Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cyclommatus elaphus Gestro, 1881

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: Insect Directory
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Wood base 5.0 cm long. Body length (including mandibles) 5.5 cm for a scale of appoximately 1:2 for a large male specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our third look at C. elaphus in the Museum. The insect is safely removable from its base.

About the Animal
Geographic distribution: Indonesia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying logs with white rot; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Cyclommatus elaphus is the largest species in its genus; major males can reach a length of 10.9 (including mandibles).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Eumenes micado Cameron, 1904
Common name(s): potter wasp

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Potter Wasps
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Total figure height (as shown in my pic) 16.0 cm. Length of front wing 7.5 cm for a scale of 7.1:1-6.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This model is large, requires assembly, is articulated, and may be expensive. Like others in the Diversity of Life on Earth line, it is a model for serious collectors and not a toy to be played with. In an example of design ingenuity, the nest also functions as the gashapon capsule! Also interesting, and somewhat bizarre, is that the set-up does not come with the neutral base and supportive arm that holds the nest up and supports the wasp; the collector is expected to use a base from another Diversity figure. Luckily, I don't display most of my Diversity figures on their bases, so I had extras on-hand (in this case, it was probably from one of the mantids or caterpillars). This set also included a figure of the potter wasp Phimenes flavopictus, and uses the same nest style; however, that species constructs a different kind of mud nest. Bandai probably figured it was more cost productive to use the same nest style for the two species, even though it is only accurate for the E. micado.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Woodland edges, shrubby meadows, suburban areas; nests are usually constructed om slender twigs of shrubs and trees, plant roots under overhanging cliffs, and wooded surfaces of human infrastructure
Diet: Larvae are fed lepidopteran larvae from various families that are provisioned by the parent; adults feed on nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Potter wasps are named for their method of nest building. Eumenes micado is a solitary species. After the female constructs the mud-based nest, it provisions it with prey for the developing larva (there is only one egg laid in a nest). Prey for E. micado are the larvae of moths in several families; other potter wasps are more selective on what they provision their nests with.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tachypleus tridentatus (Leach, 1819)
Common name(s): Japanese horseshoe crab; tri-spine horseshoe crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length 8.4 for a scale of 1:6.4 for a male specimen (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen T. tridentatus in the Museum. Minimal assembly is required. The scale above is calculated based on a male specimen, as this figure appears to be based on the length of the lateral spines.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western Pacific, from Japan to Indonesia
Habitat: Benthic; in coastal marine and brackish waters at depths of 0-20 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Tachypleus tridentatus has been classified as Endangered by the IUCN since 2019. Major threats to the species include over-fishing, pollution, and habitat destruction of their breeding grounds.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Bubo virginianus (Gmelin, 1788)
Common name(s): great horned owl; hoot owl

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wings of the World
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Wingspan 12.5 cm for a scale of approximately 1:7.3-1:12.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: A common and familiar species, B. virginianus is not well-represented in the toy/figure realm. The only other 'standard' figure that comes to mind is by Mojö Fun in 2018, and like many of Mojö's figures, the paint job is rather simple. A few other versions occur as tube-sized figures and 4D Master made a large puzzle model.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North America to southern South America (Uruguay)
Habitat: Highly variable, including deciduous, coniferous, and mixed woodlands, pampas, grasslands and prairie, deserts, agricultural lands, and suburban areas, such as parks, cemeteries, college campuses, and yards; generally absent from the hearts of deserts and rainforests
Diet: Generalist predator on small terrestrial animals, including small mammals, bird and their chicks, reptiles, insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Bubo virginianus is monogamous, and breeding pairs are highly territorial. Great horned owls do not build their own nests and typically use abandoned nests of other large birds, such as hawks and eagles, squirrels, and other arboreal animals. Nests may also occur in cavernous hollows of dead trees. Nesting sites usually occur from 4.5-22.0 meters above the ground and in areas with fertile hunting grounds. Egg clutches can range in size from 1-6 eggs, with 2 eggs being the most common. The female incubates the eggs, and the male brings her food. The incubation period averages about a month and chicks fledge in 6-9 weeks and achieve independence in 5-10 weeks.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Kogia breviceps (de Blainville, 1838)
Common name(s): pygmy sperm whale

