What better creature to feature for spooky season than a parasitic blood sucking worm with important ties to antiquated and horrifying medical practices? Although there are 680 described species of leech what we’re looking at today is the European medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) which is the species most used in medical practices, as both the common and scientific name suggest.
Gray Wolf, 2015 (Wild Life America by Schleich)
3.8 (9 votes)
Carrying on with Spooky Season here on the Animal Toy Blog, it’s time to look at the “big bad wolf” and based on its appearance, this one certainly fits that description. It’s the Schleich 2015 gray wolf (Canis lupus). If I’m being honest, it’s not a figure I would pick for my own collection.
Whitetip Reef Shark (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (5 votes)
Quite a few shark species go by the name “reef shark”. Blacktip, Caribbean, grey, and the subject of today’s review, the whitetip. But while all those sharks belong to the Carcharhinus genus, the whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) does not. But these sharks are not called reef sharks because they’re related.
Giant Freshwater Whipray (Freshwater Monsters Mini by Hellbender Museum)
5 (6 votes)
It’s Flat Shark Friday! It’s Shark Week! It’s now Flat Shark Shark Week Friday! Okay, that’s as absurd as the model that I’m looking at today–and make no mistake, despite the size of the figure (and this being a ‘Toy’ blog…) this one is not for playing. Although I won’t judge, because it’s so great to handle.
Tokay Gecko (AAA)
3.8 (5 votes)
Using actual specimens to mold their toys, the company AAA has made some of the most realistic animal toys ever produced in plastic. Some of them are so convincing in their appearance that they can easily be mistaken for real animals, or taxidermy of them at least. The irony in taking this approach is that the company then often gave their toys inaccurate paintjobs and included incredibly vague names to identify them.
European Mole (Garden Animals by Papo)
5 (4 votes)
I like moles, so much so that their tunnels and molehills in my backyard don’t even bother me, it just makes me happy knowing that they’re there. But I’ve always preferred a biodiverse yard over a manicured one. Moles can actually be beneficial to lawns and gardens too, by aerating the soil and consuming garden pests like slugs.
Moose (Wild Life by Schleich)
4.6 (14 votes)
The moose (Alces alces), also known as elk in Europe, is the world’s largest species of deer, and the second largest animal native to North America and Europe. It lives in temperate and subarctic climates around the Northern Hemisphere. Moose are popular as toys, and this makes selecting one for a synoptic collection somewhat of a challenge.
European Animals TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (12 votes)
Europe is a continent consisting of the westernmost peninsulas of Eurasia. It is said to be separated from Asia by a variety of natural features including the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, Ural River, and the Caspian and Black seas, among others. Truthfully though, the boarders between Europe and Asia, geological or manmade, are arbitrary.
Australian Continent TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (12 votes)
In addition to being a country, Australia is also a continent, but the continent of Australia is not just composed of Australia itself. The Australian continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, and most of the Coral Sea Islands as well as a smattering of other islands.
Great Grey Owl (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)
4 (34 votes)
The great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) is a symbol of the vast northern wilderness that it ranges across, where it inhabits coniferous forests of the taiga around the entire Northern Hemisphere. As such it has many provocative nicknames including Phantom of the North, Lapland owl, and spectral owl.
Leopard Gecko (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (19 votes)
The leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is easily among the most popular pet reptiles in the world, and perhaps the most popular pet lizard. Entire industries exist that are dedicated to producing leopard geckos in the hundreds of different selectively bred color morphs they’re now available in and it’s unlikely that you’ll ever walk into a pet shop that doesn’t have them.
Humphead Wrasse (Blue Groper) (Sealife by Mojö Fun)
3.9 (12 votes)
Since getting into the animal toy hobby, I’ve seen this enigmatic toy fish discussed more than a few times, due to its ambiguous identity. Originally marketed as a blue groper (yes, that’s the actual name, genus Achoerodus) it appears to now be marketed as a blue grouper. A search on Fishbase indicates that the only fish for which that common name applies is the comet grouper (Epinephelus morrhua).
Frogfish (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
5 (13 votes)
With its stout body, limb-like fins, large head, and perpetual frown, it is easy to see how the frogfish got its name. Frogfishes are members of the anglerfish family, Antennariidae. There are about 50 species of them, and they can be found in almost all tropical and subtropical waters around the world where they inhabit coral reefs and rocky habitats.
Red Squirrel (Wildlife by CollectA)
4.8 (8 votes)
In keeping with the tradition that I started last year; I’ve decided to once again review an animal native to Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day. And I’ve had this one in mind for a while. It’s the CollectA 2011 red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and I originally purchased it in August at my local county fair.
Japanese Carpenter Ants (Epoch)
5 (2 votes)
The Japanese carpenter ant (Camponotus japonicus) is a widely-distributed species that occurs throughout much of East Asia, from Pakistan and Mongolia, east to China, Russia (eastern Siberia), and the Philippines, and Japan. Like other carpenter ants, colonies, which can consist of thousands of individuals, occurs in dead and decaying wood, such as logs and the dead, hollowed-out part of standing trees.