Realistic Toymany Panda Family Figurines

The giant panda needs little introduction, but here's a quick recap: the bear is endemic to China. There are two subspecies, the nominate A. m. melanoleuca, from Sichuan, which displays the classic black-and-white color pattern, and the Qinling, or brown, panda (A. m. quinlingensis), which is endemic to the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi and is characterized by a brown and white coat. Despite being members of Carnivora, they derive about 99% of their diet from bamboo.

Taxonomically, they have bounced around, being allied with both bears and raccoons. However, both genetic and morphological data place them within the family Ursidae, although probably basal, having diverged from the common ancestor of the rest of the bears about 19 million years ago. They are currently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, primarily due to habitat destruction.

Today's set includes six pandas, comprising two adults and four cubs. In the wild, pandas give birth to twins about 50% of the time; however, the mother typically chooses the stronger cub, leaving the weaker one to fend for itself. Since female pandas do not store fat, they are unable to produce enough milk to sustain more than one cub at a time.

Therefore, in this Toymany set, it's possible that two of the cubs are from different parents, or three if the adults represent a male and a female. Alternatively, they could be captive-bred, possibly presenting two sets of twins. Ultimately, it's up to the collector to decide, but the set of six offers numerous display scenarios. Also noteworthy is the tree in the pictures, which is also by Toymany; originally produced for their koala figures,the purchase link: https://toymany.com/products/panda-animal-figurines-family-set

Let's start with the adult figures. One is depicted walking while the other lounges, enjoying some bamboo. The walking panda, which is easier to measure, has a body length of approximately 10 centimeters, corresponding to a scale of 1:12 to 1:19. Although both figures are roughly the same size, typically males are 10-20% larger than females in reality.

Each figure is crafted from a very hard, solid plastic and features an impressive level of detail. The fur is meticulously sculpted across the body, and even the undersides of the feet have pads sculpted on them (though these are technically accurate only for the front paws). Additionally, the walking panda features an open mouth with two small, sharp teeth visible in the lower jaw. The paintwork is species-accurate and meticulously applied.

Next, we'll look at the four cubs!

The four cubs each measure approximately 6 centimeters in body length, maintaining scale with the adult figures. Two cubs are depicted snacking—one on bamboo and the other on what seems to be a carrot—while one stands on its hind feet, potentially leaning against a log, and the fourth cub is seated and appears to be napping.

They all exhibit the same meticulous attention to detail as the adult figures, but they share a similar issue with inaccurately modeled hind foot pads. Additionally, unlike the adult figures, the cubs’ foot pads are not painted a different color from the rest of the foot’s underside—a minor detail. Overall, the craftsmanship of the cubs matches that of the adults.

This delightful set of well-crafted pandas comes highly recommended for collectors of pandas, bears, or even those who generally collect non-synoptic items. It's particularly appealing for creating family scenes and dioramas, presenting a fun challenge for collectors like myself who strive to maintain a synoptic collection. Because Toymany offers their figures for individual purchase on their website, one can easily buy just one or a few of these bears if preferred. Toymany is rapidly gaining recognition in the toy animal community. Their commitment to engaging with collectors, producing original high-quality models, and making their products affordable and easily accessible through their website has made them increasingly popular among toy animal enthusiasts. Additionally, using the provided link or the discount code TMAFBM10 when ordering directly from Toymany's site secures you a 10% discount!

Write by bmathison1972 of the Animal Toy Forum, a veteran collector of animal models and a medical parasitologist specializing in parasites of human disease (including arthropods), thanks for writing this blog content for us.