Rtas' main collection

Just to remind you this figure is 15cm long. Also I stopped collecting Bullyland until 2019 when I resumed after I missed their figures, and species choices. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

If there is a figure that made me really happy these last mounths, it was the Papo alligator, thanks Tas for helping Caracal to find it for me. :) I don't intend to promote a gator marriage unless for any reason, I get the Mojö Fun figure.

Adam, yes of course, I forgot I saw it on your other topic !

Roger, Mojo's alligator looks great indeed.

This is the second alligator by Papo. The first one was their crocodile mutant which is obviously a gator. My congregation of gators includes the white Safari model, Papo and the Schleich adult and baby

Advicot wrote:

This is the second alligator by Papo. The first one was their crocodile mutant which is obviously a gator. My congregation of gators includes the white Safari model, Papo and the Schleich adult and baby

That's a good thing to have both Papo's and Schleich's since they really look perfect next to each other.

I do agree :)

Did you noticed the belly scails of this Schleich anaconda?..

Caracal wrote:

Did you noticed the belly scails of this Schleich anaconda?..

This, plus the sunken black spots, is the reason I don't have this anaconda in my collection nor my wishlist

Caracal wrote:

Did you noticed the belly scails of this Schleich anaconda?..

Now you're telling it

Pardofelis wrote:

This, plus the sunken black spots, is the reason I don't have this anaconda in my collection nor my wishlist

The CollectA model may be a better option, although you have to order it [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

IV Birds and reptiles

A) Reptiles

3) Crocodilians

b) Crocodiles and gharials

Species : False gharial, Nile crocodile, gharial
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Figures on this picture (from left to right) :
- Schleich 14167 Gavial Crocodile (2000-2004)
- Schleich 14736 Crocodile, Moveable jaw (2015-still in production)
- Schleich 14683 Baby Crocodile (2013-2017)
- Papo 50154 Gharial (2013-2020)

Fun facts :
- I bought the Papo gharial to replace my old Schleich one. Then, I was happy to discover on this forum that my old Schleich was probably a false gharial and that I had two species instead of one. There are a few evidences showing it is indeed a false one. First, the general colour and the black spots on the body, which are absent on Indian gharials. Second, the head shape fits better a false gharial. Third, the Schleich booklet showed that it is native to Borneo, Sumatra and Java, which are the home of false gharials, not Indian gharials. Those evidences are not mine but Megaptera's. They are exposed in this topic : [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] . Finally, Schleich's gharial is smaller than Papo's and thus, works perfectly as a false one.
- I have the false gharial from my childhood, I bought the Nile crocodile in my favourite Schleich shop. Although available in my town, I bought the Indian gharial during one of my treasure hunt trips because I found a better painted model. The baby croc was a gift from my mother.
- I have seen Nile crocodiles in zoos and reptile centres, I have only seen false gharials in Alligator Bay, a large reptile centre just next to the famous "Mont Saint Michel" in Normandy [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] (they have unfortunately been replaced by silly albino alligators since ) and I have never seen a true gharial, although I could have since they can be found in the Crocodile farm, a reptile centre in the south of France, not so far from Caracal's home [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] close to which I worked as a street fundraiser a few years ago.

yes, but the CollectA anaconda is too big, paintjob is not of my taste (tough it would be easy to fix), and overall, the head have a weird unrealistic shape, looks like more an espadrile than a snake head! I also don't like the position. I would want an anaconda with closed mouth and the head lying in the ground, resting... darker skin and much more smooth skin, with scales only sculpted as very tiny marks. Probably I just need to make my own anaconda for get what I want


I always liked the Schleich false gharial since I discovered it in this same forum and because there is the only figure of this species in the market, but sadly it's too unrealistic for my collection. I have the Papo gharial, it's a masterpiece.

Hah! Finally a species that I've seen in zoos and you not! (for compensate the manta ray and bowmouth guitarfish hahaha) In fact I saw gharials at at least 3 different zoos to my memory! :)

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] brought an extra interest to the old Schleich gavial. When this figure was released, it was a very exciting one once there was no other gavial available and the figure was much better than the regular crocodile from Schleich range. It is now not comparable in terms of realism with the crocodile figures marketed these days but it remains an interesting classic and being a false gharial, the interest is genuine.
Papo gharial is one more croc masterpiece from Papo.

Good new I have a false gharial too!.. that I was not displaying since my Papo true was arrived!.. :)

Pardo, you are pitiless with this poor CollectA anaconda which is not so bad and that I have too!..

Benjamin, why don't you have the Papo crocodile so easy to find here?.. .. and which fits well with the Schleich one!..

