Images by Takama; additional text by bmathison1972
This caracal (Caracal caracal) figure was produced by Yowie Group (=Yowie USA) in their Premier Series, which was the relaunch of the popular Yowie line.
The caracal is a small to medium-sized cat endemic to savannas, dry forests, and grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as coastal North Africa.
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.
If you wanted to see mammals as they were when they started to differentiate from reptiles, the best place would be to look at the monotremes. These mammals lay eggs, sweat milk, and the one we will look at here, the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) even still has venom.
I really like cattle breeds. Even before I started a ‘synoptic’ collection, I liked toys and replicas of different cattle breeds. While the non-arthropod section of my collection is generally synoptic, I plan on investing in various cattle breeds. I do not want to get overwhelmed by going back and buying all the breeds I missed; instead, I will buy new ones as they are released or as opportunity comes along (findings at stores, museums, zoos).
Although there are a plethora of toy hammerhead sharks out there very few of them identify the toy as anything more specific than a hammerhead. Most people probably don’t even realize that hammerhead is not a specific species of shark but rather an entire family of sharks (Sphyrnidae) that includes 9 distinct species.
In the animal world, vivid colors and intricate designs abound and easily catch our eyes. But one group of animals has managed to turn the simple black and white colors into one of the most recognizable and easily one of the most elegant design the: the zebras.
The zebra’s alternating black and white stripes is so iconic and distinctive, that they are one of the most popular and famous extant animals, in the wild and in captivity.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Of all the aquariums in North America, perhaps none are as impressive as the biggest one of all: the Georgia Aquarium in downtown Atlanta. It houses a vast number and variety of both freshwater and saltwater denizens, including alligators, otters, puffins, penguins, sea lions, dolphins, beluga whales, and most notable of all, whale sharks (Rhincodon typus).
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.
The Dodo has quite the reputation among extinct animals, but the image has always been a bit skewed. Most portarits are based either on third or fourth hand accounts, and most European depictions are from obese specimens kept by gentry that didn’t know how to care for them properly. Modern skeletal analysis now shows it was sleek, brown and quite aggressive.
Finishing up the CollectA 2020 Insects and Spiders collection with the black widow, Latrodectus mactans. Technically, this could represent any of a few widows, but L. mactans is the traditional go-to species. The spider is distributed in the southern and southeastern United States, where it is commonly called the eastern black widow or southern black widow.
Well, it’s Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, and apparently Sharkfest on Nat Geo too. So here’s my obligatory shark review to celebrate what has virtually become a national holiday for all things sharky in the U.S. But today’s review is something a little different from what we’re used to on the ATB.
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.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
There is no shortage of attractions to found in the great city of San Francisco, California, but my own personal favourite is the California Academy of Sciences. It encompasses a natural history museum, a planetarium, a multi-level indoor rainforest, and last but especially not least, the Steinhart Aquarium.
From the rolling savanna, we now head eastwards and deep into the jungles of central Africa to meet one of its most elusive, beautiful, and mysterious animals, the okapi (Okapia johnstoni).
As you may have noticed that both of my forum and blog name is OkapiBoy, any guesses? When I first saw an okapi in person, it was more than a decade ago when I was in the Midwest visiting family.
Cetaceans are an amazing example of the adaptability of the mammals. From giant filter feeders to smaller predators, they have a great variety of forms. This includes ones that mimic much older species, convergently evolving similar features to deal with the same environment. This review looks at a great example of this: the dolphin, which has similar adaptations to the extinct ichthyosaurs.