Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Polistes rothneyi Cameron, 1900

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Insects of Japan Series 2
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Total display height 6.0 cm. Body length difficult to calculate but comes to approximately 2.3 cm, within scale 1:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly is required and the wasp is removable from its nest, although it leaves small pegs under a couple of its tarsi. Figures in the Insects of Japan series are believed to be cast from actual specimens and are all in the 1:1 scale range.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central, East, and Southeast Asia; from India, Pakistan, and Nepal to Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java), China, and Japan
Habitat: Woodlands, forest edges, suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae are fed insects provisioned by the adults; adults feed on nectar and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Polistes rothneyi uses a wide spectrum of prey for provisioning their nests throughout its range. In one study in South Korea, 65 species of insects were recovered from P. rothneyi nests. Lepidoptera was the most prevalent with 47 of the species, the majority of which were from the families Noctuidae and Geometridae. Other orders included Diptera (Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Syrphidae), Coleoptera (Chrysomelidae), Hemiptera (Cicadellidae, Cicadidae), Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae, Acrididae), Phasmida, Mantodea, and even other Hymenoptera (Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, Argidae).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Colibri coruscans (Lesson, 1839)
Common name(s): sparkling violetear

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: Great Mysterious Amazon
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Maximum width of base 4.0 cm. Scale difficult to calculate, but body length approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was not marketed at the species level and the identification is my own. In my opinion, the figure itself is unidentifiable, but the accompanying card shows a photograph of what appears to be an immature male of a violetear in the genus Colibri (see inset), with C. coruscans being the best example morphologically and given its range in South America (although the species doesn't occur in the Amazon Basin). The best option for Colibri in the Amazon region would be the brown violetear (C. delphinae), but that species lacks green. I initially had this databased as an immature male blue-tailed emerald (Chlorostilbon mellisugus), but in spending the better part of this morning re-researching a possible identity, I have come to reconsider that ID. I've contemplated removing this figure from my collection, due to its ambiguity, but hummingbird figures are so rare to begin with, at least from major companies.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern and western South America, primarily in the Andes, Venezuelan Coastal Range, and the Tepuis
Habitat: Subtropical and temperate forest, woodlands, gardens, city parks
Diet: Nectar, small insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Colibri coruscans is extremely territorial and very vocal, declaring their territory by repeating their favorite song throughout much of the day. Family groups will often develop their own vocalizations.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Homo neanderthalensis King, 1864
Common name(s): Neanderthal

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Evolution of Men
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Height approximately 10.0 cm for an average scale of 1:16.8 for an adult male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: The Neanderthal is the go-to species of 'caveman' to be produced in toy form. Bullyland alone made at least six other versions in addition to today's, and they have also been produced by Safari Ltd. multiple times and CollectA twice.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle-Late Pleistocene of Europe and western Asia
Habitat: Highly variable, including temperate woodlands, cold steppes, and coastal areas
Diet: Varied based on location but generally non-discriminant omnivore, including large and small mammals, birds, eggs, fish, shellfish, fungi, and plant material
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Homo neanderthalensis was one of the more technologically sophisticated hominids to pre-date modern H. sapiens. Neanderthals are responsible for the Mousterian stone-tool industry and produced beech tar, and were able to construct spears and other weapons for hunting with stone. They sometimes lived in simple structures and stored food. Neanderthals could control fire and engaged in several cooking techniques, including roasting, boiling, and possibly smoking. They wore simple clothing and are believed to have had the ability to weave. They used ochre and may have worn jewelry, such as pendants. It is believed Neanderthals were capable of making simple reed boats and sailed in parts of the Mediterranean. Neanderthals probably had a simple spoken language, but not written language. On at least some occasions, Neanderthals buried their dead, but it is unknown if it is related to specific cultural or even religious practices. The ultimate cause of the extinction of the Neanderthals is still unknown, and although they were replaced by H. sapiens during the late Pleistocene, there is genetic evidence that there was at least some interbreeding between the two species.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Citheronia regalis (Fabricius, 1793)
Common name(s): regal moth; royal walnut moth; hickory horned devil

