Blaine's Synoptic Animal Collection

Thank you, Blaine

I love your 3 new cats!!

March acquisitions. Not much now, mostly new species by Japanese companies.

First up, birds:
1. tuften puffin, Fratercula cirrhata (Kaiyodo)
2. woodpeck finch, Camarhynchus pallidus (Bandai)

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Reptiles and Amphibians:
1. Fleischmann's glass frog, Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni (Kaiyodo)
I have two more new species from this set on order from Brett (this figure was a free figure from a dealer I buy from a lot). The body is translucent and internal organs are visible from the bottom :).
2. Goliath frog, Conraua goliath (Kaiyodo)
3. viviparous lizard, Zootoca vivipara (Kaiyodo)

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Fish and aquatics:
1. Tokyo bitterling, Tanakia tanago (Kaiyodo)
2. blue-lined octopus, Hapalochlaena fasciata (Kaiyodo)
3. blue-spotted mudskipper, Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (Yujin)
4. spotnape cardinalfish, Agopon notatus (Kaiyodo)
5. fourspine sculpin, Cottus kazika (Kaiyodo)

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Mammals:
1. domestic cat, Felis catus (Schleich)
After some of the World Farm cats were posted on STS I decided to get one. They are some of the best domestic cat figures out there! This replaces a Kaiyodo figure in my collection.
2. Gunnison's prairie dog, Cynomys gunnisoni (Eikoh)
The figure is generic, but C. gunnisoni is the best option (and the most common and familiar species).
3. mountain hare, Lepus timidus (Kaiyodo)
4. least weasel, Mustela Mustela nivalis (Kaiyodo)
I have the winter version on my Arctic shelves, but now I have a summer version for Europe :). Even if I go back to a taxonomic display, it is nice to have two varieties (and they are different sculpts by Kaiyodo).

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It is really fantastic when makers release glass frogs with visible organs. I know some other famous company made it before but now I can't remember. It is also interesting to see a domestic cat among your new figures, it surely easily could predate most of them.

Nice new additions! I especially like the mudskipper.

As alway, you found some extremely interesting and beautyful models

And as always I learn something looking at them, - for instance ( I don't believe it !!) I did not know there are more than one kind of puffin !!!!

Thankyou for sharing the beautyful photos

Wonderful new models

The next unknown Kaiyodo figure for me. The bitterling is very interesting

More fascinating species. Beautifully made

I did not invest much in April, but have a few new additions, all retired species of interest.

1. green iguana, Iguana iguana (Safari Ltd.)
I had bought the Schleich iguana, because it was the only one I could find on eBay in the US. However, a seller has the large Safari IC iguana advertised along with its 'baby'. While, there is an IC baby iguana, the small one he was selling was actually the Wild Safari one shown here. The seller was kind enough to sell just this figure to me! I like the slightly smaller size and harder plastic of the Schleich figure, but the Safari figure has better morphology.
2. yellow-blotched sawback turtle, Grapyemys flavimaculata (Play Visions)
3. eastern chipmunk, Tamias striatus (Schleich)
I was happy to learn, and find, a small version of this species. I really appreciate that when Schleich makes small animals, the figures are small. If Safari Ltd. made this species in their standard range, it would probably be twice as big!

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I have one more figure coming from Canada that was my birthday present to myself. I will do a thorough Blog review when it gets here...

I also bought some of the M&B waterfowl, but they are currently 'on hold' in Germany until international shipping resumes.

Hurray! I am so happy that you were able to track down the iguana and chipmunk! I recently bought a "mislabelled" animal figure I have been looking for for a long while. Makes me wish people could read the species stamped on the belly of safari figures.

Big congrats again!

I got the iguana last year to go with the Bullyland figure, they are really good together. :)

I am glad to see new entries to your collection. On Safari's world, a figure of the size of the Schleich chipmunk goes directly to TOOB series and instead of being ranked as a 5 dolars figure, it will average 1 dolar. Safari works with many different series and sizes contrarily to Schleich that put all figures in a few price tag levels. I also have that chipmunk, it is a cool figure despite the small size.

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

Hurray! I am so happy that you were able to track down the iguana and chipmunk! I recently bought a "mislabelled" animal figure I have been looking for for a long while. Makes me wish people could read the species stamped on the belly of safari figures.

Big congrats again!

Thanks Paige. Still a couple retired Safari figures I need, the bighorn and opossum with babies are priority.

Roger wrote:

I am glad to see new entries to your collection. On Safari's world, a figure of the size of the Schleich chipmunk goes directly to TOOB series and instead of being ranked as a 5 dolars figure, it will average 1 dolar. Safari works with many different series and sizes contrarily to Schleich that put all figures in a few price tag levels. I also have that chipmunk, it is a cool figure despite the small size.

When I got the chipmunk, I thought the same thing: if this was by Safari, it would have to be in a TOOB. LOL

A special display I bought earlier this month for my birthday, the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) hunting the big-headed African mole rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) by Beauty of the Beasts.

For a detailed coverage, please see my blogpost: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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Now THAT is a great display figure! Absolutely wonderful, congratulations!

That's something out of words! Perfect birthday gift for yourself, congratulations!

So nice and so special

bmathison1972 wrote:

A special display I bought earlier this month for my birthday, the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) hunting the big-headed African mole rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus) by Beauty of the Beasts.

For a detailed coverage, please see my blogpost: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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Amazing model. It's very detailed and beautiful.

Very good sculpting! but the colour is more the one of Canis latrans one (not reddish enough) but it's maybe due to the picture..

bmathison1972 wrote:

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A gorgeous model of one of the most beautyful creatures at all
That situatuion is just as we see them on the best of nature-films : The mole rat can be ever so alert and smart, but eventually....

Wow, very, very nice!

Some lovely,lovely models especially the Prairie dog,Arctic hare,Weasel and the Ethiopian Wolf