Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
If you were to ask me what my favorite owl species was, I think I could safely say the barn owl is my pick. The most famous and widespread of species under the Tyto genus, Tyto alba is iconic for its striking plumage, silent flight, and piercing cry – earning it the nickname “ghost owl”.
The term ‘honeypot’ ant is a common name given to multiple genera of ants that are best known for the replete, or plerergate, members of their caste system. Repletes are sterile works that serve as food reserves for when other food sources are scarce. The repletes hang from the ‘ceiling’ in special chambers of the nest and are gorged with food to the point their abdomens become greatly distended with honey.
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
With the onset of commercial 3D printing and a growing number of online shops and artist-friendly websites, a new world of hidden treasures and surprises has opened up for collectors and hobbyists. One such surprise I recently encountered was featured on a table at a reptile expo, where the handlers were not only selling the typical real (and rather cute) reptiles, but also a selection of equally cute articulated toys.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Hound sharks have not been made into figures by any of the major figure companies, whether it be it by Western or Japanese companies, save for one: the leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata). It is a small- to medium-sized shark that inhabits temperate waters in the Pacific Coast of North America, primarily in kelp forests and reefs.
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
Turtles and tortoises don’t seem to get the same bad rap their reptilian relatives have historically suffered; perhaps their slower nature, omnivorous diets, and long lifespans have endeared themselves to human sensibilities better. Not all testudines are harmless, however, and as a kid who liked his predators, I was always most enamored with the big-beaked, carnivorous snapping turtles.
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.
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.
The bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is a notorious insect from the rainforests of Central and South America. It is often regarded as having one of the most painful stings of any insect, and currently has a rating of 4.0+ (the highest possible) on Schmidt’s Sting Pain Index.
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.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) is perhaps the most quintessential and famous of all eagles. For certain it is the most widespread, ranging across the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia. It has also figured prominently in human culture more than any other bird.
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.
Today I will be reviewing the 2019 caiman by Safari Ltd. I was inspired to review this figure after it came up for my daily Museum post and all the exhaustive research I did on determining its identification. Let’s discuss the identification first, shall we? Safari Ltd. only marketed this figure as a caiman, mentioning both the genera Caiman and Melanosuchus on their website.
