Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Dubbolimulus peetae Pickett, 1984

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Lost Kingdoms Series B
Year of Production: 2001
Size/Scale: Length 7.3 cm. Prostomal width 5.5 cm for a scale of 2:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Yowies, assembly is required. The scale above is based on the holotype specimen.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Triassic (Anisian) of present-day Australia
Habitat: Freshwater, benthic
Diet: Presumably benthic invertebrates and algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: From what I can tell, D. peetae is still known only from the holotype specimen (MM F27693), which was found near the Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales. Based on plant fossils found near MM F27693, and the distance from which other marine fossils were found, it is believed D. peetae lived in a freshwater environment. However, it has been suggested D. peetae might live in a marine or brackish environment and only migrated to freshwater for breeding, such has been suggested for Victalimulus, an early Cretaceous horseshoe crab from Australia.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pelophylax nigromaculatus (Hallowell, 1861)
Common name(s): black-spotted pond frog; dark-spotted frog; black-spotted frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Frogs in Colour Pictorial Book
Year of Production: 2009
Size/Scale: Total figure height 7.0 cm. Snout-to-vent length approximately 3.0 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:2.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required. Other figures of this species are by Kaiyodo (2000) and Kitan Club/Ikimon (more than one release, including interestingly enough a re-release just this month).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (Korean Peninsula, China, Taiwan, eastern Russia, Japan); naturalized in Turkmenistan and Guam (Saipan)
Habitat: Forests, bushlands, meadows, deserts; highly variable with an adequate water source, including lakes, ponds, river pools, channels, swamps, irrigation ditches, and rice paddies, generally preferring stagnant water
Diet: Tadpoles eat algae; adults eat terrestrial invertebrates, rarely small fish and amphibians
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Pelophylax nigromaculatus is a highly adaptable species and is fairly tolerant of human activity, making it a candidate for introduction and establishment into new areas. It is already established in Turkmenistan and Saipan (Guam). It is unknown how it was introduced to Saipan. Its presence in Turkmenistan was from the accidental introduction of tadpoles with fish fry from China in 1959-1961. It was intentionally introduced to Oahu (Hawaii) for biocontrol in the late 1800s, but it has not been reported since 1938 and is not believed to currently have breeding populations on the island.

[endogenylove]

I want this set of frogs so badly! So many unique species and the quality is gorgeous!

[bmathison1972]

I want this set of frogs so badly! So many unique species and the quality is gorgeous!

Yes for the species in this set, I think I retained all of them except the Japanese tree frog (I went with an Ikimon version on a mushroom lol).

I bought the set on eBay back in late 2018 or early 2019

[NSD Bashe]

Looks like they can all be found separately on eBay right now, mostly averaging between 15-30 ish $ plus shipping, though a few are quite a bit cheaper and a few are a bit higher.  Expensive for all of them but at least they're theoretically available.
Also a lot of them seem to be from particular sellers so you'd probably be able to combine shipping on some

[endogenylove]

Looks like they can all be found separately on eBay right now, mostly averaging between 15-30 ish $ plus shipping, though a few are quite a bit cheaper and a few are a bit higher.  Expensive for all of them but at least they're theoretically available.
Also a lot of them seem to be from particular sellers so you'd probably be able to combine shipping on some

Unfortunately I don't have the money to be dropping $15-30 on individual figures right now, but it is nice to know that they are still out there and still available. Hopefully when I am able to get a steady job I can purchase more expensive figures like this set.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mesene phareus (Cramer, 1777)
Common name(s): Cramer's mesene; cell-barred metalmark

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Major
Series: Butterflies
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan 7.0 cm for a scale of 3.5:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Toy Major butterflies are somewhat of an enigma. There are 12 sculpts, labeled A-L on the underside as well as the copyright year of 1996. Each sculpt has been painted multiple times, resulting in anywhere from 24-36 figures (maybe more?). Also, the different repaints may have been released over multiple years while retaining the 1996 mark. They were sold in sets of various numbers. They are not marketed at the species level, but most are painted to look like recognizable species (the identifications are mine or by other forum members). Several species produced by Toy Major have been produced by other companies of the same era (Club Earth, early Safari Ltd., etc.), as these companies tend to copy one another, and it is sometimes difficult to determine who came first.

