Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Temognatha murrayi (Gemminger & Harold, 1869)
Common name(s): black-banded jewel beetle

About the Figures:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Series 1; Yowies UK Series 1
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Body length of Australian Yowie approximately 4.7 cm for a scale of 1.6:1-1.2:1. Body length of UK Yowie approximately 3.3 cm, within scale 1:1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique as a pair)
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure on the upper right is the Australian release; it requires assembly and is more stylized (the head and prothorax appear as one homogenized structure). The figure on the lower left is the UK release; it is a single piece of plastic and the beetle is permanently affixed to its flower base. Both were produced in 1997. Neither figure is a particularly good likeness for the species, but they are a unique pair and buprestid beetles in general are very rarely made.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia (southwestern Western Australia)
Habitat: Mallee woodlands and shrublands
Diet: Larval host plants unknown (presumably Eucalyptus or Casuarina); adults feed on the flowers of Eucalyptus, especially E. foecunda and E. uncinata.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other buprestid beetles that live in arid and semi-arid environments, T. murrayi tends to be active at the hottest time of the day during the hottest time of the year, making field observations and collection challenging. Their population also fluctuates annually, being present in large numbers in some years, and absent, or apparently so, in others.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Architeuthis dux Steenstrup, 1857
Common name(s): giant squid

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 24.5 cm. Mantle length approximately 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:17.1-1:40.9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is essentially a smaller version of the Monterey Bay Aquarium model that was produced in 1998.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Bathypelagic; at depths of 200-1000 meters
Diet: Fish, other squid
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: At least 19 species of Architeuthis have been described in the scientific literature. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA from specimens from all around the world show little variation and suggests there is only a single species in the genus, A. dux.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gorilla gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847)
Common name(s): western lowland gorilla

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life Africa
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate but using body length as a metric (n=6.0 cm) per Breuer et al. (see below) scale comes to approximately 1:14.2-1:16.2.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Indeterminant (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: At the time I bought this figure, Schleich has specifically marketed it as Gorilla gorilla. I chose it to represent this subspecies because of its familiarity. Because morphologic features separating gorillas are 'soft' and difficult to capture and interpret in a toy or figure, it is often not possible to determine the species or subspecies unless specified by the manufacturer. I found it very difficult to find metrics to calculate scale, as most online references used armspan or height when standing on two legs. The scale above was calculated using the following reference that does not include the head when measuring body length:

Breuer T, Robbins MM, Boesch C. Using photogrammetry and color scoring to assess sexual dimorphism in wild western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla). Am J Physical Anthropology. 2007;134:369-382.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Equatorial West Africa
Habitat: Montane primary and secondary rainforest, lowland swamp forest, riparian areas, forest edges, abandoned agricultural land
Diet: Roots, shoots, fruit, foliage, tree bark and pulp; diet varies based on seasonal availability
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Gorilla gorilla gorilla lives in some of the smallest family groups among gorilla species and subspecies. A family unit typically consists of a silverback male, about three females, and their offspring. If more than one mature male is present in the group, they usually represent father and son, with the father being the leader. Most males leave their natal group shortly before reaching sexual maturity and do through a 'bachelor stage' that can last several years. In this bachelor state, they are either solitary or live in nonbreeding groups. Gorillas do not keep defined territories and neighboring groups often overlap in their ranges.

[Isidro]

Neat, that's the very same gorilla I have in my collection. With plenty of figures to choose from this species, I think this one is of unbeatable quality.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Trigonognathus kabeyai Mochizuki & Ohe, 1990
Common name(s): viper dogfish; viper shark; triangular-jaw lantern-shark

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Mini Sharks
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 8.7 cm for a scale of 1:5.4-1:6.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The fish is removable from its base, and the attachment peg is on the base, not the fish. And for the fish enthusiasts, there is a lanternfish prey (see below) on the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific (Japan) to Hawaii
Habitat: Bathydemersal; at depths of 150-360 meters
Diet: Fish (especially lanternfish), crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many deep sea predatory fish, T. kabeyai exhibits vertical migration, living in deeper waters during the day (approx. 270-360 m) and then coming up to shallower waters (approx. 150 m) at night to feed. Vertical migration is also for the safety of the dogfish, keeping in hidden in deeper, darker waters during the day and away from its predators. Predators of T. kabeyai include bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) and the sickle pomfret (Taractichthys steindachneri).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Musca domestica Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): house fly

