Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Triakis semifasciata Girard, 1855
Common name(s): leopard shark

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 14.0 cm for an average scale of 1:8.6-1:11.4 or 1:14 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is Safari's second standard-sized leopard shark, following the original WS Sealife figure from 1997.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Coast of North America, from Oregon to Baja California
Habitat: Coastal bays, estuaries, kelp forests, rocky reefs; at depths of 0-156 meters
Diet: Benthic marine invertebrates, small fish (including young sharks), fish eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Triakis semifasciata is gregarious and travels in schools that are usually segregated based on size and sex. Leopard sharks may travel with other chondrichthyians, such as bat rays and smoothhound sharks.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Macropinna microstoma Chapman, 1939
Common name(s): barreleye; spookfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Deep Sea Fish
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.5-1:2.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required (and getting the transparent cap over the head isn't an easy task) and the fish is removable from its base. This species wasn't in the original 2009 release of this collection. I am aware of at least three other figures of this species, one by Takara Tomy A.R.T.S and two by Kaiyodo (although the two Kaiyodo figures may use the same, if not very similar, sculpts).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Pacific; from the Bering Sea to Japan in the West and Baja California in the East
Habitat: Mesopelagic to bathypelagic, at depths of 16-1,267 meters (commonly 600-800 meters)
Diet: Small fish, cnidarians; possible kleptoparasite on siphonophores
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Macropinna microstoma is best known for the transparent, fluid-filled shield on its head. Within the shield, the fish possesses two tubular eyes which can be rotated from dorsally-directed to rostrally-directed positions. The unique structure of the eyes is believed to enhance the fish's ability to perceive and capture prey in dim light and the shield may provide eye protection from the stinging tentacles of cnidarians that the barreleye feeds on.

[Fembrogon]

Okay, I never even thought to check if someone had made a barreleye toy; that is awesome. Deep sea fish are always extraordinary.

[EpicRaptorMan]

I have the barrele-eye fish but I was never able to get its transparent skull to attach to the figure. Additionally, the pectoral fins would never stay on correctly

[bmathison1972]

Species: Plecotus auritus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): brown long-eared bat; common long-eared bat

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Wingspan of figure as positioned approximately 10.5 cm. Using forearm length as a metric (n=2.0 cm), scale comes to 1:1.8-1:2.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I originally had the Kaiyodo figure to represent this species, but now that the Japanese population is considered a separate species, I was able to obtain the Papo model.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Europe, east to the Ural and Caucasus Mountains
Habitat: Boreal evergreen, deciduous, and mixed woodlands, orchards, parks, gardens, human habitations; roosting usually occurs in hollow trees, caves, barns, stables, mineshafts, under roofs, lofts, and underground crevices
Diet: Insects, especially moths
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other bats, P. auritus can echolocation to detect prey. The frequencies used by the species lie between 27–56 kHz, have most energy at 35 kHz and have an average duration of 2.5 ms. However, unlike most bats, P. auritus is capable by hunting by sound alone and doesn't rely solely on echolocation.

[Isidro]

Clever use of the light grey base against the foggy background. Really looks like that the bat is in flight.

[EpicRaptorMan]

