Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Contrary to what was shown in Looney Toons, a Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) doesn’t have brown fur, doesn’t have a short muzzle or tufts of fur resembling horns, doesn’t walk upright, and doesn’t travel around by spinning rapidly like a tornado.
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Along with kangaroos, koalas, and dingos, wombats are some of the most familiar and famous Australian animals. While they may look cute and round and harmless, they are not helpless when it comes to defending themselves. When confronted by a predator, a wombat will dash into its burrow and use its tough, round rear end to block the tunnel.
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.
When I first introduced the Yowies to the Blog, I started with a relatively recent figure from the US-based Yowie Group. Today we are going back to the Yowies’ Australian roots, when they were still being produced by Cadbury. Specifically, we will be looking at the spinifex pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) from Series 4.
Budgerigars aka parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus) are easily the most popular pet bird in the world. We enjoy their playful antics, cheerful chatter, ability to mimic humans, and the plethora of selectively bred color variations they come in. But like all domesticated animals they have their roots in the wild where they live far different lives from those in our cages.
I was debating on whether or not to post before Christmas, but I got a cool new figure in the mail today, so I said, let’s do it! So today I am reviewing another Yowie figure for the Blog. This time it is the golden ghost crab, Ocypode convexa, from the recently-released series, Colors of the Animal Kingdom.
Australia, like all islands, is an isolated laboratory of sorts, one that offers a look at what the world might be like under different evolutionary pressures. The rest of the world at large operates in much the same way, no matter where you go; the placental mammals (cats, dogs, deer, antelope, etc.) dominate top tier niches.
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.
Review of the Australia’s Deadliest Nature Tube, by K&M International for the Wild Republic line. The set was released in 2018. To be honest, I bought this set specifically for the three arthropods, since I am a completist when it comes to arthropods identifiable to the species level. However, now that I am building a Synoptic Collection, I thought I could use the octopus too.
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
In 1926, in northeast Queensland, Australia, a group of boys happened upon a large, flightless bird and decided it would be fun to chase it. During the pursuit, one of the boys, a 16-year old by the name of Phillip McClean, tripped and fell to the ground.
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
In 1798, a specimen of a most unusual Australian animal perplexed a great many scientific minds in Great Britain. Some even went so far as to suspect that it was a hoax. And really, who could fault them for being suspicious of a small, furry mammal with a duck-like bill, a beaver-like tail, otter-like feet, venomous spines, and the ability to lay eggs like a reptile?
Today we are visiting the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus, by Science & Nature. The figure was released for the ‘small series’ in their Animals of Australia line this year (2019). Science & Nature is an Australian company that focuses on the fauna of Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding areas.
