The Curious Compendium 2023-2024: Shih-tzu, maltese, pekingese!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Silently amassing my swan army! (honestly swans are terrifying and formidable foes).

[sbell]

Silently amassing my swan army! (honestly swans are terrifying and formidable foes).

They're the violence that Canada geese aspire to...

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Speaking of... 
A few more swans and some geese:



Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl species in North America and the largest swan in the world. They have a beautiful honking call, that sounds like a French horn; hence their name. Where I grew up these guys could be seen sometimes (they are still a rarer species to see) but always a pleasure to observe in the wild at Yellowstone National Park!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Winding down now, only a handful of birds left.


The scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper, also called the 'I'iwi, is a popular species for bird watching in Hawaii due to its flashy coloration. They have a huge repertoire of songs that includes sounds similar to squeaky door hinges and balloons being rubbed together. Sadly these guys are struggling due to pressure from mosquito born avian malaria, habitat loss, and fungal pathogens.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Ravens and friends!

Ravens are one of the few bird species that work closely with other animals in collaboration. Famously in this case, with wolves. Ravens will spot carcasses, injured animals, and caches of food (from bears for example) and lead wolves to them. Once wolves bring the animal down or open a carcass and eat their fill, ravens are then allowed to feast (consuming up to two thirds of what is left). Ravens have been recorded as imitating wolf howls in an attempt to attract a pack's attention, play tug of war with pups, and seemingly bond with individual wolves (even following them if that wolf disperses). This is a centuries long reported relationship and a unique collaboration between a predatory mammal and a highly intelligent avian= two very social species who benefit each other.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

I have decided to wrap up the avian category with a double post. The website page is nearly ready but there are a few kinks I am waiting on Wix to address before I can make it ready for live viewing. But as usual, I will let you all know.

Passerines and friends!

Steller's jays (often misspelled as Stellar's) are named after Georg Steller who first encountered them in 1741 in Alaska. When they were officially described and named in 1788 he got the honor of them being named after their original observer (along with Steller's sea lions, and Steller's sea eagles). They vary widely in color forms in different populations. They do hybridize where they cohabit with blue jays. And they have remarkable mimicry; other bird species, dogs, cats, squirrels, chickens, and mechanical machinery!


Bohemian waxwings are a nomadic species; they travel to follow food sources rather than temperatures, latitudes, or typical migration routes. Because of this, they also don't have a traditional "birdsong" because they don't have territory to defend. One bird was recorded as traveling 280 miles in 11 days!

As a quick aside, 10 years ago when I was in college I had an ornamental pear tree in my backyard (the fruit looked like strange cherries). One winter, it was terribly cold for weeks, and a beautiful hoarfrost set in the yard and visibility was low due to fog. I came home from class and was making lunch when I heard twittering. Looking out the back windows, the pear tree (only 5 feet from the house) had a large flock of cedar waxwings enjoying the frozen and undoubtedly fermented fruit. Amazingly, they fully knew I was there but didn't mind me watching. I got to enjoy the spectacle for about an hour before the food had been devoured and they moved on. I never saw them again, but the experience was the closest I have ever felt to something magical.

[Isidro]

What is the size of the smallest red cardinal, please? And the raven with open bill? Thanks!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

The small cardinal is a good luck mini from Safari; their website says its an inch in length. The raven with its mouth open is an Archie McPhee(from a crow set but that one is a raven); their site says the models are an inch to 1 and 1/4 of an inch.

[EpicRaptorMan]

That SafariLtd Mockingbird is smaller than I initially anticipated.

[Isidro]

Many thanks for the size explanation

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Now we move into domestic livestock as the next category. I know there aren't very many collectors of these models anymore but I hope that even the most enthusiastic wildlife collector might bear with me here, you might learn something new anyway! Also, for anyone who can, let me know if you notice anything missing from TAW. I am more than happy to help fill gaps!

Holstein Friesian cattle!




In Europe they are Friesians, in the US they are called Holsteins; this is the most common breed in the US (94% of all 9 million dairy cows can trace their lineage to a holstein).  A single cow typically produces up to 23,000 lbs/2,674 US gallons of milk for each lactation (305 days). That is roughly 75 lbs/9 gallons of milk a day! Some The world record for production was set by a dairy cow named Selz-Pralle Aftershock in 2017; she produced 78,170 lbs/9,367 gallons of milk that year!

[Gwangi]

I collect livestock breeds and cattle
in particular. I'll enjoy looking at these.

[bmathison1972]

I collect livestock breeds and cattle
in particular. I'll enjoy looking at these.

Me too! Looking forward to upcoming posts!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Thank you both! This is largely my childhood in description, the vast majority of these are the toys (along with horses and common pets) I grew up with and loved playing "homesteader" with. When I started collecting officially I have maintained this part of my collection even though a lot of the time the additions may not be nearly as exciting as some wildlife... But this will be a good excercise to brush up on my domestic animal breed facts as I have gotten a bit rusty.

Anyhow, glad there are at least 3 of us here!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Brahma cattle!


These guys are known for their adaptability; heat, drought, insect resistance, ability to tolerate lower quality feed, and their often docile temperament. This has led to a great variety in hybridzation for new cattle breeds such as braford, brangus, Droughtmaster, charbray, and santa gertrudis. Part of their ability to tolerate climate extremes comes from their uniqur folding skin. In hotter climes it droops and increases surface area to cooling opportunity while in cooler climates it shrinks and the hide becomes thicker, retaining heat more efficiently.

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Pot-bellied pigs!


This breed has been around for some 40,000 years in Asia. There are several types and/or lines if these pigs, but the American market began when pigs from the "Lon I" line were imported in the 1980s. Despite the stereotype, these guys are very intelligent, clean, and friendly animals but also is one of the types of animals most often abandoned by owners due to widespread misinformation of this pet fad (i.e. "mini" pigs do not exist and these can potentially grow to be 200 lbs animals, they require mental stimulation and attention or else these pigs will find things to do on their own, etc.).

[Gwangi]

That Schleich figure on the left end of the bottom row is on my most wanted list.

[BlueKrono]

That Schleich figure on the left end of the bottom row is on my most wanted list.

That one struck me as especially distinctive, and I didn't even know what it was!

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Its actually a great example of a later Schleich being even better than an "golden era" example.

This one isn't too expensive @Gwangi
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235609963132?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iDIWPdeoQza&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=mjgh7cirrh6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Gwangi]

Its actually a great example of a later Schleich being even better than an "golden era" example.

This one isn't too expensive @Gwangi
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235609963132?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=iDIWPdeoQza&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=mjgh7cirrh6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Thanks! I bought it! I check eBay for it periodically but they're usually $20+, this one came to about $15 with shipping. It's the cheapest one I've seen.