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.
American Alligator (Wild Life by Schleich)
4.4 (11 votes)
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).
Black-Browed Albatross (Marine Life by Papo)
4.6 (5 votes)
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).
Dromedary, adult and calf (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.8 (6 votes)
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.
Sawfish (Sealife by CollectA)
5 (6 votes)
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.
Gray Whale, calf (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
4.2 (5 votes)
If there’s any cetacean that sets the North Pacific apart from the rest of the world, it’s the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus). Gray whales are a very familiar species, as their skin color and overall appearance make them easily distinguishable from other baleen whales. Gray whales have been traditionally placed in their only family from other baleen whales, Eschrichtiidae, based on their morphology.
Tiger, Male Lying (AAA)
3.5 (4 votes)
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.
Spotted Hyena (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
3.3 (7 votes)
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 TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (3 votes)
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.
Harbor Seal (Wild Life Arctic & Antarctic by Schleich)
3.7 (3 votes)
Of all the pinnipeds, none embody ubiquity quite like the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). This species is also known as the common seal as it’s the most widely distributed species of any seal, sea lion, or walrus. They are found all along the marine coastlines of the Northern hemisphere.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Marine Life by Papo)
5 (4 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Sea turtles are majestic animals. They have been on this planet since the Jurassic period and are still swimming our seas today. When other marine reptiles like the ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs went extinct by the KT mass extinction, the oceans were left with just snakes, turtles, the marine iguana, and saltwater crocodiles.
Llama (Wildlife by Mojö Fun)
4.7 (3 votes)
The llama (Lama glama) is a domesticated South American member of the Camelidae family and is notable for being one of the only large animals domesticated outside of Eurasia. Alpacas, another domesticated Camelid from South America are similar to llamas but belong to the genus Vicugna along with the wild vicuña (V.
Pronghorn, buck (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4 (3 votes)
Parallel evolution has produced some interesting creatures. Antelopes in the “Old World” mix speed and antlers in order to keep themselves safe, and this combination can be seen in the pronghorns (Antilocapra americana). An impressive set of antlers is matched with an even more incredible land speed, keeping them safe from predators, ancient and modern.
Beaver (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.2 (5 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
No animal is more associated with Canada than the beaver (Castor canadensis). Many First Nations tribes from the Haida to the Cree to the Mi‘kmaq include it in their legends, usually emphasizing the animal’s industrious nature. Moreover, the fur trade, which began in the 16th century and upon which the entire nation was built, was based primarily on beaver pelts.
Rattlesnake (Wild Life by Schleich)
3.9 (7 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
Amongst the suborder of Serpentes (Snakes) with their quite uniform body plan, rattlesnakes make a somewhat exotic difference. Few species of snakes have keeled or largely overlapping scales which give the rattlesnakes’ skin a rather coarse appearance, some species even have small horns above their eyes, and all have small ridges above their eyes which bestows them the sinister look of all vipers.