Mathison Museum of Natural History

[Isidro]

It must be one of the very few butterfly figurines that try to replicate the texture of the scales on the wings!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cerambyx cerdo Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): great capricorn beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: AAA
Series: Insects
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 2.7:1-1.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure came in a polyvinyl bag with set of otherwise generic insects and the identification is my own.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa
Habitat: Oak woodlands, suburban areas
Diet: Larvae develop in living and dying Quercus (oak); adults feed on oak sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Cerambyx cerdo is threatened throughout much of its range due to habitat destruction and alteration, such as the removal of partially dead oak trees in open and semi-open woodlands. In some places it was become extinct, such the British Isles. Interestingly, in some parts of the Mediterranean, it has become a pest of ornamental trees in urban and suburban settings.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ovis canadensis Shaw, 1804
Common name(s): bighorn sheep

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari North American Wildlife
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Height at shoulders approximately 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:16.4-1:19.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: With the retirement of this figure in 2011, there are no standard-sized versions of this species readily available on the market. To the best of my knowledge, the species was never made by Bullyland, Schleich, Papo, or CollectA. Standard (or slightly larger than) figures were also produced by AAA, Treehouse Kids, K&M International, New-Ray, and possibly others, but they can be hard to find.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western North America
Habitat: Alpine meadows, grassy mountain slopes, desert mountains, and foothills in proximity to rugged, rocky cliffs and bluffs
Diet: Grasses, sedges, forbs; desert populations eat a wider range of plants and get the majority of their water from plants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: There are currently three subspecies of bighorn sheep. The Rocky Mountain bighorn is the nominate subspecies, O. c. canadensis. It occurs in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest. The Sierra Nevada bighorn, O. c. sierrae, occurs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California although historic populations may have ranged into the California Coastal Ranges. The desert bighorn sheep, O. c. nelsoni occurs throughout arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico; the desert bighorn can be further divided into three genetic lineages (formerly independent subspecies) that occupy desert habitats that vary significantly in climate and vegetation. Molecular studies suggest the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Nevada bighorns diverged from the desert bighorn sheep during, or prior to, the Illinoian glaciation roughly 315-94 thousand years ago.

[Gwangi]

One of my most-wanted species. Would also like a dall sheep. I don't think I'll try tracking this toy down though, seems like only a matter of time until we get a better one. Maybe I'm just optimistic.

[sbell]

One of my most-wanted species. Would also like a dall sheep. I don't think I'll try tracking this toy down though, seems like only a matter of time until we get a better one. Maybe I'm just optimistic.

There was a Bullyland Fall's about 20 years ago... good luck finding one now though.

My guess is that, if anyone made one, it would be CollectA but I think you're right, the odds are low

[bmathison1972]

A Dall's sheep is on my 'most wanted list' too. But I am content enough with this bighorn, however, that if another comes along I highly doubt I'll replace it.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Oryx leucoryx (Pallas, 1777)
Common name(s): Arabian oryx; white oryx

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:12-1:18.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The only other standard version of this species I am aware is was produced by Mojö Fun in 2019. If I remember correctly, promotional pics of the Mojö oryx showed the model painted like a hybrid between an Arabian oryx and gemsbok, but was corrected for the final product.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle East
Habitat: Arid plains, deserts, rocky hillsides
Diet: Grasses, shrubs, melons, succulent bulbs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Historically, Oryx leucoryx was widespread in the Middle East, especially on the Arabian Peninsula. During the 19th and 20th centuries, their population was reduced to Saudi Arabia and by 1914, only a few populations existed in the wild outside that country. By the 1930s, the only remaining populations in the wild were in the Nafud Desert and the Rub' al Khali in Saudi Arabia. In the 1960s, the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona (my hometown zoo!) and the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society of London started captive-breeding programs and in 1968 the Al Ain Zoo was founded in Abu Dhabi to conserve the animals. Today there over 1,200 Arabian oryx in the wild and 6,000-7,000 in zoos and preserves. The Arabian oryx is the first animal to go from an IUCN classification of Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dorcus hopei binodulosus Waterhouse, 1874

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - small series, standard
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.8 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the seventh time we've seen D. h. binodulosus in the Museum; it is one of the most commonly beetle produced species by Japanese manufacturers. 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. The tree in this photo is by Toymany; it was originally produced for their koalas but it can now be purchased by itself.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan, Korean Peninsula
Habitat: Broadleaf forests
Diet: Larvae breed in rotting wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Dorcus hopei and its subspecies are sometimes considered subspecies of D. curvidens, resulting in the combinations D. curvidens hopei and D. curvidens binodulosus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Actias luna (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): luna moth; American moon moth

