Before I start this review I must once again thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for donating this review sample. The quality of Toymany’s figures, their relatively inexpensive price point, and their willingness to engage with, and take thoughts and comments by, the toy animal collector community shows why they are a quickly rising star in our hobby!
Hippopotamus, calf (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)
5 (5 votes)
Before I start this review, I would like to thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for providing this review sample for the Blog! It is very much appreciated!
The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) usually mates during the wet season. Mating typically takes place in the water, with the female almost entirely submerged, only poking her head up on occasion to draw a breath of air.
White Rhinoceros, calf (Baby Wildlife by Toymany)
4.3 (7 votes)
Before I start this review, I would like to thank @Kenc and our friends at Toymany for providing this review sample for the Blog! It is very much appreciated!
White rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum) live in herds (commonly called ‘crashes’) of up to 14 animals. These crashes are composed primarily of females.
Pyjama Shark (Return to Isle of Jaws by Discovery Science)
3.8 (8 votes)
Hard to believe it’s already Shark Week again! And while I don’t usually follow the TV version, it’s always a good time to pull out something shark related from the collection and celebrate this awesome group of animals. For my contribution, I am going to look at a figure from a Discovery Science set called Return to Isle of Jaws that was made in conjunction with a Shark Week show of the same name.
Crawlers (Pocket Explorers by Phidal Publishing Inc.)
3 (4 votes)
Pocket Explorers is a line of books by put out by Phidal Publishing. They designed for children and are educationally driven. Looking at their website, the themes are Reptiles, Wild Cats, Dinosaurs, Sharks, Polar Animals, Birds of Prey, Bears, and Crawlers, the last of which we will be looking at today.
Mongoose (Miniatureplanet 2023 by Eikoh)
3.8 (8 votes)
In late 2023, Eikoh released another collection in their Miniatureplanet line. Typically, these releases are marked by ‘volumes’, which would make the set Volume 23 if I am doing the math right, although there is no indication on the accompanying paperwork that this is the case. There is a number ’13’ on the paperwork after ‘Miniatureplanet’, but there have clearly been more than 13 sets, and there are more than 13 animals in this particular set (16 to be precise).
Eurasian Spoonbill (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.5 (10 votes)
Some of my favorite birds are the spoonbills of the genus Platalea within the Threskiornithidae family. Spoonbills are wading birds found on every continent except Antarctica and characterized by the broad, flatted tip on their bills. Sweeping their bill back and forth underwater, spoonbills use their bill tip to gather up small invertebrates, amphibians, and fishes.
Honey Badger (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
3.8 (13 votes)
Review and images by Kikimalou; edited by bmathison1972
The honey badger, or ratel, (Mellivora capensis) is a Mustelidae widely distributed in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The animal has a fairly long but strong body, with short, sturdy legs equipped with impressive claws. It is perfectly equipped to resist fights with its fellow creatures and predators alike.
Warthog (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4.9 (10 votes)
The common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) is a species of pig (family Suidae) that occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. Aside from the wild boar it is the most familiar of the wild pig species. It is also common, with a large range that covers grasslands, savannas, and forests. Warthogs are the only pigs adapted to live as grazers in open habitats and the bulk of their diet is made up of grasses.
Saddled Bichir (Mini Ancient Fish Series 2 by Bandai) + bonus Elephant-snout fish
5 (4 votes)
More fish! And this time, another of my favorite type of fish! Yes, it’s another bichir, and another saddled bichir Polypterus endlicheri, a species that I discussed quite some time ago (the Colorata figure). Which I suppose means I won’t need to go into too many details about the species, so I’ll be able to discuss the figure more at length–and then discuss the surprise little extra with the figure (spoiled in the title I suppose).
Common Zebra (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (12 votes)
The common, or plains zebra (Equus quagga), is the most widespread and common of Africa’s three species of zebra. It occurs in south and east Africa, although its range is greatly fragmented. In addition to their native range in Africa the common zebra can also be found in a rather unlikely place, California!
Velvet Worm (littlebigwomen)
3.3 (8 votes)
Review and images by stemturtle; edited by bmathison1972
The release of a figure that represents a neglected phylum is a wish come true for the synoptic collector. A velvet worm, also referred to as a peripatus (when unitalicized), belongs to phylum Onychophora. It resembles a caterpillar with antennae, having 13 to 43 pairs of stubby legs, corresponding to body segmentation.