The proposed identity of today's figure comes from the similarity in paint with the Club Earth figure that started the trend, although it's much more simplified and stylized than the CE figure (looking at Toy Animal Wiki, Toy Major produced more than one version of M. phareus, which has also happened with other species). I must admit I am not crazy about this determination, but following the pedigree of butterfly figures, M phareus makes the most sense. The CE figure is painted after a male specimen, so the scale above is calculated based on the wingspan of the male.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, from Mexico to Brazil and Peru
Habitat: Rainforest, often in clearings and open areas
Diet: Larvae feed on Paullinia pinnata; adult diet unknown but could be carrion or nutrients derived from puddles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on this species, particularly feeding habits of adults, and the species name may not be valid.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Spilocuscus maculatus (Desmarest, 1818)
Common name(s): common spotted cuscus; white cuscus

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Arboreum Artwork
Series: 1:10 Animals
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Length of base 7.0 cm. Scale difficult to calculate but body length (exclusive of tail) approximately 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:10-1:17
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Arboreum Artwork is a line of resin figures made by forum member Panji Zulkaisar out of Indonesia. Most figures in the collection are around 1:10 in scale. I bought a few back in 2019 for proof-of-concept. They are very nice but may be pricey for the everyday collector. Today's animal is removable from its base, but it will not stand properly without some support. The only other figures of this species I am aware of are both by Cadbury for the original UK and Australian Yowies collections.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: New Guinea, Australia (Cape York Peninsula)
Habitat: Tropical lowland forest, secondary forest, mangrove swamps, plantations
Diet: Primarily leaves; less frequently shoots, immature coconuts, fruit, insects and small animals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Spilocuscus maculatus is primarily arboreal and nocturnal, slowly moving about tree canopies at night feeding, and affording protection from predators. The primary natural predators of S. maculatus are Kapul eagles and white-breasted sea eagles, although they are also hunted by indigenous people for food, clothing, and accessories. Hunting of S. maculatus is often done for special rituals in New Guinea, such as birthdays, birthing ceremonies, or male initiation ceremonies. However, there is little commercial value for S. maculatus so excessive hunting and poaching has not had a detrimental affect on the animal's population.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Atergatis integerrimus (Lamarck, 1818)
Common name(s): red egg crab; bashful crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Koro Koro
Series: Ecological Drawing Museum - Heartbeat of Life 1
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Base 4.5 cm in diameter. Carapace width 2.8 cm for a scale of 1:2.5-1:4.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The crab sits loosely on its habitat-style base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 0-10 meters
Diet: General omnivore and scavenger, including benthic invertebrates, dead fish, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Atergatis integerrimus is extremely toxic. The toxins are not destroyed by cooking and the crab should not be eaten!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Geochelone elegans (Schoepff, 1795)
Common name(s): Indian star tortoise

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Primary Turtles in Colour
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Figure length 4.5 cm. Carapace length 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:4.2-1:8.5 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Yujin released at least two versions of this figure, with slightly different paint jobs. The scale of this figure is based on the sex assigned, as G. elegans exhibits sexual dimorphism with regards to size. If a male, this figure would scale at 1:4.2-1:5.7; if a female it would scale at 1:7.1-1:8.5. In dorsal view, the carapace is somewhat elongate, suggesting it best fits a male specimen, although the differences in shape are subtle and may change over time as the animal grows.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indian subcontinent (western and southeastern India, southeastern Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
Habitat: Semi-arid lowland forest, moist deciduous forest, thorn scrub, arid grasslands, semi-desert
Diet: Grasses, herbaceous leaves, fruit, flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Geochelone elegans is popular in terraria, which unfortunately has led to a decline in the animal's natural population due to poaching. In 2019 it was upgraded to CITES Appendix I, giving it the highest level of international protection from commercial trade.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allotopus rosenbergi (Snellen van Vollenvoven in Parry, 1872)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Beetle Battle 2
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 5.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifth time we've seen A. rosenbergi in the Museum. There are two 'Beetle Battle' sets by Epoch, both released in 2005. The sets feature pairs of scarabaeoid beetles that can be displayed as if 'locked in battle'. Each beetle comes with a base that loosely interlocks with the base of the beetle it's paired with. Today's A. rosenbergi is paired with Megasoma elaphas (see inset). The beetles require assembly and are removable from their bases.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae breed in decaying wood; adults presumably feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had trouble researching information on this species. Allotopus rosenbergi is popular with collectors (and Japanese toy insect manufacturers) but not as common in terraria as larvae require wood infected with particular fungi.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Portunus trituberculatus (Miers, 1876)
Common name(s): Japanese blue crab; gazami crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Microcosmos
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Total figure height 5.5 cm. Diameter of backdrop 4.5 cm. Rostrodorsal length 3.2 cm for a scale of approximately 32:1 (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure represents one of the zoea stages (see below) of P. trituberculatus. The only other figure of this species I am aware of is an adult that was originally produced by Yujin for the Primary Colour Crustaceans Book collection and then again by Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. when they acquired the rights to the set. The animal is removal from its base. The scale above is based on an average rostrodorsal length (the distance between the tip of the rostrum to the tip of the dorsal spine) of 0.98 mm for the zoea 1 stage of several portunid crabs. Kaiyodo did not indicate which of the four zoea stages this was, and I had trouble finding specific data for P. trituberculatus (most published studies I can find on larval development used weight rather than length as a metric).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific (Japan, Korean Peninsula, China, Palau, Taiwan)
Habitat: Benthopelagic, at depths of 0-50 meters
Diet: Marine invertebrates, fish, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The zoea is one four larval stages of malacostracan crustaceans, after the egg but before the megalopa stage. Interestingly, before it was known that zoeae were simply the larvae of crabs, the genus Zoea was described in 1802 to accommodate them!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pongo pygmaeus (Linnaeus, 1760)
Common name(s): Bornean orangutan

