Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
As its name suggests, the Australian green tree frog (Ranoidea caerulea) can be found throughout the northern and eastern regions of Australia, and in New Guinea as well. They prefer to live in moist forests, but will also inhabit swamps, grasslands, and around human dwellings.
This figure recently came up for my daily ‘Museum’ post on the Animal Toy Forum. Because of the dynamic nature of the sculpt I had to take multiple pics before I decided on the one I liked the most for that post. As such, I thought I would put those images to use and highlight the figure on the Blog!
The subject of today’s review is a bit of a curiosity. I got it in a lot off of eBay and it doesn’t have any manufacturer markings or identification printed on it. I initially thought it was a northern red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and reviewed it as such, and that’s also what it is marketed as on the internet.
Review and images by Suspsy; edited by bmathison1972
The American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), or simply bullfrog, is the biggest and best known true frog in North America. I have fond memories of catching them at my old family cottage back when I was a child. I even once caught a bullfrog tadpole and raised it until it grew limbs and lost its tail, upon which I released it back into the river.
There are criminally few toys of hummingbirds, which are surely some of the most beloved and extraordinary birds across the Americas. Perhaps their diminutive size and delicate forms intimidate toy manufacturers, or maybe they just get bad luck of the draw when new releases are chosen. Whatever the cause, toy companies have left a vacuum in this corner of bird collectibles; so any new contribution is to be welcomed.
Shark Week might be over but there’s one more elasmobranch I wanted to review before moving away from cartilaginous fishes, the 2019 Incredible Creatures marble ray (Taeniurops meyeni) by Safari Ltd.
The marble ray goes by many names, including blotched fantail ray, round ribbontail ray, giant reef ray, and black-spotted stingray.
Before I start this Blogpost, I must again thank @Kenc and the folks at Toymany for donating this review sample. It is very much appreciated. As with other Toymany set reviews, this is a general overview to introduce the animal toy community to the set and does not prevent others from doing more in-depth reviews of individual figures.
Review and images by Alopias superciliosus; edited by bmathison1972
I appreciate Shark Week on the Animal Toy Blog far more than I do the actual shark week programming on Discovery because the reviews on the Blog are more in line with what Shark Week should be and once was: an educational look at a fascinating group of animals, as opposed to over-dramatized, fear-mongering pseudo-science.
The porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) is a mackerel shark of cold waters. The origin of its common name is unknown. One theory is that ‘porbeagle’ is a combination of ‘porpoise’ and ‘beagle’, in reference to the shark’s tenacious hunting behavior. Another is that it is a combination of the Cornish words porth (harbor) and bugel (shepherd).
My next Shark Week review is another blast from the past, the 1996 Wild Safari leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata). Since the release and retirement of this toy, better leopard sharks have come along by Safari and Papo, but this oldie is still worth taking a look at.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
It’s Shark Week on the Blog once again and for today’s subject, we’ll be looking at the magnificent and feared great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), a species that needs no introduction, being prominently featured in many games, movies, books and toys.
Review and images by Alopias superciliosus; edited by bmathison1972
I’m happy to be back for my third Shark Week with the Animal Toy Blog, and this year I will be contributing two reviews! First up, arriving just in time for Shark Week, Papo’s newly released thresher shark.
Thresher sharks are a fascinating family of mackerel sharks easily distinguished by their incredibly long upper caudal fin lobes.
