Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): golden jackal; common jackal

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 8.0 cm. Height at shoulder approximately 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:11.3-1:12.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Papo only marketed this figure as a 'jackal' and it sparked interesting debates on the forums on what species it might represent. It clearly doesn't represent the 'true' jackals in the genus Lupulella and appears to be a wolf-like dog in the genus Canis. Many collectors, including myself, are using it to represent C. aureus, since it is the 'common' jackal which can occur in France where Papo is based (lately Papo has focused a lot on its local fauna). However, an argument could be made that it represents the African wolf (C. lupaster), which at one time was part of the C. aureus-complex (see below). Forum member Saarlooswolfhound also discussed this in detail in her excellent Blog review of this figure here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern and Mediterranean Europe, Asia Minor, Middle East, Central and South Asia to Thailand
Habitat: Riparian valleys, open woodland, heathland, grassland, sparsely vegetated land, agricultural fields; usually close to water, such as rivers and their tributaries, canals, lakes, and seashores
Diet: Non-discriminate omnivore, both as an opportunistic scavenger and predator of small animals. Diet can vary greatly based on geographic location, habitat, and season.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: At one time there were upwards of 13 subspecies of C. aureus, including African, European, and Asian populations. A 2015 study analyzing mitochondrial DNA suggested that the African populations (6 subspecies) are genetically more closely related to the grey wolf (C. lupus) and coyote (C. latrans) than they are to C. aureus, the latter of which is believed to be descended from the now-extinct Arno River dog (C. arnensis) which occurred in Mediterranean Europe during the Pleistocene. The 6 African subspecies of C. aureus are now classified as the African wolf, C. lupaster, leaving the the Eurasian populations in C. aureus. In presently delineated, C. aureus does not occur on the African continent. In addition, a 2018 genetic analysis suggests that C. lupaster may be descended from a canid that resulted from the hybridization of the grey wolf and the Ethiopian wolf (C. simensis).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hymenopus coronatus (Olivier, 1792)
Common name(s): orchid mantis

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: My Favorite Animals
Series: unknown
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1.3:1-1.1:1 (slightly larger than 1:1 for a large female specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen H. coronatus in the Museum. To my knowledge, this is the only figure of this species representing an adult.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, from western India to Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Hymenopus coronatus exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism. Adult females are approximately 6-7 cm in length and have a small horn between their eyes, whereas adult males are smaller, only up to 3.0 cm in length, and lack the cephalic horn.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Phrynosoma platyrhinos Girard in Baird & Girard, 1852
Common name(s): desert horned lizard

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: New-Ray
Series: Lizards
Year of Production: 1995
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approximately 7.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for a smaller adult specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I initially had the Wing Mau version of this species, which has a more realistic paint job but suffers from an inaccurate sculpt (body too narrow, tail too long and slender). I decided to replace it with one of the two versions by New-Ray, and I'm glad I did; the sculpt is much better than that of the Wing Mau lizard. New-Ray figures often have unrealistic and stylized paint jobs, however, but today's was the better of the two for this sculpt (the other was red with black highlights and a yellow venter).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western and southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico in the Great Basin, Mohave, and Sonoran Deserts
Habitat: Deserts and desert shrubland, alluvial fans, dry washes, edges of sand dunes, sandy flats
Diet: Terrestrial invertebrates, especially ants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Phrynosoma platyrhinos prefers sandy habitats where it can bury itself to avoid the extreme midday heat and hide from potential predators. The lizards will also occupy burrows constructed by other animals. Unlike many other species of horned lizard, P. platyrhinos rarely uses the defensive technique of 'squirting blood' from its eyes.



P.S. I had to buy all four New-Ray lizards as a set (2x horned lizards; 2x chameleons), so if anyone in the U.S. wants to buy the red version of this horned lizard or the yellow version of the Malagasy giant chameleon in their original packaging, PM me.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Macaca silenus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): lion-tailed macaque; wanderoo

