Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): largehead hairtail; beltfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Primary Saltwater Fish
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:5.3-24.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was first produced by Yujin before Takara acquired the various 'Pictorial Book' collections. The placard has the fish's Japanese and Latin names and its distribution, habitat, and size in Japanese.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide in tropical and temperate seas and oceans
Habitat: Benthopelagic, coastal; at depths of 0-589 meters (usually 100-350 meters)
Diet: Small fish (including smaller members of their own species), marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite the body shape of T. lepturus and other cutlassfish in the family Trichiuridae, they are not eels nor are they closely related to eels (within Teleostei). This is an example of parallel evolution, whereby independent taxa develop similar characteristics while evolving simultaneously in the same time and ecospace.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mantella madagascariensis (Grandidier, 1872)
Common name(s): Madagascan mantella; Malagasy painted mantella; painted mantella

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Tropical Rain Forest Frogs
Year of Production: 2019 (2005)
Size/Scale: Snout-to vent-length approximately 3.2 cm for a scale of 1.6:1-1.2:1 (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (possibly unique as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: My figure is the 2019 release of a model that originally came out in 2005. Mantella madagascariensis is sexually dimorphic with regards to size and this figure scales 1.6:1-1.5:1 for a male or 1.3:1-1.2:1 for a female.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East-central Madagascar
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical montane and lowland forests and forest margins, often near rivers
Diet: Small insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Molecular analysis of the cytochrome b gene suggests that Mantella madagascariensis is a complex of multiple species.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Acanthogobius flavimanus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1845)
Common name(s): yellowfin goby; Japanese river goby; Oriental goby; mahaze

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 2
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.4-1:5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (at least as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: The fish 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. We saw this same set-up with Yujin's whitespotted conger here in the Museum back in February of this year.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific; introduced to the East Pacific (California) and Australia (New South Wales)
Habitat: Freshwater rivers and streams, descending to brackish and marine bays and estuaries to breed; at depths of 1-6 meters
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, small fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Acanthogobius flavimanus can migrate freely between fresh and saline water environments. The fish normally lives in freshwater streams and rivers but descends to marine and brackish waters to breed in winter, with a preference for bays and estuaries with muddy and sandy bottoms.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): American cockroach; ship cockroach

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: North American Insects
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 4.5 cm, within scale 1:1 for a larger specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I don't know anything about this set and don't remember how I came across this figure (I think I got it from form member Froggie). The set used to be on Wing Mau's website, but it isn't there anymore. If I remember correctly, the set also including a camel cricket and giant stag beetle (both of which I also have), as well as a honey bee, praying mantis, and seven-spotted lady beetle (none of which I have). What's interesting is that the set on Wing Mau's website was advertised as 'North American' insects even though four of the species are not native to North America :-). Currently on TAI they are listed as K&M Insects Bulk. In the 1990s, Wing Mau produced figures for several companies, including K&M International, Play Visions, and Club Earth.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native to Africa; now occurs nearly worldwide in temperate, tropical, and subtropical climates
Habitat: Highly variable where temperature and humidity are adequate, including hollow trees, wood piles, leaf litter, mulch, and many urban and suburban environments such as houses, garages, sewage systems, restaurants, grocery stores, food processing plants, and hospitals.
Diet: Any organic material, including bark, leaves, paper, wool clothes, sugar, cheese, bread, oil, lemons, ink, soap, flesh, fish, leather, other roaches and insects (dead or alive), or their own cast-off skins and egg-capsules.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite the common name 'American' cockroach, P. americana in native to Africa and now occurs nearly worldwide by commerce. It is thought that the cockroach was first introduced to North America on slave ships from Africa as early as 1625.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Oryctes gigas Laporte de Castelnau, 1840