I am in the process of reworking my entire collection and tonight I just finished hanging this Papo bat among other figures. I wish Papo would release some more bats. Perhaps a vampire or bulldog bat.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lucanus maculifemoratus Motschulsky, 1861
Common name(s): Miyama stag beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Flying Beetles
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 11.0 cm. Body length (including mandibles) approximately 6.6 cm, within scale 1:1 and closer to 1:1.2 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our seventh look at L. maculifemoratus in the Museum. Some assembly is required and the beetle can be removed from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northeast Asia, including China, Taiwan, Korean Peninsula, eastern Russia, Japan
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood and detritus; adults feed on tree sap.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: As major male lucanid beetles get larger in size and possess larger mandibles, there is an inverse effect in the efficiency of locomotion. Flight is also costly, due to the added weight, but not nearly as high as walking. As such, flying is still the most efficient means to get to females and breeding sites. A 2015 study using Cyclommatus showed that while walking is 40% more costly, a major male, even with heavy armature, must deliver 26% more mechanical work to fly. Interestingly, the extra work is due to the weight; not size or shape of the mandibles.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Nanger dama (Pallas, 1766)
Common name(s): dama gazelle; addra gazelle; mhorr gazelle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:15-1:15.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: To the best of my knowledge, this figure is currently unique for this species, although CollectA is slated to release a 'tube' version of this model in 2024.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Africa (Sahel and Sahara Desert)
Habitat: Arid stony plains, semi-desert, grassland, open savanna, open bushland, plateaus
Diet: Herbs, grasses, Acacia leaves, shoots, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Nanger dama once occurred throughout much of the Sahel and Sahara, from Morocco to Egypt. It's population has dropped by nearly 80% over recent decades, due primarily to hunting and habitat destruction. Today natural populations occur only in Chad, Mali, and Niger, and the gazelle has been reintroduced to Senegal, Tunisia, and Morocco.

[Gwangi]

I did not realize CollectA made one of these, another one I'll have to get.

[bmathison1972]

I did not realize CollectA made one of these, another one I'll have to get.

I think you and I are probably fairly even with regards to influencing purchases LOL.

[EpicRaptorMan]

I remember deciding on whether or not to get this. On one hand it's a unique species that is underrepresented but on the other I am simply too scale conscious.

I ended up pulling the trigger on mine and tbh the scaling isn't that bad. Glad I got it.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Cladoselache sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Prehistoric Sharks TOOB
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:10-1:20
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Kaiyodo also produced this genus (in two color forms) for their Dinotales line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Devonian (Famennian) of present-day North America
Habitat: Marine, pelagic
Diet: Fish, marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Fossils of Cladoselache include stomach contents, so we know a little about its feeding habits. Among the animals hunted by the primitive chondrichthyian were the bony fish Kentuckia, hagfish-like proto-vertebrates, and shrimp-like crustaceans. Cladoselache shared its waters with other predatory fish such as the chondrichthyians Ctenacanthus and Stethacanthus and the large placoderm Dunkleosteus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cepaea nemoralis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): brown-lipped snail; grove snail; lemon snail

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals/Garden Animals
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Figure approximately 6.0 across its widest points. Shell is 2.5 cm wide and 1.7 cm high, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is a repaint of Papo's 2020 edible snail model. In 2023, Papo transferred several of their figures from their Wild Animals line to a new Garden Animals line, including both this grove snail and the edible snail.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Europe; introduced to North America (Northeast and Pacific Northwest) and Venezuela
Habitat: Woodlands, plains, highlands, agricultural fields, coasts, dunes, parks, gardens
Diet: Scavenger on dead and senescent vegetation, occasionally dead invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cepaea nemoralis is a hermaphrodite, but mating between two individuals must occur to produce fertile eggs. Female snails can store sperm from males they mate with and some broods can have mixed paternity. Egg clutches average 30-50 eggs in number and juveniles hatch after 15-20 days. Cepaea nemoralis is slow-growing, taking on average 1-3 to years become a sexually-mature adult.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dorcus rectus (Motschulsky, 1857)
Common name(s): little stag beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - standard series, small
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding mandibles) approximately 3.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen D. rectus in the Museum. 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.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (eastern China, eastern Russia, Taiwan, Korea, Japan)
Habitat: Hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed in dead hardwood infected with white rot fungus; adults are attracted to sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Dorcus rectus is one of the few lucanid species with documented mandible trimorphism, meaning there are three different mandible types in the males. Males can have long mandibles with two pairs of teeth, long mandibles with one pair of teeth, and intermediate mandibles with no teeth. These three mandible types appear to be proportional to the body size of the beetle, from largest to smallest, respectively.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hypselodoris bennetti (Angas, 1864)
Common name(s): Bennett's nudibranch

