Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Calappa hepatica (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): reef box crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: My Favorite Animals
Series: N/A/unknown
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Base 7.8 cm wide. Carapace width approximately 5.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: My Favorite Animals are resin figures made by an artist based in Japan. They are very nice, but can be expensive and rather fragile. Many arthropods, reptiles, amphibians, and fish are in the 1:1 scale range. Today's crab does not appear to be removable from its base (I haven't tried with too much force for fear of breakage). This resin figure was the only representative of its species available until Bandai produced one in 2022 for the Diversity of Life on Earth line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea
Habitat: Coral reefs, sandy and shelly seabeds, seagrass meadows; at depths of 0-150 meters
Diet: Hard-shelled mollusks and hermit crabs residing in gastropod shells
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other members of its genus, C. hepatica has specially-adapted chelae (claws) for hunting hard-shelled mollusks and hermit crabs residing in gastropod shells. There is a large accessory tooth located at the base of the hinged part of the right chela, which is located opposite a flat plate on the fixed part, and with the two working together act like a vice. After breaking open the shell, it uses its left chela, which is longer and more pointed than the one on the right, to pick out the soft tissues.

[bmathison1972]

Note: these figures came up by random number selection late last week, but I postponed showing them until after my Blog review of them.

Species: Idolomantis diabolica (Saussure, 1869)
Common name(s): giant Devil's flower mantis

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Giant Devil's Flower Mantis
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length of both figures approximately 13.5 cm for a scale of roughly 10.6:1 for the L1 nymph and 1.3:1-1.2:1 for the L8 nymph (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen I. diabolica in the Museum. The first showing back in October of 2021 was a figure by Bandai Spirits that was unique for the species at the time! The darker figure on the right represents the first instar (L1) nymph; the lighter figure on the left represents the eighth instar (L8) nymph. The same sculpt was used for both, but it's technically only accurate for the L8 nymph. Both figures are large, require assembly, and have multiple points of articulation. The set also came with an adult male and adult female, but I didn't purchase either as I was content with the Bandai Spirits adult female.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East-central Africa
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The sexes of I diabolica have different numbers of developmental stages. Females have eight nymphal stages before the adult stage while males have only seven nymphal stages.

[Lanthanotus]

Nice to see this thread being contioneously active (not that I thought other ).

Those invertebrates are deadringers for life ones.

[bmathison1972]

Nice to see this thread being contioneously active (not that I thought other ).

Those invertebrates are deadringers for life ones.

Thank you. Very nice to hear from you as always, @Lanthanotus !!! 

[bmathison1972]

Species: Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): death's-head hawkmoth; African death's-head hawkmoth

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleo-Creatures
Series: Amazing Moths
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 8.2 cm, within scale 1:1 for a smaller specimen.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen A. atropos in the Museum. To the best of my knowledge, there are currently two available options for this species, this one that was created by forum member Jetoar and a vintage figure by Funrise Toys. Not surprisingly, neither is readily available today. However, Papo is slated to release one later this year, quite possibly this month based on online stores!

I photographed today's model with elements from Tarlin's Life Cycle of a Honey Bee collection to highlight the moth's predation of beehives in order to acquire the honey they feed on.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Much of Africa including Madagascar (absent in large deserts), Mediterranean Europe, and the Middle East; vagrants occur throughout much of Europe
Habitat: Open woodlands, meadows, fields, agricultural fields, gardens
Diet: Larvae feed primarily on plants in the genera Solanum (potato, tomato and kin) and Physalis (groundcherries), but also a variety of other plants in the families Solanaceae, Verbenaceae, Oleaceae, Pedaliaceae, and Cannabaceae; adults feed on honey
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The skull-like pattern on the thorax of A. atropos has made the moth a subject in popular culture throughout the years, from Edgar Allen Poe's 1846 short story The Sphinx to the 1968 British horror film The Blood Beast Terror to the 2003 music video 'Butterfly Caught' by Massive Attack to a 2018 video game, Remothered: Tormented Feathers. Interestingly, the death's-head hawkmoth featured in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs was also A. atropos, although the entomologist in the film identified it as a related species, the lesser deaths-head hawkmoth A. styx, and A. styx appears on promotional posters for the film.