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleo-Creatures
Series: Amazing Moths
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Wingspan 9.5 cm, for a scale of 1:1-1:1.6; within scale 1:1 for a smaller specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This moth was made by forum member Jetoar for Paleo-Creatures. Amazing Moths was a short-lived line that lasted approximately 2015-2016.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern United States
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, parks, gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on the leaves of a variety of trees and other plants, including Carya (hickory, pecan), Jugulans (walnut), Liquidambar (American sweetgum), Diospyros (American persimmon), Rhus (sumac), Acer (sycamore), and Gossypium (wild cotton); adults do not feed
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other saturniid moths, females attract males with the use of pheromones. Females don't stray too far from their pupation sites, but males will fly for miles to reach a potential mate. Males have specially adapted plumose antennae for detecting the pheromones.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Baliga micans (McLachlan, 1875)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 3
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.8 cm for a scale of 4.5:1-3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as Hagenomyia micans. Being one of the original Chocoegg Animatales figures, some assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (Japan, southern China, Korean Peninsula, Vietnam)
Habitat: Forest margins, grasslands
Diet: Larvae are ambush predators on ants and other small terrestrial arthropods; adults feed on pollen and nectar
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other antlions, larvae of B. micans are ambush predators that construct pitfall traps to catch prey. When the pit is completed, the larva settles down at the bottom, buried in the soil with only the jaws projecting above the surface, often in a wide-opened position on either side of the very tip of the cone. The steep-sloped trap guides prey into the larva's mouth while avoiding crater avalanches.  Slipping to the bottom, the prey is immediately seized by the lurking antlion; if it attempts to scramble up the walls of the pit, it is speedily checked in its efforts and brought down by showers of loose sand which are thrown at it from below by the larva.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gavialis gangeticus (Gmelin, 1789)
Common name(s): gharial; gavial

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 22.3 cm for a scale of 1:11.5-1:20 for a female or 1:13.3-26.7 for a male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the only standard-sized G. gangeticus figure I am aware of; all others are small/tube-sized.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Fragmented areas in the northern Indian Subcontinent (northern India, Nepal, and possibly Bangladesh)
Habitat: Clear, freshwater rivers
Diet: Juveniles eat aquatic invertebrates, small fish, amphibians; adults are specialists on fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: With its very long snout and narrow, small, interlocking teeth, G.gangeticus is very well adapted for hunting fish. Gharials are also known to have swallowed stones, either as gastroliths to aid in breaking up food (since most prey is swallowed whole) or possibly to aid in buoyancy.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Eldredgeia venustus Lieberman, 1993

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleocasts
Series: Trilobite Cast Collection
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 5.2 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Paleocasts is a line of prehistoric animals, mainly invertebrates, produced by artist Patrick May and sold on Etsy in the U.S. The figures can usually be purchased finished (as shown here) or unfinished.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Devonian (Givetian) or present-day South America
Habitat: Marine, benthic
Diet: Presumably scavenger or predator on other invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Eldredgeia venustus belongs to the phacopine group (Phacopida: Phacopina) characterized by having schizochroal eyes. Schizochroal eyes typically had fewer (around 700), yet larger lenses. This, in combination with field of view (all-around) vision and elevated eye placement suggests their eyes were used for altering the animal of would-be predators rather than for hunting prey. Phacopines also had more efficient enrollment mechanisms for defense against would-be predators.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): red admiral

