Lovely Salamanders

[stemturtle]

Glow-in-the-Dark Mudpuppy


Common mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus (Safari Ltd. - Incredible Creatures, 2015)
Total length 10.75" (27.5 cm)

The mudpuppy belongs to the family Proteidae, which also includes the olm.
The plastic has a similar flexibility to that of the Tennessee Aquarium version, and to the Safari glow-in-the-dark salamander.
Copyright date is marked 2005, which is probably the same mold as the Safari green translucent figure. The paper label is printed 2015.
Available on eBay . The price is nice.

There is a walk-around of the Tennessee Aquarium mudpuppy.  If you are willing to sacrifice the glow-in-the-dark feature, get out the acrylic paints.

[brontodocus]

Yay, so it is already available? I was thinking of getting one to repaint it, actually - I never dared to do so with my single sweet woodruff jelly style Translucents version...

[miwashi]

I really want one of these. Where do they sell them?

[miwashi]

Are any of these salamander figures still available anywhere? I missed them years ago and would like to get one!

[sbell]

Are any of these salamander figures still available anywhere? I missed them years ago and would like to get one!

Some of the Japanese figures show up in auctions, etc. The larger ones--mainly the painted Tennessee Aquarium set--are long gone and can be really hard to get. Although they are releasing the mudpuppy as a glow in the dark this year.

[Ana]

It looks incredibly realistic on these photos. Very beautiful replica!!!

[stemturtle]

The Great Smoky Mountains Association sells the red-cheeked salamander by Safari Ltd. directly to the public. Postage is extra.
They are independent of the park, but support it with the profits. The website shows their phone number:
http://www.smokiesinformation.org/shop/red-cheek-salamander-toy-1941
They do not list Paypal, but you can phone in your credit card number. I have not ordered this figure from them, but have ordered books.

[sbell]

The Great Smoky Mountains Association sells the red-cheeked salamander by Safari Ltd. directly to the public. Postage is extra.
They are independent of the park, but support it with the profits. The website shows their phone number:
http://www.smokiesinformation.org/shop/red-cheek-salamander-toy-1941
They do not list Paypal, but you can phone in your credit card number. I have not ordered this figure from them, but have ordered books.

That's where I got my two! For some reason, the link I had saved was not working, telling me that the product was out of stock, so it's good to see at least that one available.

[postsaurischian]

I really want one of these. Where do they sell them?

It was more favourable to buy the complete set. Now you have to watch eBay and buy the figures individually.
Here's one example.

[stemturtle]

A flurry of fire salamanders


Fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra (Bullyland 68372), length about 9 inches or 23 cm.

I recently bought this figure listed as a spotted salamander from TGF Toys:
http://www.tgftoys.com/Bullyland-Spotted-Salamander-Large-68372.htm
The belly is marked "salamander" without naming a species. It is painted like a fire salamander, shown below with other figures.


Fire salamanders: (Bullyland 68372), (Safari – TN Aquarium), (Bullyland 68493)


Fire salamander (Bullyland 68493), Spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum (Play Visions)

Now comes the curious part. The pose seemed familiar, so I compared it to the figure that I customized into a Pacific giant salamander.
The unidentifiable T.M. Toy Company figure turns out to be a counterfeit version of the Bullyland fire salamander, enlarged, and with the tail curved.
See more photos.


Fire salamander with Pacific giant salamander, Dicamptodon tenebrosus (T.M. – customized)

While stationed in Germany some 45 years ago, I was lucky to find a live fire salamander underneath the remains of a hedgehog
that attracted carrion beetles. A treasured memory.

[Jetoar]

Wonderful replicas. TN aquarium models are awesome  .

[stemturtle]

Wonderful replicas. TN aquarium models are awesome  .

Thanks, Jetoar. Brontodocus posted a walk-around of the fire salamander from the Safari Tennesee Aquarium Collection. It is a wonderful figure.
Merry Christmas to all.

[brontodocus]

Walk-around of the 3B Scientific VN700 (Barred) Fire Salamander, Salamandra salamandra terrestris Lacépède, 1788. Snout-vent length is approx. 85 mm and total length is 146 mm. The slenderness and relatively small size suggest this may be regarded as a male or immature specimen (adult females are bulkier and can reach a total length of up to 230 mm). The species is adapted to deciduous forests with creeks. Females don't lay eggs but give birth to relatively large larvae (approx. 30 mm) with gills and limbs fully developed. The species can be highly abundant in some places and around my hometown (Bochum, Germany) practically every forest with a creek in it hosts a population. Their nocturnal habits make them go largely unnoticed by most people, though. Fire Salamanders produce a neurotoxin, Samandarin, which is predominantly emitted by the parotid glands behind the eyes. They only have very few predators (e.g. the Grass Snake, Natrix natrix) and have a high life expectancy of over 20 years in the wild and 50 or more years in captivity. The Fire Salamander is still common throughout most of its range and IUCN lists it as "Least Concern". However, the species is in decline and major threats are habitat destruction, roadkill, and the pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans.

















Bonus photo - Size comparison with the Safari Ltd Tennessee Aquarium Collection Fire Salamander:


Edit 2017-02-05: Fixed broken image urls.

[Jetoar]

Awesome detail and incredible sculpt  .

[postsaurischian]

     Kitan Club / Nature Techni Colour - set of Salamander & Newts




                                              1  Cynops pyrrhogaster - Japanese fire belly newt (orange)
                                              2  Cynops ensicauda - Sword-tail newt
                                              3  Cynops pyrrhogaster - Japanese fire belly newt (black, floating)
                                              4  Cynops pyrrhogaster - Japanese fire belly newt (black)
                                              5  Andrias japonicus - Japanese giant salamander




                         



                         

                   the Giant Salamander (and the floating Fire Belly Newt) don't have a magnet in their bellies. The others do.

[stemturtle]

Postsaurischian, your photos of the Kitan Club salamanders are gorgeous.
My favorite is the floating Japanese fire belly newt.


Cynops pyrrhogaster, showing the screw eye attached to a chain.


Here is a view of  the set of 6 figures showing 2 on chains and 3 with magnets.
They are made of a flexible plastic that should resist breakage.

[miwashi]

Is the kitan club series out yet? I want to buy a set!

[sbell]

Is the kitan club series out yet? I want to buy a set!

They are indeed released now.

I was going to be strong, but after seeing these pictures I have caved and ordered one from the ATF member Brett (BMKnj17).

[miwashi]

How much is a set?

[sbell]

How much is a set?

There is quite a range--you'd have to ask Brett.