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Bool
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen O. gigas in the Museum. The DeAgostini insects are cast from actual specimens and are therefore all in the 1:1 range. The figures were sold as premiums with books and come in a plastic display box with their Latin and Japanese names. I am not sure what year the figures were released, and it is possible they were released over multiple years. The original set from Japan consisted of 60 species (59 male Scarabaeoidea and one dragonfly), plus four 'secret' figures representing females of select scarab males. When the set was released in Italy, three of the standard set were replaced with other species, including a leaf insect. Between the two releases and secrets, I think there are 67 figures total representing 63 species. The figures are secured to the base of the box with a small screw, but can be safely removed if one choses to display them outside of the box.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Equatorial Africa, Madagascar
Habitat: Rainforest
Diet: Larvae feed on humus, compost, and in sawdust piles; adults feed on the crown region of palms or possibly do not feed (see below)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: From what I can tell there are two subspecies of O. gigas. The nominate subspecies O. g. gigas which occurs in equatorial mainland Africa and O. g. insulicola which occurs on Madagascar. I had difficulty researching biological information on this species and information above on the adult diet is based on other species in the genus. For example, the Asian species O. rhinoceros is a pest of oil palms in Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands, while the European O. nasicornis typically does not feed as an adult.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Morpho peleides Kollar, 1850
Common name(s): common morpho; common blue morpho; emperor

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Insects TOOB
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.6-1:4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen M. peleides in the Museum. This figure has a bizarre pedigree. Some versions of Safari's Insects TOOB have this figure with tails (which it should not), but mine came tailless. I think the tailed version was in the original and early releases and the current version doesn't have tails, even though stock images may still show it as tailed (either that or Safari went back to the incorrect tailed version?). Also, the species level identification here is my own. The figure was only marked as 'Morpho' but I chose to have it represent M. peleides as it originally came out the same year as Safari's Hidden Kingdom morpho, which is clearly painted after that species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Mexico to northern South America
Habitat: Montane and lowland rainforest, usually along trails, paths, forest edges, and other open areas
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the families Fabaceae (legumes) and Bignoniaceae (bignonias); adults drink juices from overripe fruit and tree sap.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Morpho peleides is primarily a frugivore, and feeds on overripe and rotting fruit. Unlike many other butterflies, it does not derive nutrition from flower nectar. In the absence of fruit, M. peleides will feed on tree sap.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Kallima inachus (Doyère, 1840)
Common name(s): orange oakleaf; Indian oakleaf

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: Insect Directory
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Base 5.5 cm long. If spread like a specimen, wingspan comes to approximately 5.4 cm for a scale of 1:1.6-1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The butterflies are removable from the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central to Southeast and East Asia, from India and Pakistan to Laos, Vietnam, Japan
Habitat: Dense rainforest, often in riparian areas
Diet: Larvae feed on the plants from several families, including Urticaceae (nettles), Polygonaceae (knotweeds), Rosaceae (roses, peaches, plums, and kin), and Acanthaceae; adults feed on tree sap, overripe and rotting fruit, and obtain nutrients from mud puddles.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The wings of Kallima inachus are shaped like leaves and, when closed, are colored to look like dead leaves, allowing it to camouflage itself on vegetation or in forest litter. When the wings open, however, the dorsal surface have boldly contrasting black, yellow, and blue!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dolichovespula arenaria (Fabricius, 1775)
Common name(s): common aerial yellowjacket; sandhills hornet; common yellow hornet

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Bees, Wasps, and Hornets
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 4.8 cm. Using forewing length as a metric (n=3.2 cm) scale comes to 3.6:1-2.7:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The scale above was calculated based on a worker, but works similarly for a male. It could scale up to 2.4:1 for a queen.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North America
Habitat: Forests, parks, gardens, urban and suburban areas. In natural habitats, nests are usually constructed in trees and shrubs, occasionally underground or under rocks; in urban and suburban areas, nests may be constructed on buildings.
Diet: Other arthropods; occasionally carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike many related wasps, D. arenaria has the ability to spray venom from its stingers my contracting the venom reservoir muscles. The spraying allows for a greater release of alarm pheromone which is key to eliciting the attack behavior of the wasps.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Kheper lamarcki (Macleay, 1821)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: SO-TA
Series: 1/1 Dung Beetles
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 3.8 cm, within scale 1:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was only marketed as Kheper and the species identification is my own. The same sculpt was also used for K. festivus paganus (as specifically indicated by SO-TA) in the same set. A special boxed edition included a metallic brown version also only marked as Kheper (possibly representing K. nigroaeneus), instead of today's black version. The beetle is removable from its dung ball.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Habitat: Savanna, savanna woodlands
Diet: Larvae feed on animal dung provided by the parents; adults also feed on dung
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Kheper lamarcki uses the sun for directional clues when rolling it dung ball. Experimental studies show that altering the beetle's ability to use the sun affects the direction it moves. For example, using a mirror to create an additional light source, the beetle may change it's direction 180°. If the sun is blocked (for example, by using a shading board), and the e-vector direction of the celestial polarized light is turned by 90° with a polarizer, this beetle turns 90° in accordance with the positional change of the e-vector.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gonodonta nitidimacula Guenée, 1852
Common name(s): fruit-piercing moth

