Standing in a glade, head held high, displaying its mighty antlers as he observes his domain. This is the image that comes to my mind when I think of stags, male deer that rut and battle for territory and mates. They are also more common to see in toy form, as their majestic antlers are more likely to grab the attention of kids than the females that lack them.
Hawaiian ‘O’ o (Yowies Forgotten Friends Series A by Cadbury)
3 (1 votes)
As a volcanic island chain, Hawaii is not known for it’s ancient fossil fauna, but it has a selection of modern extinct species. The ‘O’ o (or Moho, based on the scientific name) were a group of birds that were native to Hawaii, now all extinct, the last being recent enough to have recordings of it’s mating call (worth hearing, though prepare to be moved to tears).
Caracal (Premier Series by Yowie Group)
2.7 (3 votes)
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.
Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Sealife by CollectA)
2.8 (4 votes)
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.
Platypus, pair (Noah’s Pals by Caboodle! Toys LLC)
2 (1 votes)
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.
Highland Cattle (Farm Life by Papo)
4.3 (3 votes)
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).
Great Hammerhead Shark (Kid Galaxy)
2.8 (4 votes)
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.
Grevy’s Zebra (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.4 (7 votes)
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.
Whale Shark (The Petting Zoo)
4.5 (4 votes)
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).
Green Sea Turtle, young (AAA)
3.5 (4 votes)
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.
Dodo (Yowies Forgotten Friends Series A by Cadbury)
2 (3 votes)
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.
Black Widow (Little Wonders by CollectA)
4.5 (2 votes)
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.