Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus, 1761)
Common name(s): small copper; American copper; common copper

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Major
Series: Butterflies
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 6.7 cm for a scale of 2.9:1-2.4:1
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). Several species produced by Toy Major have been produced by other companies of the same era (Club Earth, early Safari Ltd., etc.), as these companies tend to copy one another, and it is sometimes difficult to determine who came first.

Today's figure was rather challenging to come up with an identification for. I settled on L. phlaeas as it resembles the aberration schmidtii, which is endemic to the British Isles (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Holarctic
Habitat: Open woodlands and woodland clearings, heathland, chalk downlands, Alpine tundra, sandy prairies, fields, meadows, disturbed areas, parks, gardens, churchyards, cemeteries
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the genus Rumex (docks); adults take nectar from a wide variety of flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern [Europe, Mediterranean]
Miscellaneous Notes: If one accepts the identification of Lycaena phlaeas, this figure was apparently painted after the aberration schmidtii, which is associated with the European subspecies L. p. eleus. An aberration is a variation in the wing pattern of a butterfly species which is different in some way to the normal pattern. This can occur as a genetic or environmentally produced/induced variation of the usual form of the species. The aberration schmidtii is known only from the British Isles and arises periodically following the re-emergence of a recessive gene. This form is characterized by having the base color of the wings a pale cream to white, instead of the normal coppery-orange.

[sphyrna18]

No updates since 12/7. You okay, Blaine? I'm used to checking in with your updates daily.

[Gwangi]

No updates since 12/7. You okay, Blaine? I'm used to checking in with your updates daily.

Blaine said in another thread that his blog activity would be minimal for a number of days. I don't remember the specific dates. Hope that sets your mind at ease. I miss the daily posts too!

[bmathison1972]

Hi Everyone! Thanks for the notes, @sphyrna18 and @Gwangi - I was traveling for work (and birding!) and am back. The next post will be tomorrow!

Normally when I travel for work, I plan a few ahead but didn't get around to it this time!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Seriola quinqueradiata Temminck & Schlegel, 1845
Common name(s): Japanese amberjack; yellowtail

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Primary Saltwater Fish
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:20-1:30
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in this set were originally produced by Yujin in the early 2000s, albeit with a different style of base. Many of the figures in Yujin's 'Pictorial Book' series have been reissued after Takara aquired the line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific
Habitat: Pelagic, demersal; at depths of 0-100 meters
Diet: Fish, marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Seriola quinqueradiata is a major food fish, especially in East Asia. It is commonly used for sushi and sashimi, where it is often sold under the common name 'yellowtail tuna', not to be confused with 'yellowfin tuna' (Thunnus albacares). Despite the use of the common name 'tuna', S. quinqueradiata, a member of the family Carangidae, is only distantly related to the 'true' tuna in the family Scrombidae.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Parasteatoda tepidariorum (Koch, 1841)
Common name(s): common house spider; American house spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Garden Animals
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Legspan approximately 7.0 cm. Body length (exclusive of appendages) approximately 2.5 cm for a scale of 5:1-4.2:1 for a female specimen (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Papo only marketed this figure as a 'common spider' and the species designation is my own. The scale was calculated for a female specimen based on the form of the pedipalps. I am aware of only one other figure of this species, a small composite model produced by an unknown Japanese company. Otherwise, this is the only figure of this species available by a well-known widely-distributed manufacturer.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan (see below)
Habitat: In and around houses, barns, garages, basements, sheds, greenhouses, bridges, and other manmade structures
Diet: Small insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Parasteatoda tepidariorum was originally described from Germany, but is believed to be native to South America and now occurs nearly worldwide due to human activity and commerce. The common house spider possesses neurotoxic venom, but is not considered dangerous to humans.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Hyaenodon gigas Dashzeveg, 1985

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 17.0 cm. Using skull as a metric (n=4.0 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:15
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There have been a few other figures of Hyaenodon produced, including those by Mojö Fun (2013), AAA (year unknown), and Geoworld (year unknown); only the Safari and Geoworld figures appear to still be available.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Eocene of present-day Eurasia
Habitat: Open woodlands, savanna
Diet: Apex predator on other animals, including brontotheres and early horses, camels, and rhinos
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: There are over 30 described species of Hyaenodon. They occurred throughout North America, Africa, and Eurasia from the Middle Eocene to Early Miocene. The Eurasian H. gigas was the largest described species overall, while the largest species from North America was H. horridus; both were as large or larger than a modern African lion. Some species in the genus were quite small, however. For example, H. microdon and H. mustelinus were the size of modern mustelids.

