Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Cute! I've never seen that one before. I have a pet loggerhead musk turtle and this area is loaded with common musk turtles. Love them.

Nice! As I was preparing this post, I was actually wondering if you'd comment that you have/had pet musk turtles

[Gwangi]

Cute! I've never seen that one before. I have a pet loggerhead musk turtle and this area is loaded with common musk turtles. Love them.

Nice! As I was preparing this post, I was actually wondering if you'd comment that you have/had pet musk turtles

Haha, I have four turtles. A red-eared slider that I've had for 30 years, the loggerhead, an elongated tortoise, and a red-footed tortoise. The tortoises spend the summer in outside pens but I had to bring them in a couple weeks ago.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dorcus grandis Didier, 1926

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: World Insect Series 1
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.7 for a major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifth species of Dorcus we've seen in the Museum. Based on the map on the card that accompanied the figure, it was probably intended to represent the nominate subspecies, D. grandis grandis (see below). The World Insect Series 1 collection consists of 15 species of scarabaeoid beetles and five species of butterflies. Some of the beetles have fragility isses, easily losing legs and two of them crumbling outright new out of the box; forum member Beetle guy had a similar issue with his set (we suspect it had something to do with the paint, as it happened to two metallic species). There is also a World Insect Series 2, but I have never seen it and have no idea of its composition. Beetle figures by ShanTrip (for which I have showcased a few previously in this thread) appear to be Indian knockoffs of the World Insect Series figures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Tropical broadleaf forest
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are three subspecies of D. grandis: the nominate D. g. grandis (Laos, Vietnam, China), D. g. formosanus (Taiwan), and D. g. moriyai (Myanmar, India). Dorcus grandis and its subspecies are sometimes considered subspecies of D. hopei.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Meles anakuma Temminck, 1844
Common name(s): Japanese badger; anaguma

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 3
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:16-1:17.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, some assembly is required (as indicated by some obvious seams in the image).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, mixed woodlands, copses; occasionally suburban and agricultural areas
Diet: Insects, earthworms, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Meles anakuma is endemic to Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Shōdoshima in Japan. Genetically it is very similar to the Asian badger (M. leucurus) and the two are sometimes considered conspecific. It has been suggested that M. anakuma diverged from M. leucurus approximately 0.43 MYA, crossing over to Japan from the Korean Peninsula via land bridges that are believed to have formed and disappeared several times due to eustatic changes of sea level.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): common kestrel; Eurasian kestrel

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 11
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Figure height (including base) 5.2 cm. Body length approximately 6.2 cm for a scale of 1:5-1:6.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being original Choco Q figures, assembly is required; the feet are part of the branch, so the bird cannot be displayed in whole off of its base. These two figures represent the same sculpt, just painted to represent different sexes, with the male on the right and the female on the left.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Widespread in the Old World, including much of Europe, South and Central Asia, Africa; rare vagrant to the east coast of North America
Habitat: Open woodlands, grasslands, heathlands, marshlands, agricultural fields, urban and suburban areas
Diet: Small mammals (voles, mice, shrews, etc.); occasionally insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Falco tinnunculus hunts by hovering about 10-20 meters above the ground, and then quickly swooping down onto their prey. Like many 'birds of prey', F. tinnunculus has very keen eyesight and can spot potential prey from a distance.

[Isidro]

Habitat: Open woodlands, grasslands, heathlands, marshlands, agricultural fields

And villages and cities. It's the most urban of all falcons, and a common sight in my city for example.

[bmathison1972]

Habitat: Open woodlands, grasslands, heathlands, marshlands, agricultural fields

And villages and cities. It's the most urban of all falcons, and a common sight in my city for example.

Yes thank you! I should have considered that; same here for the American kestrel. I edited the post accordingly!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tetraclita japonica (Pilsbry, 1916)
Common name(s): Japanese volcano barnacle; kurofujitsubo; black barnacle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kitan Club
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Barnacles
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Width of base 3.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: These two figures represent the same sculpt, one is a magnet and one is a pin that can be worn. I don't remember which is which, as I took this pic back in January 2022 when I reviewed the set for the Animal Toy Blog.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific (Japan, Taiwan, southern China)
Habitat: Intertidal zone in rocky areas
Diet: Suspension feeder of planktonic microorganisms
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Intra-specific morphologic variation due to adaption to different local environments has created taxonomic confusion for several groups of intertidal barnacles, including T. japonica. There are two populations within the japonica-complex: T. japonica sensu stricto and T. formosana, separated primarily by the color of the parietes, with T. japonica being purple-grey to black and T. formosana being pinkish. Both species were originally described as subspecies of T. squamosa. In 2007, a study looking at geographic distribution, morphologic metrics, and molecular analysis of the ITS1 concluded the two populations are more deserving of subspecies status, resulting in the combinations T. j. japonica (southern China and Japan, rare in Taiwan) and T. j. formosana (Taiwan and Japan, absent from China).

