Mathison Museum of Natural History

[Gwangi]

I would love a good model of a zebra bullhead.

[stargatedalek]

I have the Play Visions model and this one is definitely copying it rather than being based directly on the real animal, but its posture is straighter. Unsure if it's a new sculpt or edited from the Play Visions.

[bmathison1972]

I have the Play Visions model and this one is definitely copying it rather than being based directly on the real animal, but its posture is straighter. Unsure if it's a new sculpt or edited from the Play Visions.

Hi @stargatedalek - Which one are you referring to when you say 'this one'? The one in my pic is the original Play Visions (it's marked as such). It's also not as straight; I think that's an illusion of the angle in the image.

The one I write about that possibly uses the PV sculpt/design is the one by Discovery Science that Sean showed here: https://animaltoyforum.com/index.php?topic=2351.msg19709#msg19709

just looking for clarity, thanks!

[stargatedalek]

Aah sorry I misunderstood! It must be the angle making it look straighter. I focused in on the "unique as a sculpt" part and completely glossed over the title directly above.

And yah, seeing it from above like that the Discovery is definitely a cast of the PV figure.



As for the guess, that would probably be a centipede, but I have no idea what specifically it might be!

[sbell]

Aah sorry I misunderstood! It must be the angle making it look straighter. I focused in on the "unique as a sculpt" part and completely glossed over the title directly above.

And yah, seeing it from above like that the Discovery is definitely a cast of the PV figure.



As for the guess, that would probably be a centipede, but I have no idea what specifically it might be!

Given the reference to being venomous, probably a giant, but hard to say from whom

[bmathison1972]

Correct @sbell and @stargatedalek - the figure is somewhat generic so I kept the clue that way, too!


Species: Scolopendra sp.
Common name(s): giant centipede

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: Venomous Creatures TOOB
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 7.5 cm, within scale 1:1 for some species or up to 1:4 for the largest species
Frequency of genus in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This TOOB was reissued in 2017 with different paint jobs for all the figures. The centipede is now silvery in color.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions
Habitat: Highly varied, including rainforests, subtropical forests, thornscrub, savanna, deserts
Diet: Insects and other invertebrates; occasionally small reptiles, amphibians, and mammals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [species dependent, but most if not all probably Not Evaluated]
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other centipedes, members of the genus Scolopendra are venomous. The venom contains serotonin, hemolytic phospholipase, cardiotoxic proteins, and cytolysin. While human deaths from centipede bites are rare, they have occured with S. subspinipes and S. gigantea. The venom is not delivered via mouthparts, however, but rather a modified pair of front legs called forcipules.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This common butterfly on the Indian subcontinent can be described as the Southeast Asian cousin of the American monarch.

[sbell]

Is there a silvery coloured giant centipede species?
Or is this just one of those things where Safari kind of drops the paint quality on older toobs?

[bmathison1972]

Is there a silvery coloured giant centipede species?
Or is this just one of those things where Safari kind of drops the paint quality on older toobs?

I haven't looked into it, but I suspect the new paint jobs were for aesthetics more than scientific accuracy. Especially since the figure itself was ever only marketed as a 'centipede' (but clearly based off of Scolopendra). I never bought the repainted version and I have no interest in doing so..

[bmathison1972]

Species: Danaus genutia (Cramer, 1779)
Common name(s): common tiger; striped tiger

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series/Collection: Insects of Japan Series 3
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: If spread like a specimen, wingspan would come to approx. 8.0 cm, within scale 1:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed under the synonym Salatura genutia. Assembly is required. Figures in Yujin's Insects of Japan series are believed to be cast or based on actual specimens and are therefore all in scale 1:1.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and Southeast Asia, from India and Sri Lanka east to Japan (Okinawa) and northeastern Australia
Habitat: Dry and moist broadleaf forests, secondary growth forests, scrub jungles, degraded hillslopes, grasslands, urban and suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Apocynaceae (milkweeds and kin); adults take nectar from a variety of flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like the related monarch (D. plexippus), the common tiger is toxic. It acquires toxins from plants the larvae eat. Common host plants include Asclepias, Ceropegia, Cyanchum, Raphistemma, Stephanotis, and Tylophora.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This South African mammal has local cultural significance. In addition to being used for leather, meat (biltong), and fly-whisks (chowries), it appears on the coat of arms of KwaZulu-Natal (formerly Natal, a former province of South Africa).

[sbell]

Must be a wildebeest. Schleich?

And more properly, was the coat of arms. It was retired.

[bmathison1972]

Must be a wildebeest. Schleich?

And more properly, was the coat of arms. It was retired.

Thanks!!!! Actually it is still on the coat of arms (well, an updated coat of arms), it's just not called Natal anymore. I updated the info.

[sbell]

Must be a wildebeest. Schleich?

And more properly, was the coat of arms. It was retired.

Thanks!!!! Actually it is still on the coat of arms (well, an updated coat of arms), it's just not called Natal anymore. I updated the info.