[Gwangi]

I have the Mojo Hyaenodon. Can't go wrong either way, they're remarkably similar! I probably would have gotten Safari's if I had not seen Mojo's in a store.

[bmathison1972]

I have the Mojo Hyaenodon. Can't go wrong either way, they're remarkably similar! I probably would have gotten Safari's if I had not seen Mojo's in a store.

When I was reviewing this figure, I checked out pics of the Mojo Hyaenodon and I agree, either one would be a worth example of the genus/species!

[sbell]

I have the Mojo Hyaenodon. Can't go wrong either way, they're remarkably similar! I probably would have gotten Safari's if I had not seen Mojo's in a store.

When I was reviewing this figure, I checked out pics of the Mojo Hyaenodon and I agree, either one would be a worth example of the genus/species!

And don't forget that the striped one is the recent version. The original (like I have) is solid colored! Also the weird AAA inspired by WwB (or WwPB for US audiences)

[Gwangi]

I have the Mojo Hyaenodon. Can't go wrong either way, they're remarkably similar! I probably would have gotten Safari's if I had not seen Mojo's in a store.

When I was reviewing this figure, I checked out pics of the Mojo Hyaenodon and I agree, either one would be a worth example of the genus/species!

And don't forget that the striped one is the recent version. The original (like I have) is solid colored! Also the weird AAA inspired by WwB (or WwPB for US audiences)

Mine is the striped.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Mammut americanum (Kerr, 1792)
Common name(s): American mastodon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:29-1:32
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Mastodons are by far produced less frequently than the related woolly mammoths, and today's Safari model is, to the best of my knowledge, the only standard-sized version available.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Pliocene (Blancan) to Upper Pleistocene of present-day North and Central America
Habitat: Boreal forest
Diet: Browser on vegetation, especially woody material, leaves, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Mammut americanum became extinct at the end of the Pleistocene. The cause of its extinction was believed to be due to two main factors. The primary factor was probably a reduction of the plants they ate due to natural climate change; molecular studies of the environment suggest the disappearance of megafaunal DNA at the end of the Pleistocene correlates with changes in plant DNA. The other factor was the added pressure of overhunting by Paleo-Americans, whose ranges were greatly expanding at that time.

[Gwangi]

One of my all time favorite Safari figures. I was totally stoked when Safari announced this one. The museum I volunteered at when I lived in NY has a locally found Mastodon on display.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chelonoidis niger (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Common name(s): Galápagos giant tortoise

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life America
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Carapace length approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:10.2-1:25, depending on subspecies
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Discussions on the forums have led to different ideas about which subspecies of Galápagos tortoise this figure represents. One common idea is that it represents the western Santa Cruz tortoise, C. n. porteri. In my opinion, a subspecies determination cannot be made for this figure and I am databasing it simply as a Galápagos tortoise. I also have the CollectA 'Lonesome George' figure that was modeled after the last surviving member of the now-extinct Pinta Island tortoise (C. n. abingdonii), and that figure will be reviewed at a later date.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Galápagos Islands
Habitat: Varies based on subspecies; some subspecies occur on moist, forested slopes while others occur in arid and semi-arid lowlands
Diet: Vegetation; the specific diet varies based on the habitat of the subspecies and can include grasses, forbs, leaves, fruit, lichens, and cacti
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Varies based on subspecies, but most are Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered [the IUCN gives the different populations full species rank]
Miscellaneous Notes: There are 15 described subspecies (or species, depending on the classification used) of extant or recently extinct Galápagos tortoises. The subspecies and the islands on which they occur include: C. n. abingdonii (Abingdon; extinct), C. n. becki (Isabella), C. n. chathamensis (Chatham), C. n. darwini (Santiago), C. n. donfaustoi (Santa Cruz), C. n. duncanensis (Duncan), C. n. guentheri (Isabela), C. n. hoodensis (Española), C. n. microphyes (Isabela), C. n. niger (Floreana; extinct), C. n. phantasticus (Fernandina), C. n. porteri (Santa Cruz), C. n. vandenburghi (Isabela), C. n. vicina (Isabela), and the disputed C. n. wallacei (Rábida). There is also an extinct population documented from Santa Fe Island, known as Chelonoidis 'Santa Fe Island lineage', but it has yet to be formally described.