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Lambeosaurus lambei Parks, 1923

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: PNSO
Series: Prehistoric Animal Models
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 26 cm for a scale of 1:30-1:35
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is often regarded as the best Lambeosaurus figure since the Invicta model from the early 1990s. Like many of PNSO models, there are some minor proportional issues, in this case the front legs probably being a little too slender. Otherwise, a splendid sculpt and interesting paint job. So far, the spindly legs have not resulted in any stability issues, which have been documented in PNSO's Corythosaurus.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Coastal marshes and swamps
Diet: Browser on vegetation, probably conifers, gingkoes, and/or magnolias
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Lambeosaurus lambei is known for its distinctive hatchet-shaped crest. Structurally, most of the crest is hollow. There have been several theories on the function of this crest, one of being that it was used for sexual selection and/or territorial display. Being hollow, it may have aided in breathing or producing various sounds for communication. Since noisemaking is so important in social functions and recognition, this has become one of the most widely accepted hypotheses. It has also been suggested it stored salt glands that allow excess salt from the environment to be excreted; this has been suggested due to the large number of fossils being found in coastal marshes and swamps where Lambeosaurus may have had frequent exposure to brackish or marine environments.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Zopherus nodulosus haldemani Horn, 1870
Common name(s): Texas ironclad beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series: Insects
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length 4.3 cm for a scale of 3:1-1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a sculpt, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: The Wing Mau Insects collection consists of 24 figures representing 23 species of beetles (there are two color variants of Adalia bipunctata). The figures have the Latin name printed on the underside (today's figure was stamped Zopherus haldemani, but that species is now considered a subspecies of Z. nodulosus). The figures seem to have been influenced by an Italian poster, Beetles, from 1992, as all the species are represented in that poster (including both variants of Adalia bipunctata) and have the same Latin names assigned to them (this poster hangs in my home office; I've had it since 1995). Figures in this set were also produced for Play Visions for their Habitat Earth line. Most of the species in this Wing Mau collection are unique, at least as sculpts. I have seen several bootlegs of various Wing Mau beetles over the years, and this Zopherus pops up frequently as a bootleg.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Endemic to east-central Texas and northeastern Mexico
Habitat: Tamaulipas-Texas semi-arid plain, mixed-oak woodlands, pecan groves, suburban areas
Diet: Larvae feed in the dead wood of various trees, including Ulmus (elm), Quercus (oak), and Carya (pecan); adults feed on lichens, dead organic material, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The nominate subspecies Z. n. nodulosus occurs throughout much of Mexico, while the subspecies Z. n. haldemani occurs primarily in east-central Texas, with some populations in the mountains of northeastern Mexico. Zopherus species are well-adapted to arid environments. They have several morphological adaptations to prevent water loss, including elytra that are fused together and fused to the body, extremely hard exoskeletons (sometimes to the point that entomologists have trouble pinning specimens), and are often covered with a waxy coating.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Agapornis fischeri (Reichenow, 1887)
Common name(s): Fischer's lovebird

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Furuta
Series: Chocoegg Pet Series 2
Year of Production: 2001
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, some assembly is required. This sculpt was released in multiple paint jobs (at least three), representing domestic varieties of A. fischeri or possibly other species (at least one appears to represent the cobalt form of the masked lovebird, A. personatus). Shine-G also released a set of lovebirds which included A. fischeri; from what I can tell, the Shine-G lovebirds are all just repaints of the same sculpt, but I don't have any in-hand to be sure.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East-central Africa (Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi)
Habitat: Dry open woodlands, scrub forest, savannas
Diet: Seeds; occasionally fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: The common name 'lovebird' for A. fischeri and other members of the genus is because male/female pairs have a very strong bond and mate for life. Preening includes biting each other's beaks; because it resembles kissing, it is believed this behavior led to creation the term 'lovebird'. Pairs like to be in as close proximity as much as possible, and when separated the physical health of both individuals may suffer.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): blue jay

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Backyard Birds TOOB
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 8.3 cm for a scale of 1:2.6-1:3.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The sculpt on this bird, like all this this particular TOOB, is amazing. The paint job is a bit simple, but that can be common with Safari TOOBs, especially at the time this one came out. I could see myself replacing this figure if Safari was to ever release a more detailed version, say in the Wings of the World line. But for now, this is a very nice example of a blue jay. The only other figure of this species I am aware of is by K&M International for the American Garden Nature Tube (2006), and I feel this Safari version is superior.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern and northern North America
Habitat: Mixed woodlands, suburban areas, parks, gardens
Diet: Fruits, nuts, seeds, bird eggs, small animals, invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cyanocitta cristata is a bold, daring, and aggressive bird species. They have no problem chasing predator birds, such as hawks and owls, away from their nesting sites. They can even imitate the calls of some hawk species, perhaps as a test to see if there are hawks in the vicinity (I actually fell for this once while birding here in Utah, albeit with Steller's jay, C. stelleri). They will even be defensive towards humans that walk to close to nesting sites. Like other corvids, C. cristata is also highly intelligent, demonstrating signs of play and primitive tool use.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Takydromus tachydromoides (Schlegel, 1838)
Common name(s): Japanese grass lizard