[Gwangi]

Now THIS would be a great figure to review for October! Maybe I should reserve Papo's for next year? 

[bmathison1972]

Now THIS would be a great figure to review for October! Maybe I should reserve Papo's for next year? 

@Gwangi - I have already claimed Papo's moth  . Actually I was going to ask Adam when HHT is getting it? If I can get it reviewed this year!

That being said, I have reviewed nearly all of Papo's insects to date, so if you'd like it, I will happily let you review it! Would be nice to have someone else reviewing some of these insects .

BTW, tomorrow's Museum post will also be appropriate for October!!! The random number generator is being cheeky this month LOL     

[Gwangi]

Now THIS would be a great figure to review for October! Maybe I should reserve Papo's for next year? 

@Gwangi - I have already claimed Papo's moth  . Actually I was going to ask Adam when HHT is getting it? If I can get it reviewed this year!

That being said, I have reviewed nearly all of Papo's insects to date, so if you'd like it, I will happily let you review it! Would be nice to have someone else reviewing some of these insects .

BTW, tomorrow's Museum post will also be appropriate for October!!! The random number generator is being cheeky this month LOL     

You can have the Papo moth, I wouldn't want to step out of my lane. Just make sure you review the one you're featuring here eventually too. Kind of shocked that it's not already on the slate.   

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ninox scutulata (Raffles, 1822)
Common name(s): brown boobook; brown hawk-owl

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Fortune Owl Collection 3
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Total figure height approximately 5.4 cm. Body length approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:5.4-1:6.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required and the bird is removable from its base. Kaiyodo also made this species for the Birdtales line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and Southeast Asia from India to China and the Philippines
Habitat: Primary and secondary rainforest, riparian woodlands, tree orchards, urban and suburban areas with tall trees
Diet: Primarily insects; occasionally reptiles, amphibians, rodents, bats, crabs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Ninox scutulata nests in large tree holes, usually 5-20 meters above the ground. The same nest hole is often used by the same pair for successive years. Usually only two eggs are laid and only the female incubates the eggs, while the male provides her with food. Chicks fledge 24-27 days after hatching and are fed by both parents.

[bmathison1972]

Now THIS would be a great figure to review for October! Maybe I should reserve Papo's for next year? 

@Gwangi - I have already claimed Papo's moth  . Actually I was going to ask Adam when HHT is getting it? If I can get it reviewed this year!

That being said, I have reviewed nearly all of Papo's insects to date, so if you'd like it, I will happily let you review it! Would be nice to have someone else reviewing some of these insects .

BTW, tomorrow's Museum post will also be appropriate for October!!! The random number generator is being cheeky this month LOL     

You can have the Papo moth, I wouldn't want to step out of my lane. Just make sure you review the one you're featuring here eventually too. Kind of shocked that it's not already on the slate.   

OK, if you change your mind let me know lol 

[Sim]

I particularly appreciate your red-tailed hawk entry.  After reading its ATB review I decided not to get it due to the apparently inaccurate colouration mentioned in the review.  Reading in this thread that the colouration is based on a real form has made me change my mind and I now intend to get it.  You also show just how good the CollectA mako shark can look in your photo, I've now bought it.  I thought reading this thread might get me to buy more figures!

I've seen one of these in New York. 

Oh wow, that's a great record!!!

Indeed! It wasn't even along the coast, it was at one of the Finger Lakes where I used to live, far inland but not too far from the Great Lakes. Got pictures of it too.

I've seen the tufted duck in London, UK, in ponds.  I've seen the male, female and babies.

[bmathison1972]

I particularly appreciate your red-tailed hawk entry.  After reading its ATB review I decided not to get it due to the apparently inaccurate colouration mentioned in the review.  Reading in this thread that the colouration is based on a real form has made me change my mind and I now intend to get it.  You also show just how good the CollectA mako shark can look in your photo, I've now bought it.  I thought reading this thread might get me to buy more figures!

I've seen one of these in New York. 

Oh wow, that's a great record!!!

Indeed! It wasn't even along the coast, it was at one of the Finger Lakes where I used to live, far inland but not too far from the Great Lakes. Got pictures of it too.

I've seen the tufted duck in London, UK, in ponds.  I've seen the male, female and babies.

