Safari Ltd Poison Dart Frog Confusion *Update*

I've had these 2 poison dart frogs for a long time, but I'm not sure what series they belong to. I'm making a new website for myself and I list the figure's series title underneath but I'm not sure what these frogs are from.

They are both marked 1990 and the green-and-black version seems to be listed under the Baltimore Aquarium frogs, but it is a different model from the other green-and-black frog. The yellow one is exactly the same model just different color. It seems there are 2 sets of these frogs, one set for the Baltimore Aquarium, and the other set I'm not sure the series. (The yellow one I couldn't find on TAW but maybe I just missed it somewhere like the translucents I didn't see.

If anyone knows the reason I'd be relieved to know!

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They are both Safari Ltd Baltimore Aquarium Poison Dart Frogs.

Here is the page on TAW but it seems something is missing.

never heard about that white tree frog

Kikimalou wrote:

never heard about that white tree frog

As far as I can see it is not on Tiermann's pic.
Was it a confusion with the Incredible Creatures model?

Sure, it's time to remove it

Yes, it is an intruder, it is not even a poison dart frog.

Are there 2 different molds of the Baltimore frogs? Because these green and yellow frogs are different molds than the Baltimore ones. Also were these only available in that gift set? Because I got these at a local toy shop years ago and they were sold separately.

If they are different we have to study these better. We are not documented about such old figures from Safari Ltd and frogs is a common subject among their Incredible Creatures series and their themed sets.
You don't happen to own the tags. Is really the set on TAW the Baltimore one? Here is the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] I unfortunately don't have the tags, I've had these for such a long time. I'm almost positive I got them at a local toy shop I always go to and I've never been to the Baltimore Aquarium so I didn't get them there.

Here are the yellow & green from that are mine side by side, they are the same exact model just different paint.
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Here are the Baltimore frogs on the toy wiki:
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I also just bought these 2 frogs on eBay, they're from the Baltimore set, and you can really see the difference in this green one and my green one. They haven't arrived yet but I could take some side by side photos when I get them.
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Most noticeably for me are the feet and toes. The toes on mine are much thicker than the Baltimore ones. The arms and legs are also slightly angled in a different way, which may just be the camera angle but the toes are definitely larger.

Here are the bottom of my frogs, its hard to see but it just says "1990 SAFARI LTD CHINA"
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Indeed I'm sure the Lehmann's poison frog is a Baltimore. I can't wait to see some comparison pics.

Aren't the Baltimore figures marked with part of the scientific names listed on TAW?
I am convinced similar models, if not the same, were introduced in their regular Incredible Creatures.

A little update!

So I got these 2 frogs in the mail
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The green frogs appear to have the same exact body structure as a base, but the arms and fingers are much thinner on the right figure. Also, interestingly, the 2 frogs I got in the mail did not have a date on them. They were only marked "SAFARI LTD CHINA". My old green and yellow one, and blue poison dart frog from the series have 1990 dates.
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My blue poison dart frog:
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Here are them all together
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So now I am unfortunately even more confused None of the frogs are marked with their species name or "Baltimore Aquarium" and only 3 of the 5 have dates marked on them. My only guess is that Safari reused the models in their incredible creatures line like [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] suggested, and perhaps they made a new model of the yellow & green frog.

I ordered this frog that will be coming in the mail: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
I'm curious to see what the markings will be on that figure

I enjoy your interest for finding these frogs. Sometimes it is what help us finding some hidden misteries.
Some of the earlier Incredible Creatures from Safari are still unknown because we don't have catalogues to cover the earlier years.
These large frogs are marked as they were TOOB figures and I suspect they are not.
Also, Safari covered the subject since an early stage with the Frog's and Turtles TOOB and introducing some years ago a toob of poison dart frogs.

Could some of these have been part of an Authentics Collection?

I can't offer anything definitive, but some possibilities could be a collector's case, super toob, or bulk bin style of sale. At one my frequented toy stores (years ago) lots of toob models were sold individually and that's how I got some of my older hold out models without having to buy the entire toob... we know Safari alters their models all the time, I wouldn't be surprised if a genuine baltimore aquarium release had slender realistic toes while a later reproduction for another item (like a case or toob) had fatter toes to adhere to safety laws etc... just some ideas. The 2007 catalogue (the earliest listed here) didn't have these in it.
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I know that Safari had 6 different poison dart frogs that came in a little bin, so you could pick and choose which one you wanted. Then later on they made a TOOB with these 6 frogs and with addition of 2 new paint colors. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] I think it very well could be possible that they did a similar thing with the Baltimore frogs? Especially since I'm almost positive that I got the yellow & green "Baltimore" frogs at the same local toy shop that used to have those little bins.