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Lizard and Gecko Collection
Year of Production: 2015 (2010)
Size/Scale: Figure length 10.2 cm. Snout-to-vent length 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a sculpt, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: This set was released three times, originally by Kitan Club in 2010 and then again by Ikimon in 2015 and 2021. Figures in this set were sold as both magnets (as mine here) and strap figures, resulting in a total of six releases of this sculpt over the years.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Fields, meadows, parks, gardens; usually on or near the ground
Diet: Insects, arachnids, terrestrial isopods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other lizards, T. tachydromoides can voluntarily shed its tail to evade capture by a would-be predator; this action is called autotomy. The tail will grow back, and in the case of T. tachydromoides, the new tail is nearly as long as the original.

[bmathison1972]

Back after a couple days away. I was in Washington DC, giving a talk about parasite diagnostics at a meeting.

Species: Chlamydosaurus kingii Gray, 1825
Common name(s): frilled lizard; frill-necked lizard; frilled dragon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Reptiles Lounge
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Total figure height (including bases) 5.5 cm. Scale difficult to calculate, but snout-to-vent length approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:4.3-1:6.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required. The flat, green, habitat-style part of the base is removable from the trophy-style base, but former has two pegs and will not stand without the latter (I suppose one could shave the pegs off if they wanted). Also, the lizard's left hind leg is part of the green part of the base, so the lizard can never be independent from some kind of base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern Australia, southern New Guinea
Habitat: Sub-humid and semi-arid grassy woodlands, dry sclerophyll forests; generally arboreal, coming to the ground mainly to feed
Diet: Insects and arachnids, small mammals and reptiles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: When confronted by a would-be predator, C. kingii will go into 'freeze mode' and become perfectly still. If that doesn't work, it will deploy the feature that it is best known for, its frill, which is displayed when it opens it's brightly-colored mouth. This makes the lizard appear larger than it is. Chlamydosaurus kingii will often add to the performance by standing on its hind legs and hiss at its aggressor, sometimes even leaping or charging at the other animal. If none of that works, then it usually just runs up the nearest tree!

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Glyptodon clavipes Owen, 1839

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Prehistoric Mammals 1:20
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Body length 12.0 cm for a scale of approximately 1:25 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Schleich only marketed this figure as Glyptodon; I am assuming it was based on the type species and the designation of G. clavipes is my own. The scale above is based on an average published length of 3.0 meters. The osteoderms (see below) were probably not pimple-like as shown here; most current reconstructions show Glyptodon with a rather smooth carapace. Still, an impressive sculpt for the time it was made.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Pleistocene (Uquian-Lujanian) of present-day South America (Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina)
Habitat: Open woodlands, grasslands, riparian areas
Diet: Vegetation, including shrubs, trees, and grasses
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Glyptodon and its kin are best known for their protective carapace which resembles that of a tortoise. The carapace was made up of over a thousand small bony osteoderms, the pattern of which has been used to define the various species. Glyptodon also had a tail covered in bony ridges. The carapace and tail were defensive adaptions against predators. The main predators of Glyptodon were saber-toothed cats, giant short-faced bear, dire wolves, terror birds, and possibly early humans.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Anoplophora chinensis (Forster, 1771)
Common name(s): citrus long-horned beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Re-Ment
Series: Insect Kingdom Magnets
Year of Release: 2010
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) 4.8 cm for a scale of 2.3:1-1.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen A. chinensis in the Museum; however, the first one was one by Hayakawa Toys that has since been 'purged' from my collection. Interestingly, Bandai recently released one in their Diversity of Life on Earth line, and it is currently en route to me! For today's figure, no assembly is required, but as the name of the collection implies, there is a magnet on the ventral side; it's not obtrusive for this particular species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Japan; introducted to Europe and North America
Habitat: Hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae bore into the wood of living hardwood trees; it has a broad host range, including many commercial and ornamental plants such as Citrus (citrus), Carya (pecan), Malus (apple), Salix (willow), Pyrus (pear), Morus (mulberry), Melia (chinaberry), Populus (poplar), Quercus (oak), and Ficus (fig); adults feed on the tender bark of young trees
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Anoplophora chinensis was first reported in the United States in 1999 in Georgia, from bonsai trees imported from China. In 2001 it was reported from Washington in bonsai trees imported from Korea. It has also been reported from Wisconsin. It did not get established in Georgia or Wisconsin, but there were local infestations in Washington following the import of Acer (maple) from Korea; eradication efforts are considered to have been successful and there are not believed to be any breeding populations in that state. The related Asian long-horned beetle (A. glabripennis) has also been introduced to the United States, where thriving populations occur in the Northeast.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): mallard; wild duck