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Large Insects and Spiders
Year of Production: 1994
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding wings and appendages approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 11.7:1-10:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Bullyland released two color versions of this fly; the other on Toy Animal Wiki is classified as 'colored' although I have never seen it to know what color it is. I have also seen, and previously owned for a period of time, a knock-off of this model from a dollar store. Early in my collecting days I found a couple sets of insects in a dollar store that, unbeknownst to me at the time, were mostly Bullyland knock-offs.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan
Habitat: Highly variable throughout urban and rural areas; a synanthropic species, usually associated with human activity
Diet: Larvae feed in carrion, dung, rotting vegetation, detritus, human refuse; adults feed on moist material rich in organic matter, often where larvae are developing
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Musca domestica is believed to have originated on the steppes of Central Asia, and now occurs nearly worldwide wherever humans live.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Remora remora (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): common remora; shark sucker

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: World of the Blue Sea: The Shark
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Base 4.2 cm wide. Individual fish approximately 2.4 cm for a scale of 1:16.7-1:36
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: These three remoras were essentially accessories in the set for a sand tiger shark. The rear dorsal fin of the remoras would fit into slits on the bottom of the shark, as if they were attached to it via their specialized dorsal fin (below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters
Habitat: Coral reefs; at depths of 0-200 meters
Diet: Scraps from its host, parasitic crustaceans, plankton
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Remora remora has a modified dorsal fin which allows it to suction onto the bottom of sharks, sea turtles, and other large marine animals. The relationship is considered symbiotic. The remora gets fast-moving water to bathe its gills, a steady food supply, protection, and transportation, while its host gets cleaned of parasitic crustaceans. The remoras do increase the hydrodymanic drag of the host, however.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hasarius adansoni (Audouin, 1826)
Common name(s): Adanson's house jumper

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toys Spirits
Series: 3D Picture Book Spiders of the World
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.2 cm for a scale of 8:1-4.2:1 for a male specimen (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 H. adansoni in the Museum. 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. Hasarius adansoni is sexually dimorphic and this figure was modeled after a male specimen.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Believed to be native to Middle East and/or or Africa, now occurs over much of the world in warmer climates
Habitat: Woodlands, fields, orchards, parks, gardens, greenhouses, human habitations
Diet: Small insects and spiders
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Being an synanthropic species, H. adansoni has been introduced to much of the world via human activity. It is believed to be native to the Middle East and/or Africa but now occurs throughout the Americas, in Western, Central, and Mediterranean Europe, India, Laos, Vietnam, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and several Pacific Islands, among other places. Where temperatures are cooler, the house jumper is often found in artificial climates, such as in greenhouses or homes.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Adalia bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): two-spotted lady beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series: Insects
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.8 cm for a scale of 10.9:1-5.4:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique for this set)
Miscellaneous Notes: The Wing Mau Insects collection consists of 24 figures representing 23 species of beetles (today's A. bipunctata is the only duplicated species). The figures have the Latin name printed on the underside. The figures seem to have been influenced by an Italian poster, Beetles, from 1992, as all the species are represented in that poster (including both variants of A. bipunctata) and have the same Latin names assigned to them. This poster hangs in my home office; I've had it since 1995. Some figures in this set were also produced for Play Visions for their Habitat Earth line. Most of the species in this Wing Mau collection are unique, at least as sculpts. Interestingly, even though these two figures today both represent A. bipunctata, they are different sculpts and not merely the same sculpt repainted. In nature, A. bipunctata exhibits extreme variation in color. Wing Mau beetles are often released with different paint jobs and I have also seen a solid black version of this species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Holarctic
Habitat: Highly variable as long as adequate vegetation and prey is available, including deciduous and mixed forests and forest margins, coastal dunes, grasslands, fields, parks, gardens
Diet: Aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of A. bipunctata in North America appear to be narrowing and declining. In New York state, it is considered a 'Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)'. It is believed its decline is due to competition with established non-native species, such as Coccinella septempunctata and possibly Harmonia axyridis.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Otodus megalodon (Agassiz, 1835)
Common name(s): megalodon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Prehistoric Life - Deluxe
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 29.0 cm for a scale of 1:49-1:69 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: The bottom jaw is articulated. We have no idea how long O. megalodon was. The scale above is calculated based on a body length of 14.2-20.0 meters. That maximum length is based on studies from 2021 and 2022. I am sure the scale will fluctuate as we/if we ever learn more about the actual size of the animal.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Miocene-Early Pliocene; worldwide in seas and oceans at the time
Habitat: Pelagic
Diet: Opportunistic, indiscriminate predator; prey probably included cetaceans, sea turtles, sirenians, seals, fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: There are four species currently assigned to the genus Otodus. The evolution of this clade is characterized by changes in the teeth, notably an increase in serrations, a widening of the crown, formation of a more triangular shape, and the disappearance of lateral cusps. This shift is believed to be related to a shift in predation, from a tear-grasping bite to a cutting bite that corresponds with a shift in prey from fish to cetaceans.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cambarellus patzcuarensis Villalobos, 1943
Common name(s): Mexican dwarf crayfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Banjihan ACE
Series: Mexican Dwarf Crayfish
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.5, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique as a set/sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: There are six figures in the set, all color variants of the same sculpt. Cambarellus patzcuarensis is popular in the aquarium trade and most of the figures in the set represent domestic morphotypes. I chose the 'brown' version since it's closest to the wild type.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Mexico (Michoacán)
Habitat: Freshwater lakes and springs
Diet: Plants, detritus, aquatic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Cambarellus patzcuarensis is endemic to Lake Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, Mexico and neighboring springs in places like Chapultepec, Opopeo, and Tzurumutaro. While popular in the pet trade, it is endangered in its native range due to habitat loss and alteration.