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Chap Mei
Series: Wild Quest
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Head-and-body length (exclusive of tail) approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:7-1:10
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: A rather good sculpt, this figure was originally innacurately painted with a white and black banded tail. I normally don't like to alter figures, but it was an easy fix so I 'softened' the look of the tail using black ink. I didn't completely repaint it, as it would have required repaining the whole animal in order to get the black to match. I may or may not replace this figure if a more accuractly painted version is produced in the future.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South India (Western Ghats)
Habitat: Tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, and broadleaf rainforest; often in the upper canopy
Diet: Primarily fruit; also seeds, flowers, stems, fungi, invertebrates, small vertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Macaca silenus usually lives and travels in groups of 10-20 monkeys, although some groups can have as many as 34 members. A group may consist of more than one adult male, but there is only one dominant male for the purpose of breeding. It is a territorial species, and dominant males use loud vocalizations to let other troops know of their presence. When two troops encounter one another, they often move away from each other with little overt aggression.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Golofa claviger (Linnaeus, 1771)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - standard series, small
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including cephalic horn) approximately 4.0 cm, for a scale of 1:1-1:1.5 (1:1.5 for a large major male)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing 65-75 species of Lucanidae and dynastine Scarabaeidae. The dates of release are currently unknown to me (c. 2008). The figures were produced in conjunction with Bandai and came with Pokemon-style playing cards. At the time of this writing, I think I have all but two of the species. For a review of the sets, please see the overview by forum member Beetle guy here. The only other figure of this species I am aware of was made by Kabaya and is roughly the same size.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern South America
Habitat: Rainforest, palm plantations
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood; adults feed on the stems of plants, including Elaeis guineensis (oil palm)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: In some parts of South America, G. claviger has become a pest of oil palm as feeding by adult beetles damages young fronds that have not yet unfurled.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Camponotus japonicus Mayr, 1866
Common name(s): Japanese carpenter ant

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Ants
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 9.0 cm for a scale of 15:1-6:1 for a worker, depending on its role in the colony
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This model is large, requires assembly, and the final product is articulated. The set also included a model of C. obscuripes, which appears to use the same sculpt.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Philippines, Japan
Habitat: Forests, forest edges, grasslands, parks and gardens; nests are made in logs and in the dead parts of standing trees
Diet: aphid honeydew, dead insects, pollen
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other ants, C. japonicus has a trophobiotic relationship with aphids, most notably Chaitophorus saliniger. As they feed, the aphids pass a mixture of sugars, amino acids, amides, proteins, vitamins, and minerals from their anus. This mixture, referred to as 'honeydew' is eaten by the ants, which in turn provide protection for the aphids.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Goliathus regius Klug, 1835
Common name(s): royal Goliath beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Beetles
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Wingspan 7.8 cm. Body length approximately 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.25-1:2.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was only stamped as a 'Goliath beetle'. The species-level identification is my own based on the color pattern, taking into consideration Play Visions figures often have stylized paint jobs. This identification made this figure unique for this species, until just last year when the species was produced twice, by SO-TA and Stasto 3D File.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Equatorial West Africa, from approximately Sierra Leone to Equatorial Guinea
Habitat: Rainforest
Diet: Larvae feed on humus and detritus in soil and rotting wood; adults feed on ripe fruit and sap flows on trees
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike many beetles, cetoniine scarabs, including members of the genus Goliathus, close their front wings (elytra) when in flight.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hypochrysops miskini (Waterhouse, 1903)
Common name(s): coral jewel

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Major
Series: Butterflies
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 2.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
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). Today's butterfly is essentially a generic purple butterfly. I chose to have mine represent H. miskini as it can have a similar color pattern, being purple with a dark apex on the front wings. Hypochrysops miskini is sexually dimorphic, and this figure would represent a male butterfly. This toy can probably be a stand-in for numerous other purple lycaenids, including other members of the genus Hypochrysops.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia (Queensland) and southern Papua New Guinea
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed on a variety of plants, including Maesa (walking vine), Guioa (glossy tamarind), Glochidion (Harvey's buttonwood), Rhodamyrtus (ironwood), Eucalyptus (eucalyptus), Melastoma (Australian native lasiandra), Wilkiea (tetra beech); adults feed on nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other lycaenid butterflies, larvae of H. miskini are tended to by ants. In this case, the host ant is Anonychomyrma gilberti.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Scorpio maurus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): large-clawed scorpion; Israeli gold scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Scorpions
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length (including metastoma) 10.0 cm for a scale of 2:1-1.4:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: My model came assembled, but assembly could be required. There are multiple points of articulation. The same sculpt was also used for Pandinus imperator and Pandinoides cavimanus in the same set.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Africa and the Middle East
Habitat: Deserts, dry forests; in areas where ground substrate is adequate for burrowing. Burrows can be 20-70 cm deep.
Diet: Insects and other arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Scorpio maurus has a painful sting, but its venom is mild and not considered harmful for healthy humans. The venom contains a mixture of proteases, phospholipases, protease inhibitors, and potassium channel toxins δ-KTx. There are no documented human fatalities associated with the sting of S. maurus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Furcifer pardalis (Cuvier, 1829)
Common name(s): panther chameleon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Primary Colour Lizards Book
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure length 10.0 cm. Snout-to-vent (SVL) length approximately 5.2 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:3.4 for a male specimen (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This sculpt was originally used by Play Visions in 1995 for their Chameleons and Geckos collection. Based on the vibrant color scheme of this figure, it was probably intended to represent a male specimen.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Madagascar; introduced to USA (Florida), Réunion, and Mauritius
Habitat: Lowland dry deciduous forest, forest edges, savanna, plantations, disturbed areas
Diet: Terrestrial invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Furcifer pardalis exhibits marked sexual dimorphism. Males are larger, with an average SVL of 13.84 cm and are much more vibrantly and variably colored. Females are smaller, with an average SVL of 9.19 cm and are more uniformly colored green to pink.