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Series 3
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 5.5 cm for a scale of 2.1:1-1.1:1 (slightly larger than 1:1 for a maximum-sized specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Australian Yowies, some assembly is required. Cadbury released a white version of this species (albeit a different sculpt) in the fourth Yowies series, also in 1999.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeastern Australia
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 0-20 meters
Diet: Predator on sponges in the genus Psammocinia
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many related nudibranchs, the bright color of H. bennetti is an example of aposematic coloration, to warn would-be predators that the sea slug is toxic or distasteful. Members of the genus Hypselodoris acquire furanosesquiterpenes from the sponges they eat, which get concentrated in their mantle glands. These toxins make the sea slugs distasteful to fish.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Coprophanaeus ensifer (Germar, 1821)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: SO-TA
Series: 1/1 Dung Beetles
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length (exclusive of cephalic horn) approximately 5.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: These two figures represent the same sculpt, just painted two different colors. Assembly is required (and the legs don't hold on particularly well). It's been proposed that the dung beetle in Safari Ltd.'s Smithsonian Insects collection also represents this species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America (Brazil, eastern Bolivia, eastern Paraguay, northeastern Argentina)
Habitat: Tropical dry forest, Cerrado, Caatinga; occasionally in Atlantic forest and Amazon rainforest
Diet: Carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike many horned scarabs, both males and females of C. ensifer possess large cephalic horns. Males will use their horns for fighting rival males over females and food sources while females will use them to defend their burrows against both males and other females.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Dinogorgon rubidgei Broom, 1936

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Dinosaurs
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Figure length approximately 13.5 cm. Using skull as a metric (n=2.7 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:11.9-14.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Schleich didn't identify this figure at the species level and the designation is my own as it's the type species for the genus. Dinogorgon quinquemolaris and D. pricei are sometimes given species-level rank but are often considered subspecies of D. rubidgei, which would make the genus monotypic anyway. This is my only Schleich 'dinosaur' because, well, it's not an actual dinosaur... 

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Permian (Lopingian) of present-day southern Africa
Habitat: Semi-arid and arid forests, semi-deserts, deserts, arid floodplains
Diet: Predaceous on other animals, including reptiles and smaller therapsids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Dinogorgon shares many features with the related Rubidgea and Clelandina, and the three genera have been synonomized in the past. A 2016 phylogenetic analysis places all three genera, as well as Leontosaurus, in the tribe Rubidgeini of the subfamily Rubidgeniae in the family Gorgonopsidae. In this 2016 analysis, Leontosaurus is basal in the tribe and Dinogorgon is sister to the clade Rubidgea+Clelandia. The group is characterized by a lack of a blade-like parasphenoid bone and reduced or absent preparietal bone.

[Gwangi]

I picked this one up this past spring on eBay, just in time too, apparently it is retired and I'm sure it will only become harder to find.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Sphodros rufipes (Latreille, 1829)
Common name(s): red-legged purseweb spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Club Earth
Series: Spiders to Go
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.2 cm for a scale of 2.3:1-1.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in the Spiders to Go collection are marked with their common English name on the underside and appear to be influenced by illustrations in the Golden Guide, Spiders and Their Kin by Levi and Levi (I have the 1990 edition). In addition to this figure, there is a set by an unknown manufacturer that was clearly influenced by the Club Earth set (although the sculpts are not direct copies) that also includes this species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern United States
Habitat: Temperate hardwood forests, parks, gardens; webs are usually formed on the sides of small trees, other vegetation, and non-wooded structures
Diet: Insects and spiders
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Sphodros rufipes, like other members of the family Atypidae, forms distinctive webs that give it its common name, purseweb spiders. The spiders form silken vertical tubes with one end attached to a tree, rock, or artificial substrate and the other end into soil several centimeters away. Females spend their entire lives in burrows at the bases of their tubular webs; adult males do not build webs. Webs are widest below and at the surface of the soil, and become thinner and fragile toward the top anchor point. Females can extend their webs a foot or more up the trunk of a tree. The outer side of the web may be covered with soil and debris, camouflaging it. The purseweb is not sticky, but a female within it can feel vibrations of potential prey walking on the surface of it. When that happens, the female protrudes her oversized chelicerae through the silk and into the prey, then folding her fangs back immediately, drawing the prey into the tube. Afterwards, the female immediately repairs the hole.