With today's post being the 1200th, 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 includes 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 1100.

Arthropods: 636 (588)
Mammals: 159 (149)
Fish: 111 (95)
Birds: 98 (92)
Non-Arthropod Invertebrates: 61 (56)
Reptiles: 59 (55)
Dinosaurs: 33 (28)
Amphibians: 35 (30)
Protozoans/Plankton: 8 (7)

*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 1100:

Insects: 448 (414)
Crustaceans: 93 (87)
Arachnids: 72 (65)
Misc. Arthropods: 23 (22)


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 1000th post:
Two figures: 106 (96)
Three figures: 7 (6)
Four figures: 2 (2)
Five figures: 1 (1)


Now some interesting tidbits of information:

Species that have been seen more than once:
Acherontia atropos (2), Aglais urticae (2), Allomyrina dichotoma (13), Allotopus rosenbergi (6), Anomalocaris canadensis (2), Anoplophora chinensis (2), Apis mellifera (5), Armadillidium vulgare (3), Atrax robustus (3), Bathynomus giganteus (6), Beckius beccarii (2), Birgus latro (2), Bombyx mori (3), Bos taurus (4), Brachypelma smithi (4), Cambaroides japonicus (3), Canis lupus (2), Carabus blaptoides (2), Carcharhinus melanopterus (2), Chalcosoma atlas (2), Chalcosoma chiron (5), Chalcosoma moellenkampi (3), Cheirotonus jambar (3), Chiromantes haematocheir (3), Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (2), Coccinella septempunctata (4), Cybister chinensis (3), Cyclommatus elaphus (3), Danaus plexippus (9), Daphina pulex (2), Dorcus grandis (3), Dorcus hopei (6), Dorcus rectus (3), Dorcus titanus (3), Dynastes grantii (4), Dynastes hercules (11), Dynastes neptunus (6), Equus ferus (2), Eupatorus gracilicornis (3), Evenus (2), Formica rufa (2), Gallus gallus (2), Gelasimus tetragonon (2), Geothelphusa dehaani (2), Goliathus goliatus (2), Goliathus orientalis (2), Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (4), Harmonia axyridis (2), Hasarius adansoni (2), Hebomoia glaucippe (3), Heliconius charithonia (2), Hexarthrius mandibularis (2), Hyalophora cecropia (2), Hymenopus coronatus (4), Idea leuconoe (4), Idolomantis diabolica (2), Lamprima adolphinae (2), Lamypris noctiluca (2), Latrodectus hasselti (2), Latrodectus mactans (4), Leiurus quinquestriatus (2), Locusta migratoria (4), Lucanus cervus (5), Lucanus maculifemoratus (7), Luehdorfia japonica (2), Lycosa tarantula (2), Macrocheira kaempferi (3), Macrodontia cervicornis (2), Mantis religiosa (3), Megasoma actaeon (4), Megasoma elaphas (5), Megasoma mars (2), Mesene phareus (2), Mesotopus tarandus (6), Morpho menelaus (4), Morpho peleides (2), Noctiluca scintillans (2), Odontolabis burmeisteri (3), Ogyris genoveva (2); Onchorhynchus clarkii (2), Pagurus filholi (2), Pandinoides cavimanus (2), Pandinus imperator (2), Papilio glaucus (2), Papilio machaon (4), Papilio xuthus (4), Pediculus humanus (2), Phalacrognathus muelleri (2), Phoebis philea (2), Poecilotheria regalis (2), Portunus pelagicus (3), Procambarus clarkii (3), Prosopocoilus dissimilis (3), Prosopocoilus giraffa (4), Prosopocoilus inclinatus ( 8 ), Prosopocoilus zebra (2), Rhaetulus didieri (2), Rosalia batesi (2), Sasakia charonda (3), Scarabaeus typhon (2), Scylla serrata (2), Tachypleus tridentatus (2), Vanessa atalanta (2), Vespa mandarinia (5).