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Butterflies on Strings
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 6.5 cm for a scale slightly over 1:1 for a large specimen (range 4.4-6.4 cm)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous This is the second time we've seen V. atalanta in the Museum. The 'Butterflies on Strings' collections were two sets of butterflies released by Bullyland. The figures had a loop of chord attached to the top of the thorax via a screw (hence the unsightly hole), so they can hang from things. There are eight figures in this set, with four sculpts shared among them (and the shape of the wings isn't always accurate for the assigned species, as seen here today). The set was also sold as 'swingers', with the figures suspended on a wire attached to a base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Holarctic; naturalized in Bermuda, Hawaii, the Azores, and Canary Islands
Habitat: Woodlands, forest margins, marshes, moist fields, suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on a variety of plants; common host plants include Urtica (nettles), Parietaria (pellitory), Boehmeria (false nettle), and Humulus (hops); adults feed on fermenting fruit, bird droppings, tree sap, and nectar from a variety of flowers, especially Asteraceae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern (in North America its NatureServe rank is Secure)
Miscellaneous Notes: Vanessa atalanta is a migratory species. In Europe, populations emigrate from northern and central Europe to the Mediterranean region to overwinter. In the spring, the northern range is recolonized by migrants from the south. In North America, the phenomenon hasn't been studied as well, but populations in the northern US and Canada migrate south, possibly as far as Mexico where the species can be found year-round.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): Jersey cattle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Farm Time
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Height at withers (shoulders) approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:16.4-1:17.1
Frequency of breed in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is CollectA's first attempt at this breed (although they also released a calf alongside it), but it's been made several times previously, most notably by Britains, Safari Ltd., Mojö Fun, and Reisler. Most of those companies have produced cows, bulls, and calves. Schleich is slated to release a cow in 2024 as well.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: The breed originated in the Bailiwick of Jersey in the British Channel Islands and today is bred in much of the world where dairy cattle are raised.
Habitat: Fields, meadows, pastures
Diet: Grazer on grasses
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Domesticated
Miscellaneous Notes: The Jersey originated on the British Channel Island of Jersey from cattle stock from Normandy. The first records of the breed date back to around 1740 A.D., but the breed is much older. Between 1789 and 2008, the importation of other breeds to the island was prohibited to maintain the purity of the breed, essentially leaving the Jersey genetically isolated for over 200 years. Some cattle believed to be Jersey came to America with early settlers in 1657, but the breed didn't become popular in the United States until the 1850s. The Jersey was bred for its milk, which is rich in butterfat, and today is very popular in places where butter is a major product, including the United States, New Zealand, and Denmark.

[Gwangi]

This is probably the Jersey cow I should get but I'll be hard pressed to turn down Schleich's when I inevitably see it on one of my monthly trips to TSC.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chalcosoma atlas (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Atlas beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: 4D Master
Series: Bug & Creature World
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length (including cephalic horn) approximately 8.7 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen C. atlas in the Museum (it's not as commonly made as the related C. chiron). Being a puzzle figure, substantial assembly is required. This particular toy comes in 19 pieces and according to the paperwork that accompanies it, one is a beginner if they can assemble it in 6 minutes, average in 4 minutes, and advanced in 2 minutes. The color is somewhat unnatural for this species, even for a teneral specimen.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Primary and secondary tropical broadleaf forests, plantations
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood and detritus; adults feed on tree sap and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are roughly seven subspecies of C. atlas distributed throughout Southeast Asia. Those subspecies and their geographic distributions are: C. a. atlas (Sulawesi), C. a. butonensis (Buton Island), C. a. keyboh (Malaysia and Sumatra), C. a. mantetsu (Thailand and Vietnam), C. a. simeuluensis (Simeule Island), C. a. sintae (Peleng Islands), and C. a. hesperus (Philippines).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cystidia truncangulata Wehrli, 1934