[bmathison1972]

P.S...tomorrow will be the 1000th post! So, I'll follow it up with my usual stats updates!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Crossaster papposus (Linnaeus, 1767)
Common name(s): common sunstar; rose seastar

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Starfish
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Body approximately 6.0 cm in diameter for a scale of 1:5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Play Visions starfish were also released by an unknown (?) company that are just as good as the originals, at least in terms of the quality of the plastic and the paint jobs. The only difference is that figures in this other release don't have the common English name stamped on the underside, as Play Visions' figures do. They are marked with 'S.H.' however, which could refer to the Hong Kong-based company, Shing Hing Toys. It is likely this second company worked with whoever originally produced the PV figures (assuming they didn't produce them themselves). Today's figure is one of those specifically marketed by Play Visions, but a couple that are likely to be seen in this thread are from this alternate set/company.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Circumpolar in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and adjacent seas
Habitat: Benthic; usually on rocky bottoms at depths of 0-1,200 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Crossaster papposus is considered a dominant predator in it habitat and can have an influence in determining community structure, such as having a role in the dispersal of other predatory asteroids it may be in competition with. Crossaster papposus feeds on other benthic invertebrates, especially urchins, and will also scavenge. Cannibalism is very rare, however.





With today's post being the 1000th, it is time for a fun stats update.

Raw Numbers:

Number of time we've seen major groups in the Museum. These are raw numbers based on the posts, and doesn't account for figures that have been removed from my collection. In July 2022, I purged about 200 insect figures from my collection, including 52 that had already been showcased in the Museum. Since then, additional figures have been removed or replaced. The number in parenthesis is what the numbers were like at post 900.

Arthropods: 530 (491)
Mammals: 129 (114)
Fish: 91 (81)
Birds: 86 (73)
Non-Arthropod Invertebrates: 52 (45)
Reptiles: 50 (43)
Amphibians: 28 (25)
Dinosaurs: 27 (22)
Protozoans/Plankton: 7 (6)

*Taxonomic Notes. Birds include all theropods within Euavialae, extinct or extant. The Dinosaur category is for 'traditional' prehistoric dinosaur clades (except anything in Euavialae); pterosaurs; mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and other prehistoric aquatic reptiles; prehistoric crocodylomorphs; prehistoric non-mammal synapsids; and prehistoric reptiles with no close modern relatives. Amphibians include some prehistoric stem tetrapods.

Now, within Arthropods. Like with the major groups above, this is based on all posts, including those that have been removed and/or replaced in my collection. The number in parenthesis is what the numbers were like at post 900:

Insects: 376 (351)
Crustaceans: 77 (71)
Arachnids: 56 (49)
Misc. Arthropods: 21 (20)


Here are posts that remove two or more figures from the database. This is usually done when the same species has more than one example in a set or collection (e.g., male and female figures released together), but may also be used for uncommonly or rarely made species by the same company or for the rare instances the non-arthropod part of my collection is not synoptic (e.g., a shark where the adult is made by one company and a juvenile by the other). For the database, with the exception of life cycle sets, one line represents one figure. So, in these cases it is when the random number generator lands on one of the two (or more), but both (or more) are reviewed and removed. The following is how many times we have seen posts that remove two or more from the database; the number in parenthesis is how many there were at the 900th post:
Two figures: 86 (79)
Three figures: 5 (5)
Four figures: 2 (2)
Five figures: 1 (1)


Now some interesting tidbits of information:

Species that have been seen more than once:
Allomyrina dichotoma (13), Allotopus rosenbergi (6), Anomalocaris canadensis (2), Anoplophora chinensis (2), Apis mellifera (4), Armadillidium vulgare (3), Atrax robustus (2), Bathynomus giganteus (6), Beckius beccarii (2), Birgus latro (2), Bombyx mori (2), Bos taurus (2), Brachypelma smithi (4), Cambaroides japonicus (3), Canis lupus (2), Chalcosoma chiron (4), Chalcosoma moellenkampi (3), Cheirotonus jambar (3), Chiromantes haematocheir (2), Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (2), Coccinella septempunctata (4), Cybister chinensis (3), Cyclommatus elaphus (3), Danaus plexippus ( 8 ), Daphina pulex (2), Dorcus grandis (2), Dorcus hopei (6), Dorcus rectus (2), Dorcus titanus (2), Dynastes grantii (3), Dynastes hercules (11), Dynastes neptunus (5), Eupatorus gracilicornis (3), Gallus gallus (2), Gelasimus tetragonon (2), Goliathus orientalis (2), Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (4), Harmonia axyridis (2), Hebomoia glaucippe (2), Heliconius charithonia (2), Hexarthrius mandibularis (2), Hyalophora cecropia (2), Hymenopus coronatus (3), Idea leuconoe (4), Lamprima adolphinae (2), Latrodectus hasselti (2), Latrodectus mactans (4), Locusta migratoria (3), Lucanus cervus (4), Lucanus maculifemoratus (6), Macrocheira kaempferi (3), Mantis religiosa (2), Megasoma actaeon (4), Megasoma elaphas (3), Megasoma mars (2), Mesotopus tarandus (6), Morpho menelaus (4), Morpho peleides (2), Odontolabis burmeisteri (3), Ogyris genoveva (2); Onchorhynchus clarkii (2), Pandinoides cavimanus (2), Pandinus imperator (2), Papilio machaon (3), Papilio xuthus (3), Phalacrognathus muelleri (2), Poecilotheria regalis (2), Procambarus clarkii (3), Prosopocoilus dissimilis (3), Prosopocoilus giraffa (4), Prosopocoilus inclinatus (7), Rosalia batesi (2), Sasakia charonda (3), Tachypleus tridentatus (2), Vespa mandarinia (5).

Genera with more than one species:
Acherontia (2), Aeshna (2), Aglais (2), Allomyrina (2), Ambystoma (2), Ameerega (2), Anas (2), Androctonus (2), Aphonopelma (2), Argiope (2), Atergatis (2), Bison (2), Caiman (2), Canis (2), Canthigaster (2), Carabus (3), Carassius (2), Carcharhinus (2), Chalcosoma (3), Cheirotonus (3), Coccinella (3), Cuora (2), Cyclommatus (3), Dendrobates (2), Dorcus (6); Dynastes (3), Dyscophus (2), Equus (3), Eupatorus (2), Falco (2), Geochelone (2), Goliathus (4), Golofa (3), Graphium (2), Hexarthrius (4), Hippotragus (2), Hyperolius (2), Hypolimnas (2), Lactoria (2), Lamprima (2), Latrodectus (3), Lucanus (2), Lynx (2), Macaca (3), Manis (2), Megasoma (4), Mictyris (2), Morpho (5), Myotis (2), Odontolabis (3), Oncorhynchus (3), Ornithoptera (4), Oryx (2), Ostracion (2), Panulirus (4), Papilio (7), Parnassius (2), Phrynosoma (2), Polistes (2), Pongo (2), Portunus (2), Prosopocoilus (7), Rhaetulus (2), Rosalia (2), Scolopendra (2), Spheniscus (4), Takifugu (2), Takydromus (2), Ursus (3), Vanessa (2), Vespa (3), Vespula (2), Zerene (2).


Companies:

Here are a list of companies (alphabetical order) and how many have come up in each (some posts can have more than one company). Companies with an asterisk are new since the last stats update:
   