Genera with more than one species:
Acanthophis (2), Acherontia (2), Aeshna (2), Aglais (2), Allomyrina (2), Ambystoma (2), Ameerega (2), Anas (2), Androctonus (2), Aphonopelma (2), Argiope (2), Atergatis (2), Bison (2), Bombus (2), Brachypelma (3), Caiman (2), Calappa (3), Canis (2), Canthigaster (2), Carabus (3), Carassius (2), Carcharhinus (2), Cercopithecus (2), Chalcosoma (3), Cheirotonus (3), Chelonoidis (2), Coccinella (3), Coenobita (2), Corvus (2), Cuora (2), Cyclommatus (3), Dendrobates (2), Dorcus (6), Dynastes (3), Dyscophus (2), Erinaceus (2), Esox (2), Equus (4), Eupatorus (2), Falco (2), Geochelone (2), Giraffa (2), Goliathus (4), Golofa (3), Gonypteryx (2), Gorilla (2), Graphium (2), Hexarthrius (4), Hippotragus (2), Homo (3), Hyperolius (3), Hypolimnas (2), Hypselodoris (2), Lactoria (2), Lamprima (2), Latrodectus (3), Lucanus (3), Lynx (3), Macaca (3), Manis (2), Maratus (2), Megasoma (4), Mictyris (2), Morpho (5), Myotis (2), Odontolabis (4), Oncorhynchus (3), Oophaga (2), Ornithoptera (4), Oryctes (2), Oryx (2), Ostracion (2), Panulirus (4), Papilio (9), Parnassius (2), Phrynosoma (2), Polistes (4), Pongo (2), Portunus (2), Prosopocoilus (9), Pygoscelis (2), Rhaetulus (2), Rosalia (2), Scolopendra (3), Spheniscus (4), Spizaetus (2), Takifugu (2), Takydromus (2), Trioceros (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  6
AAA  5
Access Toys/The Access  1
Adventure Planet  1
Agatsuma Entertainment  3
AMT/Ertl  1
AquaKitz  1
Aquameridian Ltd./For Corporation  1
Arboreum Artwork  3
Ayano Katyama  3
Bandai/Bandai Spirits  39
Banjihan ACE  1*
Beam  2
Beauty of Beasts  1
Blip Toys  4
Break Co. Ltd.  2
Bullyland  25
Caboodle! Toys/Noah's Pals  2
Cadbury/Yowie Group  50
CBIOV  1
Chap Mei  1
Club Earth/Wing Mau  45
Coca Cola  3
CollectA  57
Colorata  42
DeAgostini  25
Discovery Channel  1
Dreams Come True Ltd.  3
Easter Unlimited Ltd.  1
Eikoh  3
Eofauna  1*
Epoch/Tarlin  22
FaunaFigures  1
Favorite Co. Ltd.  6
F-toys  16
Funrise Toys  4
Haolonggood  2*
Hayakawa Toys  4
Heller  2
Ikimon/Kitan Club  45
Imperial Toys  2
Innovative Kids  2
Insect Lore  8
Jam  2
K&M International  27
Kabaya  16
Kaiyodo/Furuta  184
Koro Koro  1
Land & Sea Collectibles  2
Maia & Borges  4
Maruka  1
Mojö Fun  10
My Favorite Animals  3
Naturalism  5
NECA  2
New-Ray  2
Nihon Auto Toy  2
Paleocasts  5
Paleo-Creatures  8
Paleozoo  1
Papo  34
Play Visions  45
PNSO  8
Qualia  2
Rainbow  1
Rainforest Café  1
Rebor  1
Re-Ment  3
Royal Ontario Museum  1
Running Press  1
Safari Ltd.  129
Sbabam  1*
Schleich  20
Science and Nature  7
Sega  55
ShanTrip  3
Shikoku Aquarium  1*
Shine-G  4
Signatustudio  1
Skillcraft  3
SO-TA/Toys Spirits  9
Southlands Replicas  7
Stasto  3
Stewart Sales & Services  2
Takara Tomy A.R.T.S./Subarudo  42
Tedco Toys  1
Toy Fish Factory/Replica Toy Fish  11
Toymany  1*
Toy Major  12
Trendmasters  2
Trilobiti Design  1
US Toy  3
Vivid Toy Group  2
Wild Kraatz  2
Wolff Marketing Group  1
Yell  5
Yujin  51
unknown  18




