Continuing the “Winter Wonderland” series, we are going into the highest elevations of the world, as we look at a figure of one of the rarest cats in the world, the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). These beautiful cats are found across the mountainous regions of central and south Asia, hunting across the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia.
Jackal (Wild Animals by Papo)
Review and images by Saarlooswolfhound; edited by bmathison1972
The Papo “Jackal”, #50259 was released in 2020 and is currently in production. It is part of the Wild Animal collection from Papo. The figure itself measures approximately 2.2 in. in length and 2 in. tall (5.58 cm in length and 5.08 cm tall).
Elk (Authentics Forest by Safari Ltd.)
Once more, we tread into the “Winter Wonderland” With a magnificent creature. The frozen north is full of cervids, better known as deer, from moose to fallow deer. One famous member, found in North America and Europe, is the elk (Cervus canadensis), one of the largest mammals in North America and one of the largest deer in the world (although not as big as the moose).
New Zealand Giant Eagle (Yowies Lost Kingdoms Series A by Cadbury)
When a species goes extinct, you take out one piece of the food web, affecting everything above and below it. When the Moa went extinct, so too did it’s main predator, the largest eagle to ever have existed, Haast’s eagle, Hieraaetus. Once it flew through the forests of New Zealand, preying on the Moa, grabbing their pelvis and slashing their neck with their sharp talons, which gave them their initial (and cooler sounding) scientific name of Harpagornis.
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Marine Life by Papo)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Out of all the shark species, the most distinguishable group is probably the ones from the family Sphyrnidae, while all but the winghead shark of the genus Eusphyra are placed under the genus Sphyra, better known as the hammerhead sharks.
Wild Boar (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
An adaptable, intelligent animal, the wild boar (Sus scrofa) was already a successful species long before it was domesticated and transplanted around the world by humans in the form of the domestic pig (S. scrofa domesticus). Naturally, they range across Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, where they thrive in a variety of habitats.
Giant Panda, male 2017 (Wild Life by Schleich)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
A conservation icon, a beloved zoo attraction, and a star of a hit animated franchise, the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is quite possibly the most immediately recognizable animal on the planet. Naturally then, it has enjoyed countless toys over the decades, including this 2017 figure courtesy of Schleich.
ANIA Blind Box Series 3 (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
ANIA is a line of animal figures released under Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. catered towards educating children about wildlife. These figures are highly detailed, inexpensive, and often accurate to the animals they are made to portray. The line has gained popularity in Japan, with them branching out to releasing bath bombs with little animals, gashapons, and blind boxes.
Pygmy Sperm Whale (Sealife by CollectA)
Review and images by callmejoe3; edited by bmathison1972
Our latest cetacean review will shift its attention to a long-overlooked species, the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). The cetacean clade ‘’Physeteroidea’’, is one of the oldest lineages within the odontocete order. Its only extant members are the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and the species within the Kogia genus.
Common Pheasant (Wild Animals by Papo)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
The bird life of Middle Europe generally does not flaunt too much color, although if one looks closely there are a few corlorful species, as the gold finch or the green woodpecker. A fairly common species in middle European fields and meadows nowadays is the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus).
Brown Bear Roaring (AAA)
Once more we delve into the “Winter Wonderland”, to a creature that sleeps during this time of cold and hardships, the bear. These carnivorans are fairly successful, thanks to their ability to tackle any food, be it fauna or flora, to build themselves up for hibernation in the cold winter months.
Epaulette Shark (Wild Republic by K&M International)
Review and images by callmejoe3; edited by bmathison1972
The blog will now take its first look into the epaulette shark species. Epaulette sharks belong to the genus Hemiscyllium, composed of nine formally described species, with one having yet to be described. This genus belongs to the Orectolobiformes order of sharks, commonly described as ‘’carpet sharks’’, which also includes nurse and whale sharks.