These are the frogs that I got in the "mixed bins" years ago at my local shop. These can be seen in this TOOB that [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] mentioned: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
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The 2006 bin of Dart Frogs also have a page on TAW. it is not easy to find yours anywhere.

Curiously, the 2006 Rainforest TOOB also has a Lehmann's poison frog but again it is not yours.

I recieved a *duplicate* myself and what you are pointing out is so much more noticeable in person! Not great photos for now but... left is my new one, right is my original from a thrift store years ago. The left has thicker limbs and toes and slightly different paint job. Right is much more realistic and gracile in proportions. I have to think that one is the original aquarium release and the other is either a reproduction for a later line or an altered design to adhere to safety laws maybe? (My thinner frog is missing several toes so...)
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[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] I agree with you for sure. I was looking around and found versions of all the dart frogs that were "bulkier" with the thicker toes and different paint application. So like you said I think the originals were the Baltimore Aquarium frogs that were later changed to be in another line like Incredible Creatures or maybe something else.

I think that the Baltimore Aquarium frogs came in the gift set all together as well as being separate, because I have seen some listings of the individual frogs on eBay in the authentic casing, like here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Although curiously the toes on this frog also seem thicker than the one listed on TAW   so maybe after releasing the initial gift sets they changed the models for individual distributing for safety laws like you suggested.

I know that the Tennessee Aquarium salamanders came factory glued on the display case (I bought it thinking the salamanders came off as it didn't state otherwise in the eBay listing *oops*). And then they were sold individually as well. I ended up selling the case because I paid a lot for it and I didn't want them stuck to the base, although there was no difference between the ones glued to the case and individual ones.

Of course it doesn't matter much to me, I just find it interesting and enjoy trying to find out what series figures belong to  

With Susanne's help we can give more light to this confusion

Those Baltimore Aquarium Frogs were sold, at least, in four different ways.
As loose models, as keychains, in individual vitrine boxes and later as a set with the addition of a red-eyed tree frog.
Susanne shared this 2004 dealers catalogue picture where we can see loose, individually boxed and keychains.
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Here a picture of the Rainforest Collection set with the red-eyed tree frog. Picture belongs to Lance.
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The page on TAW shows models from Lance, Andreas and Susanne but Lance's models are from the set with the red-eyed tree frog and they have thin toes.
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All these sets are authenticated by the Baltimore Aquarium. It doesn't mean they were sold exclusively there.
I suspect the Aquarium sold the models with the individual vitrine box.
They were part of the Safari range being included in the Incredible Creatures line.
I don't know yet how they are marked, I believe they don't have a year and those figures here presented with Safari Ltd CHINA C€ are likely legite Baltimore poison dart frogs.
Susanne's red-eyed tree frog, introduced later in the Rain Forest Collection set, is marked 1994 but this figure was also sold loose and it is a kind of little intruder what may explain why it is differently marked.

I still am not sure about the frogs with big toes but they are different figures under the same subject.
As they are marked 1990, they're 1991 releases, probably earlier then the Baltimore frogs and part of the several collections which preceded the Incredible Creatures series.
All species we gathered, represent the same exact species as the Baltimore series and painted in a very similar way. I believe these thick-toed moulds were remastered during the cooperation with the Aquarium to match a more accurate representation and use the museum quality label.

About the frogs in bins, different from these, @Jolie is right, they were released in 2006 with 6 color kinds in two different moulds, in 2017 they were replaced by the Poison dart frogs tube that included all the bin models more two color variations. Models added were the golden poison dart frog using mold 1 and the sira poison dart frog using mold 2. Bin figures are marked with the year 2005, I forgot to ask Paige about the tube versions but probably they're not marked with a year. I believe these molds are also used in other toobs countaining frog figures but I haven't checked it yet.

Thank you for this information Roger! I've seen a few of the Baltimore frogs in boxes before, but had no idea they were also sold as keychains.

I have all the frogs in a bin from 2006 and they are all marked 2005. I also have the 2 unique colors from the 2017 poison dart frogs toob. They are also marked 2005

Just a small clarifying comment to Roger's comment

The numbers on the bottom of the "Bin-frogs" does not refer to the mould =  shape of the frog .

The below picture shows it is rather random which shape of frog has a "1" or a "2"  

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(Sorry, the orange frog looks yellow with my camera no matter what I do )

The numbers could be made because they have two frogs of the same shape in each mould for faster production,
and in case something is wrong with part of the mould, it saves time to know which of the frogs in the mould that is the problem.

Schleich used that a lot before moulds became less expensive.

It could be interesting to know if other bin-frog-owners have frogs with other numbers on each frog

Very interesting Susanne! I just checked mine.. The top row is marked 1, and just the few on the bottom are marked 2

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SUPER ! Jolie

So the numbers must refer to some production thing and not the models