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Maximum figure length 10.5 cm. Scale difficult to calculate but body length approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:14 for a large flanged male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike the Sumatran orangutan (P. abelii), which we saw in the Museum just a few weeks ago, the Bornean orangutan is much more common as a toy/figure (although it seems like it has been a while since a Western company has produced one). In 2006, Safari Ltd. also produced a female orangutan with a baby, and then the following year a solo baby. In 2010, Safari Ltd. made a larger one for their Wildlife Wonders (now Wild Wildlife) line. A couple of the more recent figures by 'major' Western companies are a male by Papo in 2010 and a female and a baby by Schleich in 2017.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Borneo
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical dipterocarp forest, tropical heath forest, peat swamps
Diet: Primarily fruit, but also leaves, shoots, flowers, bark, sap, insects, bird eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Pongo pygmaeus is diurnal and primarily arboreal. While they prefer to move between trees in the canopy, they will on occasion come to the ground to find new trees. Males are not very territorial but will have home ranges of 2-6 square kilometers, often incorporating multiple female home ranges. Despite being primarily arboreal, P. pygmaeus comes to the ground more frequently than P. abelii, as it has no natural predators to contend with (unlike P. abelii which shares its range and habitat with tigers).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mastigoproctus giganteus (Lucas, 1835)
Common name(s): giant whipscorpion; giant vinageroon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Funrise Toys
Series: World of Nature Insect Collection
Year of Production: 1989
Size/Scale: Total figure length 6.2 cm. Body length (excluding appendages) 3.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.3-1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only figure of a Mastigoproctus by a well-known manufacturer, as least of those familiar to collectors who visit this forum. I used to have a large rubber vintage 'jiggler' style figure purchased at a dollar store years ago, but I don't know its origins.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern United States, northern Mexico
Habitat: Scrub forest, deserts, arid grasslands
Diet: Terrestrial arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Mastigoproctus giganteus gets the common name 'vinageroon' from its ability to spray acetic acid from a pore at the base of its caudal filament as a defensive mechanism against would-be predators.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gelasimus tetragonon (Herbst, 1790)
Common name(s): tetragonal fiddler crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Japanese Crabs Collection
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Figure width 5.5 cm. Carapace width 2.3 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our second time seeing G. tetragonon in the Museum. There is one point of articulation at the carpus-propodus junction (the base of the claw).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Intertidal mud flats and sandy beaches, often among rocks and corals at mid-tide
Diet: Filamentous green algae, rarely predaceous on other crabs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Gelasimus tetragonon mates in underground burrows and the pair usually (but not always) stays together until eggs are laid. Unlike many fiddler crabs, male G. tetragonon attract both ovigerous (egg-carrying) and non-ovigerous females to his burrow. If he attracts an ovigerous female, he must wait for her current batch of eggs to be laid before mating, creating a longer wait time until he can mate again, as he will also stay with the female until the eggs following his mating are laid (unless she leaves the burrow before oviposition). In some instances, if a male attracts both female types to his burrow simultaneously, he may reject the ovigerous female in favor of a shorter wait time until he next mating.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pandinoides cavimanus (Pocock, 1888)
Common name(s): Tanzanian red-clawed scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Scorpions
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Body length (including metastoma) approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.2-1:1.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. cavimanus in the Museum; today's figure originally marketed as Pandinus cavimanus, before the elevation of Pandinoides to the genus level (see below). Today's figure was the secret/chase figure in the Scorpions collection and is merely a repaint of the Pandinus imperator figure in the main set. Figures in the Scorpions collection come with a round amber base with the animal's Latin and Japanese names and degree of toxicity using a series of skulls-and-crossbones (see inset).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tanzania
Habitat: Arid Acacia-Commiphora savanna
Diet: Arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2015, the subgenera of Pandinus (including Pandinoides) were elevated to the genus level. In 2016, Pandinoides was narrowly defined to include three East Africa species characterized by a marked concave depression in the retrodorsal surface of the pedipalp chela manus of the adult male. As presently defined, P. cavimanus is endemic to central Tanzania.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Phoronis sp.
Common name(s): horseshoe worm

