If there is one evolutionary process I love, it’s convergent evolution, where two completely different species evolve the same adaptations to deal with similar environments. Whether it’s the tenrecs of Madagascar looking like hedgehogs, or the similarities between fish, dolphins and ichthyosaurs, it’s impressive how evolution can take these similarities and apply it to different groups.
Today we are looking at the fourth figure in Kaiyodo’s Revogeo line, following the emperor scorpion (2019), red-clawed crab (2019), and Asian giant hornet (2020). The subject of today’s review is the Japanese giant water bug, Kirkaldyia deyrollei (historically referred to as Lethocerus deyrollei). This giant belostomatid occurs throught much of East Asia, including eastern China, the Amur region of Russia, the Korean Peninsula, Indochina, and Japan.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Eagle rays are fascinating creatures. These fish move through the water column by flapping their pectoral fins like wings, similar to the land animal that they are named after. They come in many fascinating forms: from the rounded snouts of cownose (Rhinoptera) and bat rays (Myliobatis) to the plankton-eating manta rays (Mobulidae).
The Galápagos Islands are an incredible biome, full of an array of different species, perfectly adapted for their environment. This resulted in Charles Darwin developing his theories of evolution. It also resulted in a lot of damaged to this ecosystem, as the animals were decimated by the introduction of European animals and hunters.
The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is a common staple of swamp wildlife in North America; particularly in places such as North Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. Souvenir shops in these states abound with alligator paraphernalia, and you might even see one in one of the rivers or swamps in these states.
I am aware that there is quite a lot of complaining about perceived accuracy flaws in Schleich’s dinosaur toys, but I have to say that since my formerly local Tractor Supply store began carrying them, I have been impressed with the realism of their animal toys. (Note to editor: by the way I’d like to give a shout out to the Dino Toy Blog here and let them know that I have Schleich’s new Allosaurus and would be happy to review it for the Dinosaur Blog).
Albatrosses, members of the family Diomedeidae, are some of the most spectacular seabirds, perfectly adapted to a life of sea and air. Albatrosses are some of the largest flying animals alive today, with the wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) having a wingspan of up to 12.2’ (3.7 meters) and weighing in excess of 20 lbs (9 kg).
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
If there’s an iconic animal of the desert, then it sure would be the dromedary (Camelus dromedarius), sometimes also called ‘ship of the desert’ for its rocking moves when used for human transportation.
The dromedary has a long history with humans; it was first domesticated around 4000 years ago in either North Africa or the Arabian Peninsula.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
What rivals the great white shark in terms of length, lives in saltwater, brackish, and freshwater conditions tn tropical and subtropical regions, and is seriously endangered? If you said the sawfish (Pristidae), you are correct. There are 5 species alive today, ranging from the smallest, the dwarf sawfish (Pristis clavata) at 318 cm to the largest, the largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis) at 720 cm maximum (although nowadays most are smaller) and the subject of this review.
When most think of big cats, they probably picture these powerful carnivores majestically tracking their prey in the undergrowth, or roaring to ward off other predators. At the end of the day though, they are still cats, and there is one thing that makes them very good at: sleeping. The mighty tiger (Panthera tigris) is no exception, happy to lounge around when not hunting.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Spotted or laughing hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are masterful hunters of the African savannah that kill up to 95% of their food as opposed to scavenging it. They have the largest group sizes and the most complex social behaviour of any member of the order Carnivora.
Butterflies are unquestionably the most popular and universally loved insects. You would be hard pressed to find someone that fears or loathes butterflies in the same way a lot of folk’s fear and loathe moths, for example. Even if butterflies are basically glorified, diurnal moths themselves. Butterflies and moths both belong to the order Lepidoptera and although moths first appear in the early Jurassic, 200 million years ago, butterflies don’t show up until the Paleocene, 56 million years ago, having evolved directly from moths.