4D Master  5
AAA  5
Access Toys  1
Adventure Planet  1
Agatsuma Entertainment  2
AMT/Ertl  1
AquaKitz  1
Aquameridian Ltd./For Corporation  1
Arboreum Artwork  3
Ayano Katyama  3
Bandai/Bandai Spirits  28
Beam  1
Beauty of Beasts  1
Blip Toys  3
Break Co. Ltd.  2
Bullyland  18
Caboodle! Toys/Noah's Pals  2
Cadbury/Yowie Group  41
CBIOV  1
Chap Mei  1*
Club Earth/Wing Mau  36
Coca Cola  3
CollectA  48
Colorata  38
DeAgostini  24
Discovery Channel  1
Dreams Come True Ltd.  2
Easter Unlimited Ltd.  1
Eikoh  2
Epoch/Tarlin  17
FaunaFigures  1
Favorite Co.  5
F-toys  15
Funrise Toys  4
Hayakawa Toys  4
Ikimon/Kitan Club  38
Imperial Toys  2
Innovative Kids  2
Insect Lore  7
Jam  2
K&M International  23
Kabaya  13
Kaiyodo/Furuta  163
Koro Koro  2
Land & Sea Collectibles  2
Maia & Borges  3
Maruka  1
Mojö Fun  7
My Favorite Animals  2
Naturalism  4
NECA  2
New-Ray  2
Nihon Auto Toy  2
Paleocasts  3
Paleo-Creatures  5
Paleozoo  1
Papo  27
Play Visions  39
PNSO  5
Qualia  2
Rainbow  1*
Rainforest Café  1
Rebor  1
Re-Ment  3
Royal Ontario Museum  1
Running Press  1
Safari Ltd.  104
Schleich  16
Science and Nature  6
Sega  46
ShanTrip  3
Shine-G  3
Skillcraft  3
SO-TA/Toys Spirits  4
Southlands Replicas  7
Stasto 3D File  3
Stewart Sales & Services  2
Takara Tomy A.R.T.S./Subarudo  35
Tedco Toys  1
Toy Fish Factory/Replica Toy Fish  8
Toy Major  10
Trendmasters  2
Trilobiti Design  1
US Toy  3
Vivid Toy Group  2
Wild Kraatz  2
Wolff Marketing Group  1*
Yell  5
Yujin  43
unknown  15



Anyway, we'll look at stats again after post 1100!! Until then, enjoy the posts!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Calappa lophos (Herbst, 1782)
Common name(s): red-streaked box crab; common box crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Kurioso Komekko Series 2
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.3 cm. Carapace width approximately 3.3 cm for a scale of 1:2.1-1:3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The crab is safely removable from it's habitat-style base, which in turn is removable from the bottlecap base. To my knowledge, this was the first figure of this species. Kaiyodo would make this species two more times, in 2013 (Capsule Q Museum - Japanese Crabs Collection) and 2018 (Aquatales - Protagonists of the Sea). All three are very similar in size and sculpt and may be slight variations of one another (especially with regards to the 2003 and 2018 figures).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs; in sandy or muddy areas at depths of 10-100 meters
Diet: Hard-shelled mollusks, hermit crabs residing in gastropod shells
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Members of the genus Calappa, including C. lophos, have their right pincer specially adapted for breaking open the hard shells of their mollusk and crustacean prey.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Coenobita sp.
Common name(s): terrestrial hermit crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Eikoh
Series: Miniatureplanet Vol. 15
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Total figure width 5.7 cm. Scale difficult to calculate, but may be in scale 1:1 for some species (at least as a juvenile if not adult)
Frequency of genus in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was not marketed at the species level, but was probably intended to represent one of the five species from Japan (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific, West Africa, East Pacific (Central and South America), West Atlantic (North, Central, and South America, West Indies)
Habitat: Coastal forests, mangrove swamps, salt marshes, sand hills, intertidal zones
Diet: Vegetation, fruit, carrion, dung
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [species-dependent]
Miscellaneous Notes: There are roughly 16 species of Coenobita: C. brevimanus (Indo-Pacific, from Zanzibar to Tahiti, southern Japan); C. carnescens (Eastern Polynesia, Marshall Islands); C. cavipes (broadly distributed in the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to Japan, Polynesia, Micronesia); C. compressus (Pacific Coast of America, from Baja California to Chile); C. clypeatus (Atlantic Coast of America, from Florida to Venezuela, West Indies, Bermuda); C. lila (Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia); C. longitarsus (East Indies), C. perlatus (Indo-West Pacific, Australia, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands); C. pseudorugosus (Indo-West Pacific, from Japan to Indonesia); C. purpureus (Japan, Singapore, Taiwan); C rubescens (West Africa); C. rugosus (widespread in the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa to Tahiti and Tuamoto Islands); C. scaevola (Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, coasts of Somalia and Pakistan); C. spinosus (Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, northern Australia); C. variablis (northern Australia); C. violescens (Into-Pacific, from Tanzania and Zanzibar to Bangladesh, Japan, Philippines).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dorcus titanus palawanicus Lacloix, 1983
Common name(s): giant stag beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - large series, standard
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 11.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen D. titanus in the Museum, and the second time we've seen this subspecies. It is probably the most commonly made subspecies of the five subspecies (that I am aware of) of D. titanus available as toys/figures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Philippines (Palawan)
Habitat: Lowland and montane tropical and subtropical rainforest
Diet: Larvae develop in rotting wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: At nearly 11 centimeters for a maximum-sized specimen, D. t. palawanicus is the largest of the 20+ subspecies of Dorcus titanus. This is another species that is sometimes placed in the genus Serrognathus, due to serrations on the mandibles.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chiloscyllium punctatum Müller & Henle, 1838
Common name(s): brownbanded bamboo shark; grey carpetshark

