Before we begin the review, I would like to thank Happy Hen Toys for supplying this figure for review. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of animal figurines and a member and supporter of the Animal Toy Blog and Forum. Of particular note is that they’re one of the few U.S.
Eurasian Otter (Wild Life Europe by Schleich)
5 (5 votes)
The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) is the widest ranging of all otter species, with a distribution covering most of Europe, large portions of Asia, and even part of northern Africa. It is also the most commonly made otter species by toy companies, although the North American river otter and sea otter are well represented too.
Leech (Giant Microbes)
4.3 (6 votes)
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.
Small Tortoiseshell (Little Wonders by CollectA)
4.9 (7 votes)
Having recently showcased CollectA’s small tortoiseshell butterfly (Aglais urticae) in my daily ‘Museum’ posts on the ATF, I thought it would be a good opportunity to review it for the Blog! I was contemplating just migrating over my forum walk-around, but I am not happy with those images, so I took new ones for a fresh review.
Bumble Bee (Garden Animals by Papo)
4.1 (7 votes)
The genus Bombus, which includes the bumble bees, consists of over 250 species worldwide. They occur in most terrestrial habitats throughout the Americas and the Palearctic, but are absent in much of Africa, the southern Middle East, much of the Indian subcontinent, Australia, and New Zealand (although they have been introduced to the New Zealand and Tasmania).
Great Grey Owl (Bullyland Birds by Bullyland)
2.4 (9 votes)
As I write this review, the 2023 Safari Ltd. Wings of the World Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) is currently en route to me. I thought it would be a good opportunity to review the 2010 rendition by Bullyland, which the Safari figure will replace, before it goes into the sales/trade/donation bin.
Angelshark (Sealife by CollectA)
5 (16 votes)
It’s Shark Week again and can you believe it? This is the ATB’s fourth year of marking the occasion with toy shark reviews. This year CollectA has released two new and highly anticipated shark figures and it’s my pleasure to be sharing them both this week. To start things off we’re looking at a rather atypical shark, the angelshark, a much-needed addition to any shark collection.
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 (15 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.
Great Dane (Best in Show by Safari Ltd.)
5 (5 votes)
Before I start my review I would again like to thank our friends at Happy Hen Toys who donated this review sample for the Blog! It’s a figure I have been contemplating getting for a while, ever since I started added some dog breeds to my collection, so it was a joy to have the opportunity to get it from HHT!
Rose Chafer (Garden Animals by Papo)
5 (4 votes)
Before I begin this review, I would again like to thank our friends at Happy Hen Toys who generously donated this review sample for the Blog!
Today I will be reviewing the European rose chafer by Papo, new for this year. When promo pics of this figure were first released, it looked to me like Protaetia cuprea, commonly known as the copper chafer.
Griffon Vulture (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.3 (12 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
I’ve always been rather fond of vultures due to their large size, intimidating appearance, and the crucial role they play in consuming carrion. The Eurasian griffon (Gyps fulvus) is a very typical Old World vulture with quite a large population in Spain and much smaller populations scattered across the rest of Europe.
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.
Ladybugs (Diversity of Life on Earth by Bandai)
5 (5 votes)
As if wasps, caterpillars, beetles, scorpions, ants, peacock spiders, mantids, and crabs weren’t enough, Bandai recently (early 2023) added a set of ladybugs (lady beetles) to add to their growing collection of arthropods in the Diversity of Life on Earth (DoLoE) line. And the set is part of their ‘Advanced’ line, which means better and more refined sculpts, better paint, and yes, of course, they are more expensive.