Quite a few shark species go by the name “reef shark”. Blacktip, Caribbean, grey, and the subject of today’s review, the whitetip. But while all those sharks belong to the Carcharhinus genus, the whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) does not. But these sharks are not called reef sharks because they’re related.
Swellshark (Shark Bulk set by K&M International)
4.7 (10 votes)
It must be Shark Week, one of those times that is able to get my to write again! And as seems to be my way, I’ll be looking at a more obscure figure of a more obscure shark species from a more obscure series, the Swellshark made by K&M International for their bulk Shark set.
Prairie Dogs (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (4 votes)
The prairie dog of western North America is not only an icon of the American west but a keystone species as well. Prairie dogs are burrowers, and their extensive network of tunnels, chambers, and mounds known as “prairie dog towns” serve as important habitat for a host of species, including burrowing owls and the black-footed ferret that not only lives in prairie dog burrows but also preys on them.
Moose (Wild Life by Schleich)
4.6 (14 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.
Cuban Crocodile (Baby Animals by Yowie Group)
3.8 (13 votes)
After discovering that Yowie figures were widely available in the United States me and my family went on a bit of a Yowie buying spree. Buying a few of the eggs just about every time we encountered them in the wild until we ended up getting more repeats than it was worth.
Flying Squirrel (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (6 votes)
Before we begin the review, I would like to thank Happy Hen Toys for sending this figure along as a review sample. Happy Hen Toys is a U.S. distributor of animal figures, including some that are otherwise hard to come by in the United States. I highly recommend that you check out their selection.
Great Grey Owl (Wings of the World by Safari Ltd.)
4 (34 votes)
The great grey owl (Strix nebulosa) is a symbol of the vast northern wilderness that it ranges across, where it inhabits coniferous forests of the taiga around the entire Northern Hemisphere. As such it has many provocative nicknames including Phantom of the North, Lapland owl, and spectral owl.
Chincoteague Pony (Horse Country by CollectA)
5 (4 votes)
I live on Maryland’s eastern shore, part of the Delmarva Peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. As such, one of my favorite stomping grounds is Assateague Island, a 37-mile-long barrier island that stretches along the coasts of Maryland and Virginia. Assateague Island is most well known for its herds of feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) known as Assateague horses or Chincoteague ponies.
American Bison, 2022 (Wildlife by CollectA)
5 (15 votes)
Some years ago, I was driving around some rural backroad in the Finger Lakes region of New York when I rounded a corner and was greeted by a herd of roughly 70 American bison (Bison bison). Big, imposing, and majestic, my heart skipped a beat. I was not expecting to see a herd of bison in New York.
Bonytail Chub (Marsh Education by Safari Ltd.)
5 (6 votes)
Today’s review concludes our series of reviews on the Marsh Education fish figures, commissioned by the Marsh & Associates Native Fish Lab and produced by Safari Ltd. I didn’t necessarily save the best for last, but I did accidentally save perhaps the most endangered for last. The bonytail chub (Gila elegans) is native to the Colorado River Basin in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah.
Desert Pupfish (Marsh Education by Safari Ltd.)
5 (7 votes)
In my review of the Apache trout, I discussed the diversity of trout in the American west that was brought about by climate change at the end of the last Ice Age. But trout weren’t the only fishes effected by this sudden change in climate. The American southwest is also home to numerous species of pupfish in the Cyprinodon genus.
Apache Trout (Marsh Education by Safari Ltd.)
4.7 (6 votes)
During the last Ice Age most of Canada and the northern United States would have been covered in a sheet of ice while the American southwest would have been lush, wet, and cool. A far cry from the comparatively hot, dry, and parched land of the modern southwest. It was the warming climate at the end of the Ice Age that would alter much of the southwest but small islands of temperate climates and rich biodiversity are still present in high elevation mountain ranges and wetlands.
Colorado Pikeminnow (Marsh Education by Safari Ltd.)
5 (6 votes)
To the layman, minnow is a catchall term for any small fish, including the baby fish of larger species. But scientifically, a minnow is a specific kind of fish belonging to the families Cyprinidae and Leucisidae (which until recently was lumped together with the Cyprinidae family) and the size of the fish is not at all a factor.
Turkey (Mojö Woodland by Mojö Fun)
4.5 (8 votes)
Thanks to the American holiday of Thanksgiving*, the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is the most reviewed bird on the ATB** with (counting this one) five reviews in total. This one is my 3rd contribution, but I fear it is my last. My previous reviews covered turkeys produced in plush and ceramic, but I’ve finally acquired a plastic representative for my own collection and have no aspirations to acquire any more.
Gray Wolf (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.4 (5 votes)
Rounding out my spooky animal reviews for October it’s time to look at one of the many renditions of the gray wolf (Canis lupis), an animal whose history is intricately woven into our own like few other animals. For much of human history, the wolf would have been a competitor and potential predator of humans.