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Smithsonian Insects
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: If spread like a specimen, wingspan would come to approximately 17.5 cm for a scale of 2.3:1-1.7:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The tube-sized A. luna figure produced by Innovative Kids for the Groovy Tube Books: Bug Blast! collection appears to have been influenced by this Safari figure (as were the stag beetle, flea, and monarch from the same tube).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern North America
Habitat: Deciduous hardwood forests, parks, gardens, suburban areas
Diet: Larvae feed on the leaves of a variety of hardwood trees, including Betula (birch), Diospyros (persimmon), Liquidambar (sweetgum), Carya (hickory, pecan), Juglans (walnut), and Rhus (sumac); adults do not feed.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated; NatureServe status is Secure
Miscellaneous Notes: The elongated tails of the hindwings of A. luna are thought to confuse the echolocation detection used by predatory bats.



Head's up: There won't be a post tomorrow (6/2).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Oncorhynchus mykiss mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)
Common name(s): Kamchatkan rainbow trout

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Freshwater Fish Pictorial Book 1
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm long for a scale of 1:9.2-1:18.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Yujin did not market this figure at the subspecies level, and the identification is mine based on geographic proximity to Japan. The fish is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Russian Far East (Kamchatka Peninsula, Commander Islands, Sea of Okhotsk); introduced to many other parts of the world for sport fishing and aquaculture
Habitat: Streams and rivers; some populations anadromous
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, fish, fish eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Oncorhynchus mykiss is considered an invasive species in 87 countries. Most, if not all, of these introductions are presumably O. mykiss mykiss. Impacts of these introductions include hybridization, disease transmission, predation, and competition with native species.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Borealopelta markmitchelli Brown et al., 2017

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: PNSO
Series: Prehistoric Animal Models
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 18.5 cm for a scale of 1:30
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2019, CollectA also produced a standard-sized version of this species. Both figures are generally comparable in quality and accuracy, so one can't really go wrong with either. However, CollectA's is likely to be less expensive! If anyone is curious, the paint is not coming off on my model; the white seen are glares (the paint has a rather glossy finish).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Cretaceous (Albian) of present-day Canada
Habitat: Open forests, fern meadows
Diet: Vegetation; especially ferns
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Examination of the stomach contents preserved in the type specimen of B. markmitchelli suggests a fern-rich diet and it has been speculated that Borealopelta may have been a highly selective feeder of ferns.

[EpicRaptorMan]

I remember first seeing the discovery of this animal before it's naming. Truly a once in a life time discovery!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Apodemus speciosus (Temminck, 1844)
Common name(s): large Japanese field mouse

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 11
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Figure approximately 3.5 cm tall and 3.5 cm across its widest points. Scale difficult to calculate because of the animal's pose, but using hind foot as a metric (n=1.1 cm) scale comes to approximately 1:1.8-1:2.6.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Q Animatales, some assembly is required. Kaiyodo previously produced this species for the original Chocoegg series in conjunction with Furuta.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Forests, grasslands, riverine fields, agricultural fields
Diet: Primarily seeds and nuts; occasionally rhizomes and small invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Apodemus speciosus can eat seeds and nuts high in tannins, which would be toxic to most other rodent species. The large Japanese field mouse can consume seeds high in tannins by the secretion of specialized proteins and symbiotic bacteria that aid in digestion. However, the mouse can also display foraging behavior to select for seeds low in tannins, perhaps to regulate the amount of tannins they consume.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Papilio zelicaon Lucas, 1852
Common name(s): anise swallowtail

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Major
Series: Butterflies
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.1-1:1.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. zelicaon in the Museum. 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). Today's identification is mine, and admittedly tenuous and tentative, but I couldn't come up with anything better at the time. When one studies and collected butterfly figures, patterns emerge in painting styles and one can often come up with a plausible identification.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western North America
Habitat: Open hills and mountains, fields, gardens, disturbed areas, roadsides
Diet: Larvae feed on several plants in the families Apiaceae (carrot family) and Rutaceae (rues, citrus); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern [NatureServe status Secure]
Miscellaneous Notes: Male P. zelicaon are territorial and will perch on hilltops and other high ground to patrol for receptive females. If multiple males attempt to use the same spot, they will engage in aggressive dances to claim the territory!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): red squirrel; Eurasian red squirrel