I have the CollectA anaconda, its a nice figure, that I got in 2016 and had lots of fun in the garden with it as it would eat my capybara and I would submerge it in muddy puddles to make the element of surprise.

Then in 2017 I got Celia (that's what I named her) a mate the Schleich model who I named Alistair, Al for short.

Pardofelis wrote:

yes, but the CollectA anaconda is too big, paintjob is not of my taste (tough it would be easy to fix), and overall, the head have a weird unrealistic shape, looks like more an espadrile than a snake head! I also don't like the position. I would want an anaconda with closed mouth and the head lying in the ground, resting... darker skin and much more smooth skin, with scales only sculpted as very tiny marks. Probably I just need to make my own anaconda for get what I want

I think Papo is also releasing one this year but we will have to wait until Adam receives it and shows it to us. Unfortunately, I am afraid it will be articulated like their rattlesnake...

Pardofelis wrote:

I always liked the Schleich false gharial since I discovered it in this same forum and because there is the only figure of this species in the market, but sadly it's too unrealistic for my collection. I have the Papo gharial, it's a masterpiece.

Yes, it remains a vintage one, but it is not ugly enough to be removed from my "main" collection and since it is a different species, I am keeping it. However, I don't think I would buy it today.

Pardofelis wrote:

Hah! Finally a species that I've seen in zoos and you not! (for compensate the manta ray and bowmouth guitarfish hahaha) In fact I saw gharials at at least 3 different zoos to my memory! :)

You are lucky, it is a very rare species, even rarer than I thought : [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I see that another park keeps it in France, and it is much closer to me than the crocodile farm ! Very interesting, thank you again for showing me this zootierliste thing

Roger wrote:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] brought an extra interest to the old Schleich gavial. When this figure was released, it was a very exciting one once there was no other gavial available and the figure was much better than the regular crocodile from Schleich range. It is now not comparable in terms of realism with the crocodile figures marketed these days but it remains an interesting classic and being a false gharial, the interest is genuine.
Papo gharial is one more croc masterpiece from Papo.

Indeed, the false gharial was probably the best old Schleich croc figure and I think it is still tolerable enough to be part of one's collection.

Caracal wrote:

Benjamin, why don't you have the Papo crocodile so easy to find here?.. Crocodile .. and which fits well with the Schleich one!..

Well, I preferred the Schleich one's painting and did not think they were so compatible May I have a comparison picture please ?

I didn't purchase the Papo adult as I thought it looked too big! I settled on the baby croc instead.

Nice figures

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Benjamin you're right for painting  but the papo sculpting is better and the Schleich is a little too Stocky an short!..

Thanks Alain !

I think I may rather opt for Mojo's model if I ever get another Nile crocodile :

IV Birds and reptiles

B) Birds

1) Waterfowls

a) Swans

Species : Mute swan, black swan
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Figures on this picture :
- Schleich 13240 Swan (1998-2003)
- Schleich 13718 Swan with Cygnets (2013-2017)
- Papo 50116 Black Swan (2010-2015)

Fun facts :
- The Papo 50116 Black Swan is actually quite a lazy figure. It reuses the same mould as the mute swan and as a result, it has a knob atop the beak which is typical of mute swans but not black swans. Moreover, black swans' wings are normally half white while this figure has totally black ones.
- The 13240 and 13718 mute swans fit very well together despite being from different periods, I recommend this marriage to every collector !
- I have the 13240 swan from my childhood and bought the two others in local shops.
- I have seen mute and black swans in the wild (especially in the UK as far as black ones are concerned).

Glorious looking swans Benjamin. The Papo black swan was my only figure of the species until last Friday when the Safari figure arrived. They are a lovely pair, and hopefully some brand makes some more cygnets to go with these two.

I don't have yet any swan..

I hope it is not boring that I tell which ones are my choices but about mute swans, it was quite easy, I have the CollectA version, the most magnificent swan figure I've ever seen. One of the few excellent figures of early CollectA range. These Schleich are also very beautiful, I enjoy particularly the version with cygnets.
I have the Science and Nature black swan, nothing spectacular on it and it is a small figurine, the Papo figure is a thousand times more beautiful but I never acquired it for my collection. It is one of these figures we love but it is just a black mute swan as you pointed and it was enough for my decision.
I don't mean it is a wise decision from me, it is a wonderful figure and a valuable collectible, just a decision as we take several during our collecting adventure.
By the way, Safari's black swan, a very rare model, is also a mute swan repainted.

I did know this already Roger, but thank you for telling me though. Is it really that rare?! Susanne said it was rare but not very rare. Do we have a thread about rare models from major brands? If not I am making one for my queries.