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars Vol. 2
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 3.2:1-2.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure has a wire in it, so it can be bent into different positions (although I have never tried to manipulate it for fear of breakage). Figures in this set were also sold as straps, but the chord easily unscrews leaving a tiny, non-obtrusive hole at the posterior end.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (Japan, northeast China, Korean Peninsula)
Habitat: Forests, woodlands
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the genera Celstrus (staff vine) and Euonymus (spindle tree). I couldn't find any information on the adults, but I speculate they do not feed.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: All three developmental stages (larva, pupa, and adult) of Cystidia species have aposematic coloration to warn would-be predators they are distasteful.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Thomisus onustus Walckenaer, 1805
Common name(s): pink crab spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Club Earth
Series: Spiders to Go
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length 3.9 cm for a scale of 5.6:1-3.5:1 for a female specimen (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: The Club Earth spiders are marked with a common name on the underside. Today's is only marked 'crab spider' and the identification is mine based on color and shape, and that the species in set were all featured in the Golden Guide Spiders and their Kin (I have the 1990 edition). Popular books in the 1990s were often the influence for companies such as Play Visions and Club Earth. Thomisus onustus exhibits marked sexual dimorphism and these spiders appear to have been sculpted after females.
The pink figure on the upper right is by Club Earth; the blue figure on the lower left is from a set by an unknown manufacturer. This unknown set of spiders consists of 12 species that were all produced by Club Earth or Play Visions (or both). While the sculpts are not 100% identical to those by either CE or PV, they are also stamped with the common name on the underside, so there is little question where the influence came from (although the sculpts are much more similar to those by CE rather than PV). In this case, the color doesn't appear to be accurate in the alternate figure. While T. onustus can be variable in color, I cannot find any records of it being blue.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Widespread in much of the Palearctic
Habitat: Heathland, fields, meadows, forest clearings; usually on flowers of low, shrubby vegetation and herbs
Diet: Ambush predator on flower-visiting insects and other spiders; when prey is scarce, the diet may be supplemented with pollen as a starvation survival strategy
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Thomisus onustus is a master of camouflage as a 'sit-and-wait' (ambush) predator on flying insects that visit flowers, and can take down prey many times their own size. They commonly sit on flowers in the family Asteraceae. They have the ability to change color to match the flower they are sitting on, and are usually various shades of pink, yellow, or white.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Theridion grallator Simon, 1900
Common name(s): Hawaiian happy-face spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toys Spirits
Series: 3D Picture Book Spiders of the World
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Total figure length 3.2 cm. Body length approximately 1.4 cm for a scale of 2.8:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in this collection come in small paper boxes designed to look like books. Each book itself is a 'strap' figure that can be worn as a keychain. Within each book is biological information on the species. The background page for the figure can be cut out and attached to a plastic base that serves as a diorama on which to display the figure (see inset). I did a step-by-step reveal of the entire presentation when I reviewed the set on the Animal Toy Blog.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Hawaii (Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and Hawaii islands)
Habitat: Mesic rainforests; often found on the native plants Broussaisia arguta (kanawao) and Clermontia arborescens ('oha wai nui) and the introduced Hedychium coronarium (white garland-lily).
Diet: Small insects, especially small flies
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The ancestor of T. grallator on the Hawaiian islands is believed to have come from the Americas, possibly descended from Exalbidion from Central or South America. The spider isn't present on the islands of Nihau or Kauai, but it's unclear if it never reached those islands, or was first established there and has since become extinct on those two islands. One theory is that it reached Oahu approximately 3.7-2.6 MYA, either from Kauai, or Nihau, or possibly the Americas. It reached Molokai approximately 1.9-1.8 MYA (from where it is uncertain), and then to Maui 1.32-1.8 MYA and Hawaii 0.43 MYA. It reached the Maui island of Kahoolawe approximately 1.0 MYA and it may have also reached Maui directly from Oahu.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): wild boar

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 5.3 cm for a scale of 1:14.2-1:17.2 for a male boar (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: There is no shortage of good wild boar figures, and nearly every major manufacturer has produced one at least once, sometimes including boars, sows, and piglets. Using TAI as a reference, other good relatively recent versions in the standard ranges include those by Mojö Fun (2014), Papo (2009), and Schleich (2017). The scale above should not be considered absolute, given the variability of size among different subspecies.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Widespread in the Palearctic and Oriental Regions; naturalized in North America (Southeast, Southwest, and California), Caribbean, southern South America, Galapagos Islands, southern Africa, Australia, Papua New Guinea, South Pacific Islands, Hawaii
Habitat: Highly variable, including grassy savanna, wooded forests, shrubland, rainforest, marshy swampland, agricultural areas, suburban areas
Diet: Non-discriminate omnivore; common dietary items include fruits, nuts, roots, green plants, agricultural crops, bird eggs, carrion, small rodents, invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Most domestic pigs are believed to be descended from Sus scrofa (except for some in Timor and Papua new Guinea which are believed to be descended from Sulawesi warty pig, S. celebensis). Some evidence suggests S. scrofa was first domesticated in the Tigris Basin of present-day Turkey, Syria, and Iraq as early as 13,000-12,700 BCE. Remains of presumably domestic pigs have been found on Cyprus from approximately 11,400 BCE. There have probably been multiple domestication events. At least one other occured in China about 8,000 years ago.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Capitulum mitella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Japanese gooseneck barnacle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kitan Club
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Barnacles
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Figures approximately 6.0 cm and 5.0 cm in height, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: These figures are also magnets, but the magnet is internal and not obtrusive. This is the only species from Kitan Club's Barnacles collection I am aware of that has been produced by another company; Toys Spirits produced the species for their Shellfish with a Lid Mascot collection in 2020 and then again in 2022.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific (East China Sea, South China Sea)
Habitat: Intertidal zone of rocky shores
Diet: Zooplankton
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Capitulum mitella is considered a delicacy in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and China.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cyanochen cyanoptera (Rüppell, 1845)
Common name(s): blue-winged goose