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Sealife
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 14.5 cm for a scale of 1:18.6-1:26.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only figure of this species, at least in a standard range. There are two minor inaccuracies in the sculpt others have pointed out, however. First of all the blowhole is rounded and in the center of the top of the head when, like the sperm whale, it should be crescent-shaped and more to the left of the top of the head. The other innacuracy is more subtle, the sculpting of 'false gills' on either side of the head behind the eye; in the actual animal, those are white markings and not physical indentations. Otherwise, it's an amazing figure we are lucky to have in our hobby.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tropical and subtropical waters of Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans
Habitat: Pelagic, at depths of 0-1,989 meters
Diet: Fish, cephalopods, crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Just like the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), K. breviceps possesses a spermaceti organ which contains a large complex of spermaceti, a mixture of liquid fats and waxes, that allows the animal generate powerful and focused clicking sounds.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hyperolius viridiflavus (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)
Common name(s): common reed frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life Africa
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approximately 3.5 cm for a scale of 2.3:1-1.2:1 depending on the subspecies/morphotype (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Hyperolius viridiflavus exhibits extreme variation throughout its range (see below); today's figure by Schleich appears to have been painted after a population that occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tropical and subtropical sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, swamps, and rivers that occur in tropical and subtropical savanna and grasslands and at the margins of forests; also agricultural fields and gardens
Diet: Tadpoles eat algae; adults eat terrestrial insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Hyperolius viridiflavus is often regarded as a superspecies, with over 50 described variants. As a complex, H. viridiflavus is extremely variable in size and color throughout its range and across various habitats. Some authorities recognize these variants as subspecies within two major subgroups; others have split H. viridiflavus into upwards of 10 species based on mitochondrial DNA. Further genetic analysis in combination with morphologic studies could help resolve the relationships between some of these populations.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Scylla serrata (Forskål, 1775)
Common name(s): giant mud crab; Indo-Pacific swamp crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Crabs; Diversity of Life on Earth - Advanced Crab
Years of Production: 2021; 2022
Size/Scale: Carapace width 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.3-1:4.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Both of these figures were produced by Bandai for the Diversity of Life on Earth line. The black and red model is from the first Crabs collection in 2021; the green model is from the Advanced Crab collection in 2022. The sculpts are essentially the same, but the latter is just a more refined (and more expensive!) version of the former. Like other Diversity of Life on Earth figures, they are large, require assembly, and the final product has many points of articulation.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific; naturalized in Hawaii and Florida
Habitat: Estuaries, mangroves; benthic, at depths of 0-50 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, carrion, plant material, detritus; cannibalism common
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Scylla serrata is an important food crab. Major exporters of this species are Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771)
Common name(s): mountain lion; puma; cougar

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari North American Wildlife
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Total figure length 14.0 cm. Head-and-body length (exclusive of tail) approximately 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:10-1:15.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: As someone who lives among mountain lions (really, I mean there is probably one within a couple miles of my apartment as I write this), this is by far my favorite P. concolor figure. Other popular versions are those by Papo (2007) and Schleich (2022). The Papo figure has a nice build, but a goofy-looking face and the front paws are splayed in an awkward way. Among major western companies, it has also been made by Bullyland (2010) and Mojö Fun (2013), and an earlier version by Safari (2002) exists. Safari also made a larger version for their Wildlife Wonders line in 2015, but it was merely a repaint of their WW jaguar, which rendered the body proportions inaccurate for a mountain lion! They made up for it in 2018 by releasing a Florida panther (P. concolor couguar) in their WW line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western North America to southern South America; relict populations in southern Florida
Habitat: Montane coniferous and mixed woodlands and forest, lowland tropical forests, grasslands, dry brush country, swamps, and deserts, especially in areas with steep canyons, escarpments, rims, and dense vegetation; occasionally entering suburban areas
Diet: General predator; common prey include white-tailed and mule deer, caribou, bighorn sheep, peccaries, raccoons, skunks, opossums, lagomorphs, rodents, and various birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Attacks on people by mountain lions are rare but they do occur (very recently, in fact; there was one earlier this week in California). In North America, there have been over 125 attacks documented in the past 100 years, 27 of which were fatal. Those reported fatal attacks have been documented in Oregon (2), California (5), Kentucky (1), Texas (1), Washington (3), British Columbia (6), Alberta (1), New Mexico (2), Montana (1), Colorado (3), and Mexico (2).

[Gwangi]

I came across the Schleich 2022 figure the other day and very nearly bought it. It's not bad, but I decided to hold out and see what else was available. I ultimately decided that this Safari figure is the one I want.