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toys Spirits
Series: Caterpillar Mascot Vol. 2
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 4.7 cm for a scale of roughly 1.9:1-1.6:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: While stylized, SO-TA marketed this figure at the species level. When I first got it, I had misidentified it as Eudocima phalonia based on promotional pics showing a photograph of an actual larva, but when I applied Google's translation software I was able to get the correct identification. I had difficulty researching information on this species and the scale above is calculated based on a length of 2.5-3.0 cm, which seems to be about average for the larvae of other species in Gonodonta.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern USA (extreme southern Texas) to South America and the Caribbean
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forest, fruit groves, plantations
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Piperaceae and possibly Annonaceae; adults feed on fruit juices
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Fruit-piercing moths get their common name for the unusual feeding habits of the adults. The end of their proboscis is sclerotized with barbs and hooks. This allows the moth to pierce the intact skin of fruits, including that of cashew, mango, and citrus, to access the sweet juices inside the fruit. Related moths in the genus Calyptra are known as vampire moths, as they use their modified mouthparts for piercing the skin of, and sucking the blood of, mammals!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Eurasian river otter; European otter; common otter

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 7.0 cm long. Scale difficult to calculate due to the hunched body, but body length (exclusive of tail) approximately 5.5 cm long for a scale of 1:10.4-1:16.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen L. lutra in the Museum, although the first time was represented by the extinct Japanese subspecies (L. l. whiteleyi) which is often recognized as a separate species, L. nippon. There is no shortage of common otter figures, and even since this Papo version came out in 2018, we have seen figures produced by Mojö Fun (also 2018), CollectA (2021), and Schleich (2023).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia and North Africa (Maghreb)
Habitat: Unpolluted freshwater sources, including rivers, lakes, streams, freshwater and peat swamp forests, rice fields, fjords, and water caves; occasionally ocean shores, but access to freshwater is still required for grooming
Diet: Fish, amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, small mammals, small birds and bird eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Lutra lutra has a pair of scent glands at the base of its tail that produce a heavy, musky smell. Scent marking is used for intraspecific communication to alert other otters about territorial boundaries, identity, and the sexual state of each otter.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gekko tawaensis Okada, 1956
Common name(s): Tawa gecko

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Shikoku
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Figure length 6.5 cm. Snout-to-vent length (SVL) approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.6 for a large specimen (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required. The scale above was calculated based on a maximum SVL of 7.1 cm.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Shikoku and adjacent parts of Kyushu and Honshū)
Habitat: Forests, often in rocky areas; occasionally suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Small insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Gekko tawaensis hybridizes with Schlegel's Japanese gecko (G. japonicus) in areas where the two species overlap.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pseudonaja textilis Duméril et al., 1854
Common name(s): eastern brown snake; common brown snake

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Science and Nature
Series: Animals of Australia - Large
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Raw figure length approximately 13.0 cm. Measured along midline, body length approximately 45.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.3-1:4.5.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: K&M International produced a tube figure of this species (Wild Republic Australian Animal Down Under Nature Tube) in 2003.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern and central Australia and southern New Guinea
Habitat: Eucalypt forests, coastal heaths, savanna woodland, grasslands, arid scrubland, agricultural areas
Diet: Small mammals, small birds and bird eggs, other smaller snakes
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Pseudonaja textilis is considered the third-most venomous snake in the world, behind only Oxyuranus microlepidotus (inland taipan) and Aipysurus duboisii (Dubois' sea snake). It possesses an intravenous injection LD50 of 0.013 mg/kg. Clinical manifestations include nausea, vomiting, profuse sweating, abdominal pain, severe headache, and venom-induced consumption coagulopathy; a third of cases develop serious systemic envenoming including hypotension and collapse, thrombotic microangiopathy, severe hemorrhage, and cardiac arrest. Death is usually caused by cardiovascular issues such as cardiac arrest or intracranial hemorrhage.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Sarcoptes scabiei (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): itch mite

