Continuing on with my “Savannah Summer”, when on safari, you want to see the largest species a country have to offer. And when it comes to Africa, there is no larger than the largest land animal on earth, the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana). These powerful proboscidians populate a large section of Africa, though their numbers are in decline as a result of poaching for ivory made from their tusks.
Bigeye Thresher Shark (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
Alpaca, adult with baby (City Life Zoo by Playmobil)
Review and images by Animal Lover, edited by bmathison1972
The alpaca (Vicugna pacos) is a domesticated breed of South-American camel-like ungulates. It resembles a sheep in appearance, but is larger and has a long, erect neck. Alpacas have been domesticated for thousands of years until modern times in Peru, most famously because of its prized wool.
Hector’s Dolphin (NZ Wildlife Figures Pack by Stewart Sales & Services)
Stingray (Animal Planet – Deep Sea Submarine Playset by Chap Mei)
Lion, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
Welcome back to the “Savannah Summer”! Hot weather often makes people want to find a nice, shady spot and just relax, do more later as the temperature dips. This method is also used by the largest mammal predator in Africa, the lion (Panthera leo). Like any cat, they are masters of lazing around, as well as hunting.
European Mouflon (Wildlife by CollectA)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Mouflons are wild sheep native to Europe and Western Asia, and are surmised to be the ancestors of all the domestic sheep breeds which have been so valuable to us for millennia. Five subspecies are currently recognized, including the European variety (Ovis gemlini musimon) that will be the subject of this review.
Atlantic Goliath Grouper (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
The Atlantic goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) is appropriately named, this fish is an absolute brute, a monster, a behemoth. It’s the kind of fish that looks bigger than it rightfully should be. We expect large sizes from sharks, tuna, and billfishes but this fish has a very conventional “fishy” body plan, like you would see in smaller perches, cichlids, or basses, only it is blown up to absurd proportions.
Butterflies of the World Collectors Case (Safari Ltd.)
This is a review of the complete Butterflies of the World set as part of Safari LTD’s Collectors Case series. The undersides of the figures are not detailed, so an overall review of the set seemed more valuable then doing reviews for individual figures. This is one of three butterfly sets by Safari.
Nile Crocodile, 2007 (Wild Life Africa by Schleich)
Schleich is a German company that has really evolved a lot, especially in the last 20 years or so, from making more simplistic figurines to becoming a creator of some of the most realistic animal figures I’ve ever seen. That being said, I do still like some of the slightly older Schleichs and have been occasionally seeking to add some of the older ones to my collection.
Bowhead Whale (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
Lemon Shark (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
Lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) are a tough, adaptable, nearshore species, found along the eastern coast of the United States, south to southern Brazil as well as the western shore of the Americas from Baja to Ecuador, in addition to the western coast of Africa. Because of their hardiness and accessibility, they’ve been heavily studied by many prominent shark scientists.