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yowie Group
Series: Rescue Series
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Figure length approximately 5.5 cm. Scale difficult to calculate based on pose, but taking curvature into account the body length comes to approximately 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:6.5-1:7.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The scale above should be taken with caution given the pose of the bird. I tried to find other metrics that might be helpful, such as head length or foot length (the feet are sculpted on the underside), but no luck. This was an early purchase when I started expanding my collection in 2018 and to this day it remains one of my favorite bird figures!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Africa; endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands
Habitat: Montane freshwater lakes, swamps, marshes, rivers, and surrounding shrubland and grassland; also man-made water reservoirs
Diet: Primarily grasses, sedges, and leaves; occasionally invertebrates and small reptiles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Molecular analyses of the cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 genes suggests C. cyanoptera, along with Hartlaub's duck (Pteronetta hartlaubii), are distantly related from other extant members of Anatidae and belong to a distinct and ancient clade probably deserving of its own subfamily. Wing color patterns, which are believed to be a strong morphologic indicator of evolutionary relationships among waterfowl, also show differences from other anatids.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Eupholus bennetti (Gestro, 1876)
Common name(s): emerald weevil

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Beetles
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 4.2 cm for a scale of 1.9:1-1.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is specifically stamped 'Eupholus weevil' and the species-level identification is my own, based on color (keeping in mind the often stylized color of PV figures).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Papua New Guinea
Habitat: Lowland rainforest
Diet: Larvae presumably feed on plant roots underground; adults feed on leaves, especially those of Dioscorea (yam).
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on the biology and diet of this species; the larval information above has based on other members of the subfamily Entiminae including the related genus Gymnopholus, which occurs in middle and upper rainforests of New Guinea.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Stegosaurus stenops Marsh, 1877

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 23 cm for a scale of 1:24.3 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common [as a genus]
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was sculpted after the famous 'Sophie' specimen (NHMUK PV R36730), a nearly complete (roughly 85% intact) specimen discovered in the Red Canyon Ranch quarry near Shell, Wyoming, USA. The scale above is calculated specifically based on the Sophie specimen, which is a subadult, but in his collection thread on the DTF, forum member Halichoeres speculated that the toy may scale closer to 1:35 for a mature individual (I didn't do the calculations for a mature specimen). Despite the designation 'Sophie', the sex of the dinosaur is unknown.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Riparian coniferous forests, gallery forests, seasonal floodplains, fern savanna
Diet: Vegetation; likely a browser on small twigs and low-growing vegetation
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: In addition to being known for the plates that runs down its back, Stegosaurus is also known for the four presumably defensive spikes at the end of its tail. In a 1982 The Far Side comic, cartoonist Gary Larson coined the term 'thagomizer' for the tail spikes; it was named after a caveman called Thag Simmons that was killed by it (yes, yes, we all know Paleolithic humans and stegosaurs never interacted). Interestingly, researchers on stegosaurian dinosaurs have adopted the term thagomizer in their scientific circles and is used as an informal anatomical term! I grew up with The Far Side cartoons (I was 10 years old when the thagomizer debuted) and remember this particular cartoon well.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Orthacanthus sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Prehistoric Sharks TOOB
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:31.6
Frequency of genus in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The scale above is based on a 3.0 meter mature specimen. I really like this little shark, but could see myself replacing it for a 'standard-sized' version by an established company some day.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Upper Carboniferous to Lower Permian of present-day North America and Europe
Habitat: Freshwater swamps, bayous; nektobenthic
Diet: Apex predator on other fish, including the related shark Triodus; cannibalism likely
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Orthacanthus and other xenacanthid 'sharks' are known for their prolonged dorsal spines, which are believed to be derived from a modified dorsal-fin spine. The function of such a spine is not entirely understood, but is believed to be defensive, perhaps by preventing other predaceous chondrichthyans from grabbing them dorsally at the head region.