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: GPI Anatomicals
Series: Canine Skin Parasites
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 9.5 cm for a scale of 317:1-211:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This model was designed to be a display in veterinary offices and not a toy to be played with. Because it was part of a set of canine ectoparasites, it was probably intended to represent the canine mange mite, S. scabiei var. canis.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Skin (stratum corneum) of their hosts, which include a wide variety of mammals such as humans, non-human primates, domestic and wild canids and felids, bovids, wild boar, and marsupials. Different 'varieties' of the mite have different host spectra.
Diet: Epithelial cells, lymph, and blood of their hosts
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Sarcoptid mange caused by S. scabiei var. canis infects a variety of animals other than dogs, including cats, pigs, horses, sheep, and others. As mites burrow into the skin of the host, allergic reactions to the mites' feces causes severe itching. In heavy infections, crusting can become infected with secondary bacterial infections.

[BlueKrono]

That thing is fantastic! I hope someday someone makes a Demodex. They remind me of tardigrades or velvet worms.

[bmathison1972]

That thing is fantastic! I hope someday someone makes a Demodex. They remind me of tardigrades or velvet worms.

I would love a Demodex too!!!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Amanita muscaria (Linnaeus) de Lamarck (1783)
Common name(s): fly agaric

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Soft Mushroom Mascot
Year of Production: 2023 (2010)
Size/Scale: Cap approximately 5.0 cm wide for a scale of 1:1.6-1:4 for a mature specimen, although it could probably scale 1:1 for a small or younger individual.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the first fungus we've seen in the Museum since I started adding some to my collection earlier this year (hey, they're heterotrophic eukaryotes ;-). Although technically, one could argue this is the second time we've seen A. muscaria in the Museum, as my Japanese tree frog (also from the Nature Techni Colour line) is depicted sitting atop one! Today's figure was first produced by Kitan Club in 2010, before Ikimon acquired the Nature Techni Colour line. Minimal assembly is required (the cap needs to be attached) and the figure was originally sold as a 'strap' figure (hence the loop on the top). Due to the hard nature of the plastic, the loop for the strap is not easily removed (which is fine; its presence doesn't bother me).

About the Organism:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan; native to temperate and boreal Northern Hemisphere and introduced throughout much of the rest of the world with host trees
Habitat: Coniferous, deciduous, and mixed woodlands, heathland; usually on light soils around host trees
Diet: Nutrients derived from the soil and sugars from host trees (see below)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Amanita muscaria forms a symbiotic relationship with host trees, including pine, spruce, fir, cedar, birch, and oak. The mycelium of the fungus provides nutrients derived from soil for the trees while the trees provide sugars derived from photosynthesis.




BTW tomorrow will be the 1300th post, so I'll have some stats updates!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Corytophanes cristatus (Merrem, 1820)
Common name(s): smooth helmeted iguana; helmeted iguana; helmeted basilisk

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Primary Colour Lizards Book
Year of Production: 2002 (1998)
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.8-1:2.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure has an interesting pedigree. It was first used by Play Visions in 1998 to represent a 'helmeted iguana', which is often presumed to be C. cristatus (which makes sense). When Yujin reissued the sculpt with a different paint job in 2002, they called it C. hernandesii (Hernandez's helmeted basilisk). The thing is, the morphology, especially the shape of the crest, doesn't support C. hernandesii at all, and it still looks like a typical C. cristatus. As such, I am retaining the name of C. cristatus even though that Latin combination was never used by either company. Oh, and if you want to have more fun with it, the figure looks even more like the insular agamid, Agama crista (family Agamidae) from Africa.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Mexico to northwestern Colombia
Habitat: Primary and secondary mesic rainforest
Diet: Invertebrates, other small lizards
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Corytophanes cristatus is an ambush predator. Because it remains motionless for such long periods of time, its skin can become colonized with fungi, algae, and bryophytes.



