The first species of shark that I ever saw in person was a leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata). It was at The Nature Store in the Pougkeepsie Galleria in New York. This was in the early-mid 90’s and the place is probably shut down by now. The Nature Store was as much a museum as it was a conventional store, it was fun to explore but you could also potentially buy what you were looking at.
Leopard Shark (Wildlife Artists, Inc.)
3.7 (3 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Thanks to its elaborately patterned hide and ability to adapt well to captivity, the leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) is among the most familiar of sharks. Over the years, I’ve been to saltwater aquariums throughout the continent of North America, and I cannot think of a single one that did not feature leopard sharks.
Blue Rock Rattlesnake (Wild Republic by K&M International)
4.3 (4 votes)
Where plastic toys often fail in species diversity plush toys seem to shockingly excel. The Wild Republic line of plush animals is a major player in the plush animal game and responsible for much of this diversity. Although I don’t collect plush animals I do have a young daughter, as well as an eye for quality toys, so our house has a lot of these plush animals sitting around, including the 54” (137 cm) blue rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus) we’ll be looking at today.
Great Lakes TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
5 (5 votes)
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Those are the names of the Great Lakes of North America that boarder the central/east United States and Canada. In total area they represent the largest freshwater lakes on Earth, holding roughly 20% of the world’s surface freshwater and 9/10ths of the water supply for the United States.
Common Snapping Turtle (Capsule Q Museum: Invasive Species and New Friends by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
Review and images by jumboplayset; edited by bmathison1972
For me, my all time favorite animal is without question the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina). I remember when I first saw the species in the wild, in a tiny creek down the way from my grandparents’ house. The creek ran between two streets but was unbelievably idyllic, glowing grass-green in the sun, the bubbling and smoothly flowing sounds of the little creek.
Eternal Lost Breeds, Extinct animal (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
5 (3 votes)
Despite the progress we have made as a species, there is one fact we cannot change: extinction is forever. As a result of our hubris, many spectacular species have been wiped from the face of the earth. Takara have created quite an exquisite set, showing a selection of the species that have been lost of the centuries, each with a stand stating scientific names and year of extinction.
Green Iguana (Wild Safari Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
Kermode Bear (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (8 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
In the lush coastal rainforests of British Columbia, Canada, lives the extremely rare Kermode, spirit, or ghost bear (Ursus americanus kermodei). It is a subspecies of the American black bear in which some individuals are born with creamy white fur due to a recessive gene.
Snowy Owl (Wild Life by Schleich)
5 (3 votes)
A couple days ago we had a random Spring snow storm, so I took advantage and snapped a few pics of a species that would normally be home in such a climate, the snowy owl, Bubo scandiacus. What is interesting, I posted the first review on the blog and that figure was Schleich’s tawny owl.
Tropical Rain Forest Frogs, Part 2 (Real Figure Collection Box by Colorata)
3 (2 votes)
This is the second part of a two-part review of the Tropical Rain Forest Frogs collection box by Colorata. Part 1 covered the Neotropical species. This second part covers the African, Madagascan, and Asian species.
Each figure is a single, solid piece of plastic. Five of the figures in the set come with a habitat-style base, three of which appear to be permanently attached to the base.
Tropical Rain Forest Frogs, Part 1 (Real Figure Collection Box by Colorata)
2.7 (3 votes)
When researching the frog species in the recent Capsule Q Museum release by Kaiyodo, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that 14 of the 16 figures in the Tropical Rain Forest Frogs collection box by Colorata were new species for me! I decided to buy a complete set, as paying for a whole set for 14 figures is still more cost-effective than hunting down individual figures of interest.
Red Fox, 2008 (Wild Safari North American Wildlife by Safari Ltd.)
4 (4 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
What it lacks in size and strength, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) more than makes up for in cunning and versatility. It is one of the most widespread of all canids, occurring naturally throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, and as an invasive species in Australia.