kikimalou; edited by bmathison1972
The honey badger, or ratel, (Mellivora capensis) is a Mustelidae widely distributed in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The animal has a fairly long but strong body, with short, sturdy legs equipped with impressive claws. It is perfectly equipped to resist fights with its fellow creatures and predators alike.
Today we’re looking at the Safari 2020 weasel, part of their North American Wildlife Collection. Safari’s website doesn’t specify the species, just that it belongs to the Mustela genus. The Mustela genus contains about 18 species, including the domestic ferret, European mink, stoats, and the least weasel…the smallest member of Carnivora.
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.
Review and images by Sam; edited by bmathison1972
The giant river otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is the world’s largest otter species as well as the longest member of the Mustellidae family. It originates from South America, and is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with only 5,000 giant otters remaining in the wild.
Europe is a continent consisting of the westernmost peninsulas of Eurasia. It is said to be separated from Asia by a variety of natural features including the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, Ural River, and the Caspian and Black seas, among others. Truthfully though, the boarders between Europe and Asia, geological or manmade, are arbitrary.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
As its name suggests, the European badger (Meles meles) also known as the common badger or just plain old badger to those folks residing in Europe, ranges throughout the entire continent. It is arguably the second biggest land mustelid after the wolverine and its tenacity and toughness has led it to be frequently depicted in U.K.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Otters belong to the mustelid family, which also includes weasels and their kin, badgers, skunks, and wolverines. There are currently 13 extant species of otter that all range from semiaquatic to marine in their lifestyles. The Eurasian or common otter (Lutra lutra) is probably the most familiar member of the lot, with a range throughout Europe, much of Asia, and parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Well, here we are. I’ve reached a big milestone, my 50th review! I want to thank everyone who read, rated and commented on my reviews to this point. I also want to thank bmathison1972 for editing my work. For this milestone, I wanted to cover something well made and on the more expensive side, so I chose the Japanese Animals set by Colorata.
Evolution has produced many ways for life to defend itself, with eyes and jaws, claws and teeth. More interesting to me is when animals use chemical methods to stay alive. From the venomous reptiles to the explosive force of the bombardier beetle, internal chemistry can be a trump card for many animals.