With today's post being the 1300th, 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 1200.

Arthropods: 678 (636)
Mammals: 178 (159)
Fish: 123 (111)
Birds: 103 (98)
Non-Arthropod Invertebrates: 66 (61)
Reptiles: 66 (59)
Dinosaurs: 39 (33)
Amphibians: 38 (35)
Protozoans/Plankton/Fungi: 9 ( 8 )

*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 1200:

Insects: 475 (448)
Crustaceans: 95 (93)
Arachnids: 81 (72)
Misc. Arthropods: 27 (23)


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 1200th post:
Two figures: 111 (106)
Three figures: 9 (7)
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 (6), Armadillidium vulgare (3), Atrax robustus (3), Attacus atlas (2), Bathynomus giganteus (6), Beckius beccarii (2), Birgus latro (2), Bombyx mori (3), Bos taurus (5), Brachypelma smithi (6), Cambaroides japonicus (3), Canis lupus (2), Carabus auratus (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 (5), Cybister chinensis (3), Cyclommatus elaphus (3), Danaus plexippus (10), Daphina pulex (2), Dorcus grandis (3), Dorcus hopei (6), Dorcus rectus (3), Dorcus titanus (3), Dynastes grantii (4), Dynastes hercules (12), Dynastes neptunus (6), Equus ferus (3), Equus quagga (2), Eupatorus gracilicornis (5), 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 (5), Leiurus quinquestriatus (2), Locusta migratoria (4), Lucanus cervus (5), Lucanus maculifemoratus (7), Luehdorfia japonica (2), Lutra lutra (2), Lycosa tarantula (2), Macrocheira kaempferi (3), Macrodontia cervicornis (2), Mantis religiosa (4), Megasoma actaeon (4), Megasoma elaphas (5), Megasoma mars (2), Mesene phareus (2), Mesotopus tarandus (6), Morpho menelaus (4), Morpho peleides (3), Noctiluca scintillans (2), Odontolabis burmeisteri (3), Ogyris genoveva (2); Onchorhynchus clarkii (2), Oryctes gigas (2), Pagurus filholi (2), Pandinoides cavimanus (2), Pandinus imperator (3), Papilio glaucus (2), Papilio machaon (5), Papilio xuthus (5), 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 ducalis (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), Anthpleura (2), Aphonopelma (2), Argiope (2), Atergatis (2), Bison (2), Bombus (2), Bos (2), Brachypelma (3), Caiman (2), Calappa (3), Canis (2), Canthigaster (2), Carabus (3), Carassius (2), Carcharhinus (2), Cercopithecus (2), Cervus (2), Chalcosoma (3), Cheirotonus (3), Chelonoidis (2), Coccinella (3), Coenobita (2), Corvus (2), Cuora (2), Cyclommatus (3), Dardanus (2), Dendrobates (2), Dorcus (6), Dryocopus (2), Dryophytes (2), Dynastes (4), Dyscophus (2), Erinaceus (2), Esox (2), Equus (4), Eupatorus (2), Evenus (2), Falco (2), Felis (2), Gekko (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 (4), Lucanus (4), Lutra (2), Lynx (3), Macaca (3), Manis (2), Maratus (2), Megasoma (4), Mictyris (2), Morpho (5), Myotis (2), Odontodactylus (2), Odocoileus (2), Odontolabis (4), Oncorhynchus (4), Oophaga (2), Ornithoptera (4), Oryctes (2), Oryx (2), Ostracion (2), Pan (2), Panulirus (4), Papilio (9), Parnassius (2), Pelecanus (2), Phrynosoma (2), Plestiodon (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 (3), 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  40
Banjihan ACE  1
Beam  2
Beauty of Beasts  1
Big Country Toys, LLC  1*
Blip Toys  4
Break Co. Ltd.  3
Bullyland  26
Caboodle! Toys/Noah's Pals  2
Cadbury/Yowie Group  58
CBIOV  1
Chap Mei  1
Club Earth/Wing Mau  45
Coca Cola  3
CollectA 63
Colorata  46
DeAgostini  26
Discovery  2
Dreams Come True Ltd.  3
Easter Unlimited Ltd.  1
Eikoh  3
Eofauna  1
Epoch/Tarlin  24
FaunaFigures  1
Favorite Co. Ltd.  9
F-toys  16
Funrise Toys  4
GPI Anatomicals  1*
Haolonggood  2
Hayakawa Toys  4
Heller  2
Ikimon/Kitan Club  49
Imperial Toys  2
Innovative Kids  2
Insect Lore  8
Jam  2
Jasman  1*
K&M International  28
Kabaya  17
Kaiyodo/Furuta  197
Koro Koro  1
Land & Sea Collectibles  2
Maia & Borges  4
Maruka  1
Mojö Fun  11
My Favorite Animals  3
Naturalism  5
NECA  2
New-Ray  2
Nihon Auto Toy  2
Paleocasts  5
Paleo-Creatures  10
Paleozoo  1
Papo  38
Play Visions  49
PNSO  9
Qualia  2
Rainbow 1
Rainforest Café  1
Rebor  1
Re-Ment  3
Royal Ontario Museum  1
Running Press  1
Safari Ltd.  143
Sbabam  1
Schleich  21
Science and Nature  9
Sega  57
ShanTrip  3
Shikoku Aquarium  1
Shine-G  4
Signatustudio  2
Skillcraft  3
SO-TA/Toys Spirits  12
Southlands Replicas  7
Stasto  5
Stewart Sales & Services  2
Takara Tomy A.R.T.S./Subarudo  44
Tedco Toys  1
Toy Fish Factory/Replica Toy Fish  12
Toymany  1
Toy Major  12
Trendmasters  2
Trilobiti Design  1
US Toy  3
Vivid Toy Group  2
Wicked Cool Toys  3
Wolff Marketing Group  1
Yell  5
Yujin  58
unknown  18