Anyway, we'll look at stats again after post 1300!! Until then, enjoy the posts!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): domestic Muscovy duck

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Farm Life
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate because of the animal's posture, but measured along midline the body length is approximately 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:7-1:9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was specifically marketed as a domestic Muscovy duck, C. moschata var. domestica, but that name isn't valid as a formal subspecies under the rules of the ICZN (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, from southern Texas (Rio Grande Valley) to Argentina and Uruguay; feral domestic populations occur throughout the world, including North America, Caribbean, Europe, eastern Australia, New Zealand
Habitat: Forested swamps, lakes, streams, wet grasslands, agricultural fields, urban and suburban parks
Diet: Primarily plant material, including both aquatic and terrestrial plants; also fish, amphibians, reptiles, and freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cairina moschata is believed to have been first domesticated in Brazil, prior to European discovery in the late 1490s. It was bred primarily for meat and today it is often referred to as a Barbary duck in a culinary context. The Muscovy duck is the only domestic duck not derived from mallard stock, although domestic Muscovy ducks and mallards will sometimes crossbreed, resulting in the mulard. The domestic form is sometimes given subspecies status (C. m. domestica), but more commonly it is only considered a form or variety. The subspecies name was first coined by R. A. Donkin in 1989 in his book on the origin and dispersal of the domestic Muscovy duck, but because the name was not assigned per the rules set forth in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the combination is considered invalid.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): western honey bee; European honey bee

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Safariology - Life Cycle of a Honey Bee
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Egg chamber 5.7 cm tall; individual egg approximately 2.3 cm long. Larva approximately 4.5 cm wide. Pupa approximately 5.4 cm long. Body length of adult (excluding appendages and wings) approximately 5.8 cm for a scale of 4.8:1-3.9:1 for a worker. Larva and pupa are in relative scale with adult. Egg larger, approximately 23:1-15.3:1 in scale.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the sixth time we've seen A. mellifera in the Museum, and the second time we've seen a life cycle of the species (I have four). For a brief period, the adult from this set was sold individually with a slightly different paint job in Safari's Hidden Kingdom Insects line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide. Believed to be native to Africa and/or Central Asia, with natural spread throughout Africa and Europe; introduced to the Western Hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asia for honey production.
Habitat: Highly varied; anywhere with suitable hive-building sites and flowers for food source.
Diet: Larvae are fed pollen by the adults; adults eat nectar and pollen
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: The average developmental time for a worker honey bee is 21-22 days. Oviposition to hatching of the egg is approximately 3 days. The bee then spends about 6 days as a larva. The larva is fed 'royal jelly' for the first couple days and then a blend of honey and pollen ('bee bread') for the remainder of the larval stage (potential queens will get royal jelly throughout their development and after emergence). After the pupal cell is capped, the bee spends 10-11 days as a pupa, eventually emerging as an adult.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allactaga sibirica (Forster, 1778)
Common name(s): Mongolian five-toed jerboa; Siberian jerboa

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Furuta
Series: Chocoegg Funny Animals Series 1
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 6.5 cm. Using hind foot as a metric (n=2.0 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:3.6-1:3.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Online references refer to this figure as the Baluchistan pygmy jerboa (Salpingotulus michaelis). However, based on the size of the ears in relation to the head, that identification does not seem to be correct. There are several identification inconsistencies with figures from this set online. Whether these errors are on behalf of Furuta or collectors who post their collections online, I am not sure. For a while, several of us assumed it was a long-eared jerboa ( Euchoreutes naso) but again, based on length of the ears in relation to the head, that ID doesn't seem right, either. Looking more closely at the ratio of head and ears, to me this figure looks most like something in the genus Allactaga. I am databasing mine as A. sibirica (syn. Orientallactaga sibirica) as it's the most widespread species in the genus. Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required..