I am always happy to contribute to figure purchasing! LOL
Glad you are enjoying the thread!

[Gwangi]

I particularly appreciate your red-tailed hawk entry.  After reading its ATB review I decided not to get it due to the apparently inaccurate colouration mentioned in the review.  Reading in this thread that the colouration is based on a real form has made me change my mind and I now intend to get it.  You also show just how good the CollectA mako shark can look in your photo, I've now bought it.  I thought reading this thread might get me to buy more figures!

I've seen one of these in New York. 

Oh wow, that's a great record!!!

Indeed! It wasn't even along the coast, it was at one of the Finger Lakes where I used to live, far inland but not too far from the Great Lakes. Got pictures of it too.

I've seen the tufted duck in London, UK, in ponds.  I've seen the male, female and babies.

Well that makes sense in the UK, seeing one in the U.S. isn't a common occurrence.

[Sim]

Yes, you're right, I don't know the distribution of some animals so I didn't think of that.  I was mostly expressing how it can be seen in very far apart places.

[Gwangi]

Yes, you're right, I don't know the distribution of some animals so I didn't think of that.  I was mostly expressing how it can be seen in very far apart places.

That's the fun thing about birds, you never know where one might turn up. I'm sure the UK gets wayward American birds too.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Velarifictorus aspersus (Walker, 1869)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Dreams Come True Ltd.
Series: Sound of Autumn
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 2.2 cm for a scale of 1.3:1-1:1 (very slightly over 1:1 for a large specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sound of Autumn collection features Asian orthopterans known for their songs. Figures in this set come permanently affixed in small plastic cages, as if to simulate live captive specimens. One can push a button on the side of the cage and it plays the song the animal makes in nature! The cages are 5.5 cm x 4.0 cm x 3.5 cm. Removing the insects from the cages means irreparably damaging the cages (which was fine by me, as I don't want to display them in the cages).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Forest margins, fields, grasslands
Diet: General omnivore, including leaves, grasses, seeds, fruit, dead insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Females of V. aspersus exhibit wing dimorphism in relation to two distinct life-history strategies. Long-winged females invest resources into flight and therefore dispersal, while short-winged females invest resources more heavily in reproduction and fecundity.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Coenobita purpureus Stimpson, 1858
Common name(s): purple pincer crab; Okinawan blueberry hermit crab; blueberry hermit crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure width approximately 5.8 cm. Scale difficult to calculate as important metrics are not completely visible, but looking at in-hand pics online the figure appears to be in the 1:1 scale range
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I can't remember, but there may have been minimal assembly. This is one of the few figures in the Natural Monuments of Japan collection that didn't come with a base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands); one specimen reported from Taiwan (see below)
Habitat: coastal forests, beaches
Diet: Vegetation, fruit, carrion, dung
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Coenobita purpureus is endemic to southern Japan in the Ryukyu and Ogasawara (Bonin) islands. In 2017, a specimen was collected in Taiwan but it believed to have been introduced after a typhoon and the species is not currently believed to be established there.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pseudacris clarkii (Baird, 1854)
Common name(s): spotted chorus frog; Clark's tree frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Incredible Creatures - Tree Frogs
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Legspan 9.0 cm. Snout-to-vent length approximately 6.0 cm, for a scale of 2:1-1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This was one of three tree frogs in a set. The frogs were only marketed by color (tan, green, red) and the identifications are mine or others'. The other two species in the set appear to be the American green tree frog (D. cinereus) and the clown tree frog (Dendropsophus leucophylla). The American green tree and spotted chorus frogs used the same sculpt, but from what I can tell the clown tree frog has a different sculpt (the clown tree frog is the only one of the trio I don't possess).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southcentral United States and northern Mexico (Tamaulipas)
Habitat: Prairies, prairie islands, savanna, woodland margins; often near ponds, marshes, roadside ditches, buffalo wallows, flooded fields, transient pools
Diet: Insects and spiders
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: During the breeding season, P. clarkii can be found around permanent, semi-permanent, and transient bodies of water. During the dry season, however, they are inactive, often buried under thatch and loose soil.

[Gwangi]

Love it! Didn't know Safari made these, more toys to track down.

[sbell]

Love it! Didn't know Safari made these, more toys to track down.

It's been a long time...good luck!