[endogenylove]

I have this mountain lion and it isn't bad, but I am looking to replace it with the 2016 Papo, which in my opinion is a masterpiece and much better than the old version with the splayed paws.

[bmathison1972]

I have this mountain lion and it isn't bad, but I am looking to replace it with the 2016 Papo, which in my opinion is a masterpiece and much better than the old version with the splayed paws.

Ahhhh! I completely forgot about the 2016 Papo model! I still think it has a goofy face, but the body (and paws) are a substantial improvement! Thanks for the reminder!

[Gwangi]

I have this mountain lion and it isn't bad, but I am looking to replace it with the 2016 Papo, which in my opinion is a masterpiece and much better than the old version with the splayed paws.

I'll have to check that one out.

I have a hard time picking cat figures due to how horrid the faces usually turn out. Most of them look like bad taxidermy to me.

[bmathison1972]

I have this mountain lion and it isn't bad, but I am looking to replace it with the 2016 Papo, which in my opinion is a masterpiece and much better than the old version with the splayed paws.

I'll have to check that one out.

I have a hard time picking cat figures due to how horrid the faces usually turn out. Most of them look like bad taxidermy to me.

Ha! 'bad taxidermy'; that's a very keen description!  I think it's because cats are such intellectually superior to other animals, say...dogs, that their look is hard to capture over other animals     

[Gwangi]

I have this mountain lion and it isn't bad, but I am looking to replace it with the 2016 Papo, which in my opinion is a masterpiece and much better than the old version with the splayed paws.

I'll have to check that one out.

I have a hard time picking cat figures due to how horrid the faces usually turn out. Most of them look like bad taxidermy to me.

Ha! 'bad taxidermy'; that's a very keen description!  I think it's because cats are such intellectually superior to other animals, say...dogs, that their look is hard to capture over other animals     

Your good taste is not just limited to toy animals I see. I am also a cat person. And honestly, I'm not particularly fond of dogs as pets. Which makes it borderline criminal that while I have a few canids in my collection I still don't have a single felid. I'm going to have to remedy this, soon.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Oryx gazella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): gemsbok; South African oryx

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life Africa
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 7.3 cm for a scale of 1:15-1:17
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Papo produced this species in 2012, and while an elegant figure, it lacks the characteristic black maculae on the lower legs. I originally had the Papo figure (it was bycatch in an eBay lot), but replaced it with this Schleich version due to inaccuracies in the former's paint job. Safari Ltd. produced and adult and kid in 1998, but they were retired in the early 2000s.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Africa; naturalized in North America (New Mexico)
Habitat: Wooded and wet grasslands, semi-arid plains, stony plains, deserts
Diet: Grasses; when grass is scarce, diet may be supplemented with roots, tubers, tsama melons, and cucumber
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Oryx gazella lives in herds of roughly 10-40 animals; a herd typically consists of a single dominant male, a few nondominant males, and females. The dominant male will mate with all receptive females in his herd, and will try to secure access to more females by herding mixed or nursery herds into his territory. Females will leave the herd to give birth. Gemsbok are referred to as 'hiders', as the calves are not seen out in the open with the mother, but rather are hidden in the general vicinity, with the mother returning to nurse the calf periodically throughout the day.

[Gwangi]

There's a live stream camera in Namibia that I frequently watch on Youtube. Oryx are common visitors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydYDqZQpim8

[bmathison1972]

There's a live stream camera in Namibia that I frequently watch on Youtube. Oryx are common visitors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydYDqZQpim8

whoa that's cool! Ever witness any interesting predator-prey interractions?

[bmathison1972]

they have another for the Kalahari that has an oryx live right now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPd7Ys7FC0I

[Gwangi]

There's a live stream camera in Namibia that I frequently watch on Youtube. Oryx are common visitors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydYDqZQpim8

whoa that's cool! Ever witness any interesting predator-prey interractions?

Not really, certainly no acts of predation. Jackals are common and owls show up at night but those are the only predators I usually see. Larger predators are rare but cheetahs and hyenas have been caught. The camera does get some other interesting interactions. Recently it captured an ostrich and Oryx challenging each other. The ostrich was escorting chicks to the water hole and the Oryx didn't want to give up the space. The Youtube channel saves and uploads the more interesting content for later viewing.

Thanks for sharing that other cam, that's a new one for me.

[Isidro]

In my own collection database, I had the Schleich gemsbok as a 1:22 figure...