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 13.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.2 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was sculpted and painted as a juvenile. The scale above is based on the maximum length for a juvenile with this color pattern. K&M International (1993) and Bandai (2023) also made this species, but again as juveniles. I am unaware of any figures of this species representing adults. This figure appears to only have four gill slits, but there are five (which is accurate); the last gill slit just isn't painted. In nature, the fourth and fifth slits are very close together and can give the impression there are only four.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, tide pools; at depths of 0-85 meters
Diet: Benthic fish and invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Chiloscyllium punctatum has the ability to survive out of the water for upwards of 12 hours!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Macrodontia cervicornis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): sabertooth longhorn beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Beetles
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approximately 5.7 cm for a scale of 1:3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen M. cervicornis in the Museum, and the last time interestingly was earlier this month! The other figure, by Kabaya, and this one by Play Visions are the only two figures of this species I am aware of!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America (Amazon River Basin)
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying coniferous trees; adults do not feed
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Larvae of M. cervicornis can live up to 10 years in the host substrate. Adults are short-lived, however, living only for a few months for dispersal and reproduction.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777)
Common name(s): spotted hyena; laughing hyena

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:12.5-1:14
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Nearly 16 years old and still one of the best representatives of spotted hyena available. Mojö Fun released a decent one in 2011. Papo produced one in 2019 but its ears are too pointed for the species. Schleich produced one in 2015 that was re-released in a 'Hyena Attack' playset in 2021. Still, none of these compare to today's Safari model, in my personal opinion.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat: Dry open forests, semi-deserts, savanna, acacia scrub
Diet: Non-discriminant predator on many other animals, including large ungulates and livestock, springhares, porcupines, snakes, birds and bird eggs, and even other carnivores such as bat-eared foxes, African golden jackals, lions, and other hyenas. Contrary to popular belief, C. crocuta is rarely a scavenger.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Crocuta crocuta has a powerful bite which can exert a pressure of 80 kgf/cm2 (1140 lbf/in²), greater than that of a leopard, and can rival a brown bear in bone-crushing ability.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Australopithecus afarensis Johnson et al., 1978

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Evolution of Men
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Height approximately 8.0 cm for an average scale of 1:20.6 for a male specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Australopithecus was also made by Kaiyodo twice and Safari Ltd. three times (including a model of a skull). Bullyland didn't specify a species, but I am assuming it's A. afarensis as it's the most popular and familiar species thanks in part to the 'Lucy' fossil (AL 288-1).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Pliocene of East Africa
Habitat: Open woodlands, grassland, shrubland, savanna, riparian areas
Diet: Leaves, fruit, nuts, seeds, tubers; possibly also insects and eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Not much is known about the cultural development of A. afarensis. The early hominid probably used simple tools, such as sticks, rocks, and animal bones; however, there is no evidence that these objects were modified to serve specific functions. Australopithecus afarensis was not clothed and did not use fire.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lynx pardinus (Temminck, 1827)
Common name(s): Iberian lynx

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Mojö Fun
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Head-and-body length (exclusive of tail) approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:10.7-1:11.7 for a male or 1:9.7-1:11 for a female (the figure is not sexed).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Having bought my figure five years after its release, mine doesn't have the nicest paint job. In general, I feel Mojö Fun figures can be unpredictable in the quality of their paint jobs (probably one of the reasons I haven't bought any new figure of theirs in a few years now). Still, it's a nice sculpt and there aren't many other options out there.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and southwestern Spain)
Habitat: Mediterranean scrubland intermixed with open grassland and marshland
Diet: Generalist predator; primary prey is European rabbit, but also European hares, rodents, juvenile ungulates, and birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Lynx pardinus is a solitary animal that exhibits a metapopulation social structure. Males and females may have overlapping territories, and cats will defend their territories against other members of the same sex. Average territories for females are 5.2–6.6 km2 while those of males are 11.8–12.2 km2.