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Maia & Borges
Series: Water and Lake Birds
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Total figure height 5.0 cm. Scale difficult to calculate, but measured along spine body length approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:6-1:8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This isn't necessarily my favorite mallard, nor was it the first one I purchased. However, I wanted to retain the entire M&B Water and Lake Birds set in my collection. I almost postponed posting this figure, as Dioramansion (the company that makes the flat dioramas, as used here) is releasing one in early November that would be better for a mallard (I'll still get the diorama when it comes out; it can be used for a lot of riparian critters). I'll probably get the white domestic version of this species someday too, if I can find one I like enough (I am currently eyeing the 1999 Schleich version, for which there are a few on eBay...).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere; introduced to many other parts of the world, including South America, Australia, New Zealand, Falkland Islands, southern Africa
Habitat: Lakes, estuaries, ponds, rivers, creeks, canals, ditches, city parks
Diet: Terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, vegetation (leafy plants, tubers, grains)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike many birds, A. platyrhynchos is not strictly monogamous. Males and females pair up, usually in the fall. And the couple stays together until eggs are laid in the spring. Nests are usually in vegetation where they can be hidden and the female's color provides additional camouflage. After the female lays eggs, which can be in batches of 8-13, the male usually leaves her to congregate with other males until the molting period. Often, males will remain to sire females who have lost or abandoned their egg clutches or mate with unpaired females. Pairs may also mate again, if the first attempt was unsuccessful. Incubation takes about a month and hatchlings are precocial and are capable of swimming immediately. Fledging takes 50-60 days and once capable of flight, juveniles learn their migratory routes.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Loxoblemus doenitzi Stein, 1881
Common name(s): horn-headed cricket

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Dreams Come True Ltd.
Series: Sound of Autumn
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) 1.9 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Loxoblemus doenitzi is sexually dimorphic (see below) and this figure is sculpted after a male. The Sound of Autumn collection features Asian orthopterans known for their songs. Figures in this set come permanently affixed in small plastic cages, as if to simulate live captive specimens. One can push a button on the side of the cage and it plays the song the animal makes in nature! The cages are 5.5 cm x 4.0 cm x 3.5 cm. Removing the insects from the cages means irreparably damaging the cages (which was fine by me).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (China, Korean Peninsula, Japan)
Habitat: Grasslands, agricultural fields
Diet: Plant material, dead insects, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Loxoblemus doenitzi is sexually dimorphic. Males have flat heads with frontal triangular projections which are formed from elongated shields on the sides of the head. Females have rounded heads as seen in most other cricket species. The function of this 'horn' is unknown and its size is not related to diet nor correlated to the male's calling ability. Experiments with crickets in captivity show the horns might be associated with agonistic behavior between males, but the size of the horn doesn't appear to correlate with the outcome of contests between two individuals as much as overall body size does.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dryophytes japonicus (Günther, 1859)
Common name(s): Japanese tree frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Japanese Tree Frogs on Mushrooms
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Total figure height (including acrylic base) 8.0 cm. Snout-to-vent length approximately 2.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.5-1:1.75
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in this collection feature various mushrooms with D. japonicus. The focus of the set was really the mushrooms; the D. japonicus are really just accessories. In this case, the D. japonicus sits atop the fly agaric, Amanita muscaria. This set was re-released, also in 2015, but with different paint jobs on the mushrooms, changing this particular figure to D. japonicus on Amanita pantherina. Ikimon would go on to release a second volume featuring this tree frog species on a new variety of mushrooms (don't know the release year of the second volume, maybe 2017 or 2018). Some assembly is required, but the frog is not removable from the mushroom (at least not in the example I am showing today). There is also a round, low, clear acrylic base (not shown here) that attaches to the bottom of the mushroom that allows it to stand upright on a flat surface.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (China, Korean Peninsula, Mongolia, eastern Russia, Japan)
Habitat: Woodlands, bushlands, meadows, swamps, river valleys, creeks
Diet: Insects and other arthropods, particularly ants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Dryophytes japonicus is one of the most cold-tolerant amphibians, and is able to survive down to -35°C. The tree frog accomplishes this by naturally producing glycerol in its body as the temperature drops.

[NSD Bashe]

How difficult was that to stand up without the base?