I’m back with the second half of the Northwoods set from Replica Toy Fish. I looked at the other three species here, and now I’ll look at the other three, also three popular sport fish in more northern areas of North America (one of which is naturally found more broadly). The species today are all in the family Esocidae, the pikes: the muskellunge Esox masquinongy, the northern pike Esox lucius, and the tiger muskie Esox masquinongy x lucius (a hybrid of the northern pike and muskellunge).
Northern Pike (6 Inch Series by Replica Toy Fish)
4.9 (14 votes)
Back with another of the larger figures from Replica Toy Fish, this time the ‘six inch’ northern pike Esox lucius. This is a species that is familiar throughout a broad Holarctic range in cool waters across North America, Europe, and Russia, plus populations have been introduced in other areas as well.
British Shorthair, 2024 (Farm World by Schleich)
4.7 (7 votes)
To start this review I again extend my thanks to the folks at Happy Hen Toys for donating this review sample. I had this figure on my radar when it was announced, but was hesitant to pursue it. I am grateful for the opportunity to receive it so I can evaluate it in-hand!
Wildcat (Large Woodland Animals by Bullyland)
4.6 (13 votes)
Before I start this review, I must thank the folks at Happy Hen Toys for yet another review sample! It’s been a pleasure working with them in recent years and their generosity is very much appreciated.
Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary history of life on Earth, and one of my favorite disciplines of Zoology.
Pig Family Playset (Toymany)
5 (6 votes)
Before I start this review, I must again thank @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for gifting me this set as a review sample for the Blog!
The set we are looking at today consists of eight figures of domestic pigs. There are four sculpts: 1) sow, standing; 2) boar, sitting; 3) piglet, resting; and 4) piglet, standing.
Common Cuttlefish (Sealife by CollectA)
5 (10 votes)
Before we begin the review, I would like to extend my gratitude towards Happy Hen Toys for sending this figure along as a review sample. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of animal figures and one of the only places in the country where you can get CollectA figures at a reasonable price.
Common Raven (Wild Life Europe/Forest Life by Schleich)
5 (7 votes)
Happy Halloween! I got the special date this year, so I’m bringing you thrills and chills…in the form of the Schleich common raven, Corvus corax, item number 14241. The way ravens are closely tied to all things sinister and spooky was already well-covered a few years ago, an animal well-established throughout the northern hemisphere.
Death’s-head Hawkmoth (Squishable)
4.5 (4 votes)
I thought I was done with reviews for spooky season this year but with only a few days left until Halloween I was determined to make sure this cutie was featured on the blog before season’s end. This is the death’s-head hawkmoth (genus Acherontia) by Squishable. Death’s-head hawkmoths seem to be all the rage this year.
Bats (Play Visions)
5 (3 votes)
There are two mammals, or perhaps broadly groups of mammals, that exemplify Halloween. One is the black cat. The other is the bat. Bats have a long history in human folklore, tradition, and fictional literature and cinema. In North America, the Creek, Cherokee, and Apache viewed the bat as a trickster god.
Tarantula Wolf Spider (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (6 votes)
No spooky season would be complete without a member of Araneae, the spiders, quite possibly the animal most symbolic of Halloween. What haunted attraction isn’t covered in fake spider webbing? And what child doesn’t bring home at least one plastic spider ring after a night of trick or treating? Today we’re looking at the 2016 Papo “tarantula”, a figure that our own Blaine Mathison stated, “might be the best spider figure ever produced”.
Sea Lamprey (Great Lakes Fishery Commission by Safari Ltd)
5 (7 votes)
Back in time for Halloween with our scary animals! Some are traditionally ‘Halloween’ animals, but this one is more in the spirit…one that rightly feels disturbing and causes nightmares in some places for real. I am speaking of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus, one of those animals that just seems appropriately creepy for the season.
Death’s-head Hawkmoth (Garden Animals by Papo)
5 (5 votes)
The genus Acherontia, whose members are commonly referred to as death’s-head hawkmoths, contains three species broadly distributed in Eurasia and Africa. The greater death’s-head hawkmoth (A. lachesis), which is the largest of the three, occurs in Central and East Asia to Japan and the Philippines; it has also recently become established in Hawaii.