[sbell]

One of my all time favorite Safari figures. I was totally stoked when Safari announced this one. The museum I volunteered at when I lived in NY has a locally found Mastodon on display.

Major improvement over the only predecessor figure at the time, a hollow cast Imperial toy!

But I also have a lovely FaunaCasts one. There aren't many mastodons overall.

[NSD Bashe]

One of my all time favorite Safari figures. I was totally stoked when Safari announced this one. The museum I volunteered at when I lived in NY has a locally found Mastodon on display.

If you're talking about the museum I think you're talking about, I went there with my dad all the time as a child   

[Gwangi]

One of my all time favorite Safari figures. I was totally stoked when Safari announced this one. The museum I volunteered at when I lived in NY has a locally found Mastodon on display.

If you're talking about the museum I think you're talking about, I went there with my dad all the time as a child   

It's the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca @NSD Bashe . It has only been open about 15 years or so. If that's not the one then I'm curious to know what one you did go to. I remember seeing a Mastodon skeleton at another museum when I was very young but I don't remember the name of that one.

Major improvement over the only predecessor figure at the time, a hollow cast Imperial toy!

I remember that toy @sbell . One of those sat on a desk at the same museum I mentioned. I had considered tracking one down but then Safari thankfully released theirs.

[NSD Bashe]

The one I went to was just called the New York State Museum, and is just a bit older...  (apparently around since the 1800s)  but not to get off topic.   

[bmathison1972]

Species: Maratus volans (Pickard-Cambridge, 1874)
Common name(s): flying peacock spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Peacock Spiders
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length of both sexes approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 16:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a pair)
Miscellaneous Notes: Being figures from Bandai's Diversity of Life on Earth line, these peacock spiders are large, require assembly, and the final product is articulated. The male's abdomen can be displayed in both courtship mode (as shown here) and in a neutral pose. With the exception of the abdomen, the female model uses the same body and legs as the male, which is technically not correct, as the 'flag' (see below), should only be present on the male. Also, the pedipalps are too large for a female.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern Australia
Habitat: Open forest; usually among leaf litter and dead twigs
Diet: Insects and other spiders
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Maratus volans, like other peacock spiders, is known for the elaborate display of the male to attract a female. While males use the brightly colored opisthosomal flaps on their abdomen to initially get the female's attention, much of the ritual consists of the male waving and vibrating his 'flags' (tufts of setae on the third pair of legs) for anywhere from four to 50 minutes. If he is successful, they mate. If the female is not interested, however, she might consume the male!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Potamotrygon leopoldi Castex & Castello, 1970
Common name(s): Xingu River ray; white-blotched river stingray; polka-dot stingray

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Toxic and Dangerous Animals Vol. 2
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Disc approximately 4.5 cm wide for a scale of 1:6.7-1:8.9 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was unique for about two years, until Bandai released one in late 2023 (less than a couple months ago, as of the time of this writing). The scale above is calculated based on a disk width of 30-40 cm, per FishBase, which is the standard I generally use for calculating scales in fish species. However, in reading peer-reviewed journal articles, I have seen disk dimensions as wide as 72 cm, which would bring the scale to 1:16.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Brazil (Xingu River basin)
Habitat: Freshwater rivers, especially slow-moving clear waters with rocky bottoms
Diet: Fish, benthic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Potamotrygon leopoldi is endemic to the Xingu River basin in Brazil and is currently only known from the Xingu, Curuá, and Iriri Rivers. Like other 'stingrays', P. leopoldi possesses toxins in the dentine spine in its tail. The chemical composition of these toxins is still not completely understood, but the toxins can produce nociceptive (pain-causing), edematic (edema-causing), and necrotic effects. Interestingly, the toxicity decreases as the animal matures, probably due to a decrease in predator pressure. The composition of the toxins do not change, however, suggesting the reduction in toxicity in a mature specimen might be caused by quantitative shifts, only.