So they do! Just looks different now. Added a lion because of course they did

[bmathison1972]

Good gnus @sbell - you got the right animal. In part.  The Schleich gnu is a blue (presumably, see below) while today's is a black! 

Species: Connochaetes gnou (Zimmerman, 1780)
Common name(s): black wildebeest; white-tailed gnu

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series/Collection: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approx. 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:15.9-1:17.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Most figures of this species are now vintage and long retired. This CollectA model is the only figure I am aware of in the modern era. Unless specified otherwise, most other modern wildebeest/gnu figures are assumed to represent the blue wildebeest (C. taurinus).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Africa (South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini); introduced to Namibia and Kenya
Habitat: Open plains, grasslands, karoo shrubland
Diet: Primarily grasses; occasionally shrubs and herbs when grass is scarce
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Connochaetes gnou is a highly gregarious animal and lives in three distinct groupings based on social structure: 1) female herds consisting of adult females and their young, 2) bachelor herds consisting only of yearlings and older males, and 3) territorial bulls. Herds of black wildebeest are often mixed with blesbok and springbok.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
One of the largest freshwater fish in Europe, there are several reports of bites and other attacks on humans!

[sbell]

I'm thinking tomorrow is the Safari wels catfish. Because most people don't have the Hellbender or Feves ones.

[bmathison1972]

Correct @sbell !!!

Species: Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): wels catfish; sheatfish; wels

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: European Animals TOOB
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:14.3-1:45.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Not much to say about a decent figure of a unique species that was released fairly recently. I suppose there could be vintage figures by some of the European companies but I am not aware of any.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Europe east to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, northern Afghanistan, and extreme northwestern Pakistan; introduced throughout much of the rest of Europe, Western China, and Brazil
Habitat: Large lakes, slow-moving large rivers, canals
Diet: Apex predator on any animal they can capture, including other fish, aquatic invertebrates, aquatic mammals, frogs, snakes, waterfowl and other birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: A small population of S. glanis lives in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine. The fish live in abandoned cooling ponds and channels within a relatively short distance to the decommissioned power plant! The fish appear healthy and are the apex predators in the aquatic ecosystem in the immediate area.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Despite being very aggressive and known for its territorial behavior in nature, this colorful chaetodontid does OK in aquaria with non-aggressive fish species. It will attack invertebrates, however!

[JimoAi]

Correct @sbell !!!

Species: Silurus glanis Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): wels catfish; sheatfish; wels

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: European Animals TOOB
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:14.3-1:45.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Not much to say about a decent figure of a unique species that was released fairly recently. I suppose there could be vintage figures by some of the European companies but I am not aware of any.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Europe east to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, northern Afghanistan, and extreme northwestern Pakistan; introduced throughout much of the rest of Europe, Western China, and Brazil
Habitat: Large lakes, slow-moving large rivers, canals
Diet: Apex predator on any animal they can capture, including other fish, aquatic invertebrates, aquatic mammals, frogs, snakes, waterfowl and other birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: A small population of S. glanis lives in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine. The fish live in abandoned cooling ponds and channels within a relatively short distance to the decommissioned power plant! The fish appear healthy and are the apex predators in the aquatic ecosystem in the immediate area.

Clue for tomorrow's species:
Despite being very aggressive and known for its territorial behavior in nature, this colorful chaetodontid does OK in aquaria with non-aggressive fish species. It will attack invertebrates, however!

Either the Schleich or the kaiyodo threadfin butterfly

[bmathison1972]

Very close @JimoAi - although there are probably multiple choices with this clue.

Species: Forcipiger flavissimus Jordan & McGregor, 1898
Common name(s): yellow longnose butterflyfish; forceps butterflyfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Maia & Borges
Series/Collection: Tropical Fish
Year of Production: 2012 (2001)
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 10.5 cm for a scale of 1:2 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen F. flavissimus in the Museum. The first time was a figure by Yujin that this M&B model has since replaced, as I wanted to retain a complete M&B Tropical Fish collection. Maia & Borges first produced this figure in 2001 for Schleich, and was retired after about only one year. Maia & Borges reissued it twice under their own brand. I am not sure of the first time, but it was probably in 2002 or 2003 after Schleich retired their model. My version is from a 2012 release.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific, from eastern Africa to Hawaii; Eastern Pacific, from Baja California, the Revillagigedo Islands, and the Galapagos Islands
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 2-145 meters
Diet: Marine invertebrates, fish eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Forcipiger flavissimus is known for its territorial behavior. Typically, a monogamous couple will patrol their territory on a reef, keeping away would-be competitors. It is a popular species in aquaria, and despite it territoriality, it is compatible with other non-aggressive fish; however, it will nip at invertebrates.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
These busy buffy-butt buzzers have short, but sharp, tongues and will often engage in 'nectar robbing' to acquire nutrients from flowers without actually entering the flower!