Anyway, we'll look at stats again after post 1400!! Until then, enjoy the posts!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (Stauton, 1796)
Common name(s): Eurasian great cormorant; Continental great cormorant

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 6
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to measure due to posture but body length approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:10.5-1:11.3 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. carbo in the Museum, although the last time was the nominate subspecies by Papo. Unlike Papo's figure, today's by Kaiyodo is painted in its full breeding plumage! Being one of the original Animatales figures, assembly is required. The scale above was calculated for the species as a whole, and P. c. sinensis is the smallest of the 4-5 subspecies (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern Eurasia, from north-central Europe to China and Japan; wintering in Southeast Asia and Indonesia
Habitat: Ocean and sea coasts, large inland lakes and rivers; breeding usually occurs more inland
Diet: Fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern[at the species level]
Miscellaneous Notes: Depending on the taxonomy followed, there are 4-5 subspecies of P. carbo: P. c. carbo (North Atlantic), P. c. novaehollandiae (Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Chatham Islands), P. c. sinensis (north-central Europe to East Asia), P. carbo hanedae (Japan: Honshu Island), and P. c. maroccanus (coastal northwestern Africa), the last of which is sometimes considered a subspecies of the white-breasted cormorant, P. lucidus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): monarch; milkweed butterfly

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Little Wonders
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: If spread like an actual specimen, the wingspan would come to approximately 9.3 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the eleventh time we have seen D. plexippus in the Museum. This is one of the few butterflies produced by major manufacturers that got the number of functional legs correct (four) for a member of the family Nymphalidae (see below). CollectA did not get this right three years earlier when they produced their small tortoiseshell butterfly, however!

About the Organism:
Geographic distribution: North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, the Azores, Canary Islands, North Africa, Australia, Philippines, and South Pacific islands; rare stray to the United Kingdom
Habitat: Fields, forests, parks, gardens, disturbed areas
Diet: Larvae feed on milkweeds in the family Apocynaceae, especially members of the genus Asclepias; adults take nectar from a variety of flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Members of the family Nymphalidae are called brush-footed butterflies, due to their extremely reduced forelegs. The function of these reduced legs is uncertain, but the leading theory is that they are used as accessory organs for smell, since they possess a modified set of brush-like setae (hence the common name).