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Ecology of Plankton
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Total body length approximately 3.0 cm for an average scale of 30:1 (10:1 for the largest known phoronid larva)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure represents the actinotroch larval form of a phoronid (see below). The genus-level identification is my own; it looks most like a member of Actinotrochus, but that genus is now considered a synonym of Phoronis. It was probably modeled after P. australis, a common species in the West Pacific. The figures in the Ecology of Plankton collection come in little jars suspended in a goo (see inset, minus the goo), as if to simulate biological specimens in a lab. I bought my set from forum member sbell, who had already removed the goo (which I probably would have done as well). The jars measure 3.7 cm tall and are 3.0 cm in diameter.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Marine, benthic, sessile; at depths to 400 meters. Larvae (shown here today) are pelagic and float in the water column.
Diet: Algae, diatoms, zooplankton, small invertebrate larvae, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [species-specific, but most if not all probably Not Evaluated]
Miscellaneous Notes: The actinotroch larva is a free-swimming stage that feeds on plankton. There are three main body regions. The main body is a cylinder that contains the digestive system and terminates at the bottom with a cilia-fringed anus. At the top of the cylinder is a lobe (hood) which possesses a terminal nerve ganglion and encompasses the mouth. Encircling the base of the hood and surrounding the body column much like a hula skirt is a series of larval and adult tentacles, as well as a pair of protonephridia used for osmoregulation.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pelecanus onocrotalus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): great white pelican

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life Africa
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Figure dimensions 8.4 cm wide by 9.5 cm long. Scale difficult to calculate due to the pose, but using the upper portion of the beak as a metric (n=2.7 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:14-1:17
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: I initially had the 2011 model of this species by Papo, but it was too big for my tastes (especially compared to other related animals in my collection, namely the Safari Ltd. American white pelican and Science and Nature Australian pelican), so I replaced it with this version by Schleich. Besides, I really like the dynamic pose (although I am not exactly sure what it's doing; possibly as aggressive gesture towards another pelican?).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Breeding occurs in parts of Europe and Central Asia; non-breeding migration to much of Africa (outside of dense rainforest or large deserts), Saudi Arabia (Red Sea), and Indian subcontinent
Habitat: Lakes, large rivers, warm lagoons, shallow marshes, deltas and inland waters
Diet: Fish, amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, chicks and eggs of other water birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Pelecanus onocrotalus is primarily a fish eater and will travel great distances (60-100 kilometers) to find food. They will also eat aquatic invertebrates and amphibians, possibly as bycatch, but will also eat the eggs and chicks of other water birds, especially when fish are scarce. Pelecanus onocrotalus, like all pelicans, is best known for the large pouch on the lower half of its bill used for catching aquatic prey. Groups of pelicans will often feed together in a choreographed effort, flying in a v-formation and skimming the water for prey.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Argiope keyserlingi Karsch, 1878
Common name(s): St. Andrew's cross spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Spiders Bulk
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Legspan 6.9 cm. Body length 2.5 cm for a scale of 2.5:1-1.5:1 for a female (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second species of Argiope we've seen in the Museum. Argiope keyserlingi exhibits fairly extreme sexual dimorphism and this figure was modeled after a female.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern Australia, Tasmania, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu (Malakula), Lord Howe Island
Habitat: Rainforest edges, open woodlands, heathlands, parks and gardens; usually on low, shrubby vegetation
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Members of the genus Argiope are known for weaving in extra silk in their webs (stabilimentum), forming various patterns. Argiote keyserlingi gets its common name 'St. Andrew's cross spider' for the crucifix-like shape of its stabilimentum. The function of the stiabilimentum is still unknown. As its name suggests, it was initially believed the purpose of the extra silk was to strengthen the web. It's also been suggested that it reflects ultraviolet light, resembling a flower to attract insect prey, or to possibly distract would-be predators. It's also been suggested that it is so flying birds will see it, but not to attract them to the spider, but rather so they do not fly into it and damage it.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ostracion cubicum Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): yellow boxfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Coral Reef Fish
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Base 6.5 cm long. Body length of adult fish approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:9. Body length of juvenile approximately 2.0 cm and in scale with adult.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The fish on the left is an adult; the fish on the right is a juvenile (the 'yellow' boxfish is only yellow as a juvenile). To my knowledge, this is the only figure of O. cubicum that shows the adult stage. My Colorata Coral Reef Fish box set was released in 2015, but it is a re-release of an earlier set (I just haven't figured out the original year). The fish attach to the base with a clear acrylic rod and are safely removable.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs; at depths of 1-280 meters (usual range 1-50 meters)
Diet: Small fish, benthic invertebrates, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Ostracion cubicum is popular in the aquarium trade. However, when stressed it can release tetrodotoxin (a kind of neurotoxin) which could be lethal to surrounding fish!