The emperor scorpion, Pandinus imperator, is a large species of scorpion endemic to the rainforests and savanna of Africa. Because of their large size, hardy nature, docile behavior, and relatively mild venom, they are popular in the pet trade (I had them growing up). This species is no stranger to the toy animal industry, and today we are looking at the 2020 rendition of this species by Mojo Fun.
Cool Reptiles Bucket, Part 2 (COG Ltd)
5 (3 votes)
And now I complete the review started here of a set of reptiles and amphibians from weird toy maker COG Ltd. As seen before, it is a set of very small herptiles (I will revive that term!) composed of 9 reptiles and 7 amphibians. Part one was 1 crocodilian, 5 lizards, and 3 snakes.
Cool Reptiles Bucket, Part 1 (COG Ltd)
4.3 (3 votes)
I’m back! Again! And this time I decided to approach a unique set, one that I have had for some time. It’s a bucket set produced by COG Ltd called Cool Reptiles–as will be seen in part 2, this name is a major misnomer (this is when the term “herptile” would be so handy)…Today, I am going to look over the reptiles.
Common Kingfisher (Playmobil)
4 (4 votes)
Review and photographs by stargatedalek; edited by bmathison1972
While often regarded as the underdog of the two, especially by adult collectors, I have found consistently that Playmobil boasts a quality and variety of sculpts that LEGO simply can’t match, at least when it comes to the zoological variety! Where Playmobil has at least a half dozen molds of sportfish alone, LEGO will use the same mold for a bass and a flounder.
African Lion, 2017 (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (6 votes)
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The African lion (Panthera leo) is the modern day equivalent of Tyrannosaurus rex: a huge land carnivore whose raw power and undeniable charisma has led it to be dubbed “king of the beasts.” And from the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet to the biblical tale of Daniel to Richard the Lionheart to Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia to the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz to Leo the MGM Studios mascot and to The Lion King franchise, its status as a cultural icon is absolutely incontrovertible.
Hippopotamus (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (4 votes)
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
While the Nile crocodile may be the biggest and deadliest predator in Africa’s waterways, it is still no match one on one for an even bigger and arguably more dangerous resident. A creature that rivals a rhinoceros in weight, can outrun a human on land, and boasts an immense mouth full of savage teeth.
Giraffe (Wild Life Africa by Schleich)
4.6 (8 votes)
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
With their super-long necks and equally long limbs, giraffes are among evolution’s most wondrous marvels. It was long thought that there was only one species and nine subspecies, but a 2007 study proposed that there may be six species (at the very least genetic populations), including the reticulated giraffe, Giraffa reticulata.
Primates TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
Review of the 2019 Primates TOOB by Safari Ltd. I had bought this set early on when I started my Synoptic Collection, mainly for the marmoset and tamarins. I have since retained the bonobo and sifaka too, pending eventual release of standard-sized figures of these species. This TOOB is another example of Safari Ltd recently upping the game in their TOOB sets, with others being Whales (2018), Dolphins (2019), Great Lakes (2020), African Savannah (2020), and Pelagic Fishes (2019).
Nile Crocodile, 2016 (Wild Life by Schleich)
4.2 (11 votes)
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Crocodiles are some of the most awesome and ancient predators on Earth, and as such, they have proven quite the mainstay in the world of animal toys. Indeed, it is probably fair to say that they are the most popular and frequent reptiles to appear in toy form.
Secretary Bird (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (5 votes)
Review and images by MammothsProductions, edited by bmathison1972
Sagittarius serpentarius. To many, these words are an arbitrary phrase, without meaning or purpose. Yet, to avid birders and ornithologists, these two annunciations bring thoughts of regal wings gliding through the air, of the brilliant dance between the bird and the serpent.
Giant Pangolin (Wild Life by Schleich)
5 (9 votes)
Pangolins are a peculiar group of mammals of the Pholidota
order. Superficially they resemble anteaters and are often called “scaly
anteaters” but they’re not at all closely related to them. Their closest living
relatives are actually carnivorans (cats, dogs, bears, seals, weasels, hyenas,
etc.) and together they belong to the Ferae clade.
Gulf Coast Collection (Toy Fish Factory)
5 (4 votes)
So, after a long hiatus (sorry about that) I have finally gotten myself writing again–and of course it’s fish! Recently the company Toy Fish Factory released two new sets, a Gulf Coast fishes and a Northern Angler set. 2 sets were released previously, the American Angler and River Monsters.
For those who are unaware, I will give a bit of background, and then I’ll discuss each figure in detail–they are all small, and generally wouldn’t warrant a full write up each.