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.
Giant Squid (Wild Republic by K&M International)
4.9 (7 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Who hasn’t heard of the legendary giant squid (Architeuthis dux)? From Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to Peter Benchley’s Beast (fun read, that one!) and to countless artistic depictions of epic underwater clashes with sperm whales, it certainly has quite the reputation as a genuine sea monster.
Velez Skate (Animal Kaiser by Bandai)
5 (4 votes)
This post will be discussing an unusual figure from an unusual line–the line is the figures made by Bandai in conjunction with the game Animal Kaiser, and the animal is a Velez’ ray or Velez skate, Rostroraja velezi (Chirichigno, 1973). First off, ray or skate? Well, even Fishbase refers to it as a ‘ray’, but the genus Raja refers to the skates, which are a type of ray.
Corals in Colour (Yujin)
5 (3 votes)
Review of the complete set of the Corals in Colour produced by Yujin in 2005. The set consists of 16 small figures representing primarily stony corals; however it also includes two species hydrozoans that morphologically similar to hard corals. The figures are quite small, being on average 2.5 cm between their greatest points.
Gray Whale (Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection by Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (3 votes)
The gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a baleen whale that’s the sole extant member of its genus and the family Eschrichtiidae. Two populations currently live in the north Pacific, one small Asian population and a much larger population along the western coast of North America. Gray whales are near shore species and are frequently sighted along California and the Baja Peninsula.
Australia’s Deadliest Nature Tube (Wild Republic by K&M International)
4 (3 votes)
Review of the Australia’s Deadliest Nature Tube, by K&M International for the Wild Republic line. The set was released in 2018. To be honest, I bought this set specifically for the three arthropods, since I am a completist when it comes to arthropods identifiable to the species level. However, now that I am building a Synoptic Collection, I thought I could use the octopus too.
Orange-striped Shrimp Goby (Another Aquarium by For Corporation)
3.7 (3 votes)
I had not planned on another post so soon, but since the blog has been kinda quiet, I thought I would transfer over one of my walkarounds. This time, the orange-striped shrimp goby, Stogonobiops yasha Yoshino et Shimada, 2010 that was released as part of the line called Another Aquarium by the company For Corporation (yes, that is the name of the company).
Octopus (Sealife by CollectA)
5 (5 votes)
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Highly intelligent, masterful at camouflage and deception, and capable of compressing and contorting its body in countless ways, the octopus truly is an iconic and incredible creature. And from plush toys to rubber bathtub toys to good old hard plastic toys, it has long been a favourite among children and collectors alike.
Sperm Whale, 2018 (Sealife by CollectA)
5 (7 votes)
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
A truly awesome beast, the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of all extant flesh-eating animals, the second deepest diving mammal, the scourge of squid, and the inspiration behind Moby-Dick. Its unusual name is derived from the fact that its head contains a waxy substance called spermaceti, which was originally mistaken for the whale’s seminal fluid!
Pacific Oyster (Nature Techni Colour: Nature of Japan Vol. 1 by Kitan Club)
5 (3 votes)
Shortly before the Nature Techni Colour line was taken over by Ikimon, Kitan Club released three sets (volumes) under the title Nature of Japan. Each set features 10 figures representing animals, and in rare cases plants or geological structures, of Japan. Here we visit one of the figures of the first set, the Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas).
Humpback Whale (Sealife by CollectA)
4.3 (8 votes)
Review and photos by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
Between its knobbly head, its enormous flippers, and, of course, its noticeably humped back, the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is quite unmistakable. I fondly remember seeing an entire pod of humpbacks on a whale watching trip with my family off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, way back when I was only four or five years old.
Blue Whale (British Museum: Natural History by Invicta)
4.3 (4 votes)
Oof! Two blue whale toy reviews in a row, these things happen! The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the only extant animal in the famous monochrome line produced by Invicta Ltd for the British Museum (Natural History). If you’re not familiar with this museum that’s because the museum was rebranded in the 1990s as the Natural History Museum, London.