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Asia (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Siberia)
Habitat: Deserts, semi-deserts, forest-steppes, steppes
Diet: Plants (leaves, seeds, roots), insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other arid-adapted rodents, A. sibirica does not need to drink water as it gets all of the water it needs from the food it eats.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dryocopus martius (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): black woodpecker

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure height about 6.5 cm. Scale difficult to calculate but body length approximately 8.5 cm for a scale of 1:5.3-1:6.5.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: From what I can tell, no assembly required. Kaiyodo also produced this species for their Chocoegg Animatales line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia
Habitat: Old-growth coniferous, subtropical, and boreal forests
Diet: Insects; primarily carpenter ants, but also beetle larvae and other insects in wood
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Dryocopus martius is a specialist on carpenter ants, although it will eat any insects it finds within wood, such as beetle larvae. It fills the same ecological niche in Europe as the related pileated woodpecker (D. pileatus) in the Nearctic and lineated woodpecker (D. lineatus) in the Neotropics.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Conger myriaster (Brevoort, 1856)
Common name(s): whitespotted conger; common Japanese conger

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 2
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Measured along midline, body length approximately 11.5 cm for a scale of 1:7-8.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The eel sits loosely on its base. The base also came with a section of line, hook, and worm, as if it was being fished for, but I chose not to display the figure like that.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific (Japan, Korean Peninsula, China)
Habitat: Bathydemersal; usually in sandy and muddy areas at depths to 320-830 meters
Diet: Fish, crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Conger myriaster is one of the most valuable fishery species in the waters around China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. The annual haul from the Yellow and East China seas averages 13,000 tonnes. In sushi and sashimi, it is referred to as anago.

[JimoAi]

if you're creative enough, you can use the worm as a marine worm!

[bmathison1972]

if you're creative enough, you can use the worm as a marine worm!

I didn't retain it. If I remember correctly, the worm was permanently affixed to the hook. The worm+hook piece fit into the hole on the base (you can see the hole in my pic), and then a line attached to the top of the hook. @sbell has this figure, too; he may know or remember better. The same set-up was also used for a yellowfin goby in the same set. I have that goby, too, and it will be seen at a later time.

[sbell]

if you're creative enough, you can use the worm as a marine worm!

I didn't retain it. If I remember correctly, the worm was permanently affixed to the hook. The worm+hook piece fit into the hole on the base (you can see the hole in my pic), and then a line attached to the top of the hook. @sbell has this figure, too; he may know or remember better. The same set-up was also used for a yellowfin goby in the same set. I have that goby, too, and it will be seen at a later time.

I also have both, and yes, the worm is sculpted with the hook and line

[bmathison1972]

Species: Sittiparus owstoni (Ijima, 1893)
Common name(s): Owston's tit; Izu tit

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 11
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:2.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Kaiyodo originally produced two versions of this figure, which at the time represented two subspecies of the varied tit (S. varius), the nominate form (S. v. varius) and Owston's tit (S. v. owstoni). In 2014, three subspecies of S. varius were given species-level rank, including Owston's tit (see below). I also have the 'true' S. varius figure and it will be featured at a later date. Being one of the original Choco Q Animatales figures, assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Miyakejima, Mikurajima, and Hachijojima Islands in the Izu Archipelago)
Habitat: Evergreen broadleaf forest, coniferous and mixed forest, bamboo forest
Diet: Seeds, nuts, insects (especially caterpillars)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2014, the varied tit (Sittiparus varius) was divided into four species based on morphological and molecular data (mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses). The four species are as follows: varied tit, S. varius (widespread in Japan, central and southern Korean Peninsula, northeastern China, Russian Kuriles); Owston's tit, S. owstoni (endemic to the Japanese islands of Miyakejima, Mikurajima, and Hachijojima in the Izu Archipelago); chestnut-bellied tit, S. castaneoventris (endemic to Taiwan); Iriomote tit, S. olivaceus (endemic to the Yaeyama Islands of Japan). The varied tit still has five extant and one extinct subspecies. The nominate subspecies (S. v. varius) is widespread, being found in the southern Kuriles, northeastern China, Korea Peninsula, and much of Japan. The remaining extant subspecies are all endemic to one or a few Japanese islands: S. v. sunsunpi (Tanegashima), S. v. namiyei (Toshima, Niijima, Kōzu-shima), S. v. yakushimensis (Yakushima), and S. v. amamii (Amami Ōshima, Tokunoshima, Okinawa). The last subspecies, S. v. orii, was endemic to the Japanese Daitō Islands (Kitadaitōjima, Minami Daitōjima) and became extinct around 1940.

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