Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the biggest whale, the biggest mammal, and the biggest animal of all time, hands down. A mature adult can measure roughly the same size and length as three school buses parked end to end.
For my next review I thought I would do an overview of the Cave Dwellers TOOB released by Safari Ltd. in 2014. When this set was first released, I was excited because five of the eight figures are arthropods. Unfortunately I have misplaced four of those five, so I recently bought the entire set, which is good because now that I am building a synoptic collection I really wanted the three non-arthropods.
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Biggest of all rays, the magnificent manta ray is an imposing but gentle giant that feeds only on zooplankton. What you may not be aware of is that there are currently two recognized species: the giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) and the smaller reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi).
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The most famous, most popular, and most feared shark of them all is unquestionably the great white (Carcharodon carcharias). It has appeared in more films, documentaries, books, comics, cartoons, games, and toy lines than any other shark, and probably any other sea creature for that matter.
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
As its name suggests, the grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) make its home around coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific, where it preys upon fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. While not a very large shark, it is highly aggressive and will drive off other sharks from its territory.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is one of the largest predatory sharks, with some females growing up to five metres in length and weighing over a ton. It has the widest diet of any known shark; it hunts fish, other sharks, crustaceans, mollusks, sea birds, seals, sea lions, dugongs, dolphins, sea snakes, and sea turtles, the latter being a particular favourite.
Review and photos by Suspsy, edited by bmathison1972
Ichthyologists the world over were flabbergasted back in 1976 when a US warship hauled in its anchor only to discover a large and previously unknown species of shark entangled in the chain. Its enormous gaping mouth, lined only with tiny teeth, led it to be called the megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios).
Sometimes I wonder how Kaiyodo do it! How can it be possible to squeeze so much detail into such minuscule figures, what sorcery is at play in the ChocoQ lines? The mystery Kaiyodo sculptors are clearly masters in their field, and the humpback whale figure (Megaptera novaeangliae), part of the ChocoQ Animatales series (series 6), is one such example of that mastery.
Review and photos by Suspsy, edited by bmathison1972
While the dingo (Canis lupus dingo) rarely exceeds 35 lbs in weight, making it smaller than a coyote and much smaller than a grey wolf, it is nevertheless Australia’s largest land predator, and one of the most dangerous. Fast, agile, and hardy, dingos often live and hunt in packs consisting of a mated pair and their offspring.
Review and photographs by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The iconic red kangaroo (Osphanter rufus) bears the crowns of largest kangaroo, largest marsupial, and Australia’s largest native mammal. Exceptionally large males, also called bucks, boomers, or jacks, can weigh up to 200 lbs, stand about 6 feet tall, and cover a maximum distance of around 29 feet in a single leap.
So for my next foray into Animal Toy Blog I am going to discuss a full set of ten figures from a relatively new set from Safari Ltd, released in 2017 (but I only just discovered it…go figure). I’m going to come out and say, there will be brief parts (in point format) and longer parts (paragraphs) as I will discuss the toob figures individually (save two).
Review and photos by Suspsy ; edited by bmathison1972
The perentie, Varanus giganteus, is Australia’s largest lizard and the world’s fourth largest lizard after the Komodo dragon, Asian water monitor, and crocodile monitor. Growing up to over two metres in length, they inhabit hot desert regions and feed on virtually anything they can catch and kill with their sharp teeth and claws.
