Today I will be reviewing a collection of butterflies by Innovative Kids. It is from their Junior Groovies collection, which is a lot like the familiar Groovy Tube Books collection, but for a younger audience (ages 3-6, or, in this case, 48-year-olds who collect toy insects). First of all, I should thank STS forum member Saarlooswolfhound for alerting me to this on Amazon.
Thresher Shark (Wild Safari Sea Life by Safari Ltd.)
4 (3 votes)
The sharks of the genus Alopias, within the family Alopiidae, are among the oddest and most recognizable sharks. Commonly known as the thresher sharks there are 3 extant species: the pelagic, common, and bigeye thresher. Their exceptionally long tail has long been the stuff of myth and speculation.
ANIA Blind Box Series 3 (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.)
4.7 (3 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
ANIA is a line of animal figures released under Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. catered towards educating children about wildlife. These figures are highly detailed, inexpensive, and often accurate to the animals they are made to portray. The line has gained popularity in Japan, with them branching out to releasing bath bombs with little animals, gashapons, and blind boxes.
Galápagos Tortoise, 2020 (Wild Animals by Schleich)
4.3 (9 votes)
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
“I frequently got on their backs, and then giving a few raps on the hinder part of their shells, they would rise up and walk away;—but I found it very difficult to keep my balance.” – Charles Darwin
Such was the experience of the legendary naturalist when he studied the giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands in 1835.
Backyard Birds TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.6 (5 votes)
Birds are without question the most prevalent tetrapod vertebrates in today’s world and for many people, especially in urban settings, birds are the most intimate link to the natural world available. Step outside, no matter where you are, you’re likely to see or hear a bird. Even as a write, I can see about a dozen birds at my bird feeder.
Brown-Throated Sloth (Wild Life by Schleich)
4.8 (5 votes)
In recent years, the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) has seemingly exploded in popularity. It has become a mascot for people that admire or emulate its laid-back, solitary, inactive lifestyle. In addition to that, it’s also unquestionably adorable. This popularity, no doubt accelerated by the internet, movies, and TV shows, has generated a glut of sloth themed merchandise.
Monarch (Wild Animals by Papo)
4 (1 votes)
Today I will be continuing the reviews of Papo’s 2020 arthropods with the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. This is one of 5 insects (6 arthropods total) produced by Papo in 2020. Interestingly, it is the only arthropod in their entire collection to-date that is not naturally European, given that Papo is a French company (more on that later).
Giant Armadillo (Authentics Rainforest by Safari Ltd.)
3 (4 votes)
Originally I was going to cover another bird in my next review but then it hit me, I haven’t reviewed a mammal since April with the Safari Great Lakes Toob, and I haven’t reviewed a standalone mammal figure since November 2019! So, to remedy that fact I decided it’s mammal time and that I would have to cover at least one before moving on to my more traditional subjects.
Butterflies to Go (Club Earth)
5 (1 votes)
I recently completed a Holy Grail collection, so I thought to share it on the Blog. I am referring to the Butterflies to Go collection by Club Earth. I am not sure when it was released, but it was probably alongside the classic Play Visions collections in the late 1990s. The set consists of 12 species of butterflies.
Centipede (Hyde and Eek! Boutique by Target Brands)
3 (1 votes)
OK, this is a rather fun and goofy review to celebrate Halloween! I often like to do reviews of obscure or unusual figures, or neat figures of odd or unfamiliar brands. Today I bring you the review of a centipede, gen. sp. by Target Brands, as part of their Hyde and Eek!
Toco Toucan (Wild Life by Schleich)
5 (3 votes)
Review and images by Lanthanotus; edited by bmathison1972
The giant toucan or toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) is one of those unmistakable birds almost anyone recognizes even with no ornithological background at all. There are a number of models to choose from generally, although quite a number are hard to come by and the quality is mixed.
Bonnethead Shark (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)
5 (3 votes)
In my last review I touched on the diversity of the hammerhead family Sphyrnidae while covering a toy representative of the family’s largest member, the great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran). Today we’re covering another member of that family, but one that is quite different from the great hammerhead and from what we think of when we think of hammerheads in general.