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2011
Size/Scale: Body length difficult to calculate due to the posture of the body, but using hind foot length as a metric (n=1.3 cm) scale comes to approximately 1:3.9-1:4.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is CollectA's second representation of the species; the original ran from 2006-2011. Other nice recent examples of this species are those by Schleich (2013) and Papo (2020).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Palearctic
Habitat: Boreal coniferous forests, deciduous and mixed forests, copses, suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Primarily tree seeds and nuts, berries and other fruits, fungi; when these are not available, diet may be supplemented with buds, bark, flowers, shoots, leaves, lichens, bird eggs and nestlings, invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of S. vulgaris in the United Kingdom and Ireland have dropped rapidly, upwards of 80% in some areas, following the introduction of the American grey squirrel (S. carolinensis). The grey squirrels carry a virus, the squirrelpox virus (SQPV), which while not typically deadly to the grey squirrels, can be fatal to the red squirrels.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Columba livia Gmelin, 1789
Common name(s): rock dove; rock pigeon; domestic pigeon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Invasive Species & New Friends
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate but body length approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:4-1:5.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required. Kaiyodo produced this figure in two color forms. While both figures represent feral domestic pigeons, today's is painted more like a wild type while the other exhibits the ash-red phenotype. The Papo pigeon from 2023, which doesn't require assembly, is of a comparable size. I actually considered replacing this Kaiyodo figure with the one by Papo, to have one that doesn't require assembly, but the Kaiyodo figure is just too good!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan. Native to North Africa, Mediterranean Europe, Middle East, and Central and Southwest Asia; introduced to much of the rest of the world after domestication.
Habitat: Wild populations nest in crevices along rocky cliffs along shores and open shrub vegetation; feral populations live among farmland and agricultural fields and in urban and suburban areas.
Diet: Seeds; in urban and suburban areas, pigeons will eat organic human refuse such as popcorn and other corn products, bread products, peanuts
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Columba livia is one of the oldest domesticated birds, although little is known about the specifics of its domestication, such as when, how many times, and where they were domesticated. The earliest written records of domestic pigeons come from Mesopotamia around 5,000 years ago. They were known to be kept by both the Ancient Egyptians and Mughal Empire. Feral domestic pigeons have interbred with wild rock doves quite extensively, to the point that pure wild-type birds may be extinct or nearly so; it also makes it extremely difficult to use genetic markers to elucidate the origins of domestication.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mesotopus tarandus (Swederus, 1787)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Book
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approximately 8.0 cm, within scale 1:1 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 M. tarandus 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 West Africa (Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana)
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae breed in rotting logs colonized by very specific fungi; adult feeding habits not well-documented but probably attracted to sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Sometimes called the 'African Demon', M. tarandus is one of the largest stag beetles in Africa. That is probably why it is the only African species routinely made by Japanese companies. It is also cultivated in terraria, but can be difficult to rear because it requires a substrate supplemented with specific fungi.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mustela itatsi Temminck, 1844
Common name(s): Japanese weasel

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments - Claws of the Isolated Island
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length (including tail) approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:6.9-1:8 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is a reissue of a model that was originally produced for the fourth set of Chocoegg Animatales. A translucent red version was also produced for the Natural Monuments special release. By the way, the Natural Monuments used here should not be confused with the Natural Monuments of Japan collection. Being one of the original Chocoegg Animatales figures, assembly is required. The scale above was calculated based on a male, and females are smaller (approximately 1/3 the size of a male by weight).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native to Japan (Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikoku); introduced to much of the rest of Japan (e.g., Hokkaidō and the Ryukyu Islands) and Russia (Sakhalin) for rodent control
Habitat: Mountainous riparian forests, grasslands, suburban areas
Diet: Rodents, small reptiles, amphibians, crayfish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Mustela itatsi is most closely related to the Siberian weasel, M. sibirica and is often considered a subspecies of it. The two differ morphologically in the ration of body to tail length. Molecular studies suggest the two species diverged about 1.6-1.7 million years ago in the Early Pleistocene. Native to the Asian mainland, the Siberian weasel has been introduced to Honshū, Kyūshū, and Shikoku in Japan where the two species now overlap.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815)
Common name(s): maned wolf

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Height at shoulders approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:18-1:22
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This was the only modern standard-sized example of this species available until Safari Ltd. produced a slightly larger version in 2021. Many collectors seem to favor CollectA's however, due to the larger size and awkward posture of Safari's.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East-central South America (northern Argentina, South and Central Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, northern Peru)
Habitat: Grassland, savanna, cerrado, dry shrub forest and forest edges, swamps, riparian areas
Diet: General omnivore, including small mammals, birds and bird eggs, reptiles, fish, mollusks, insects, sugarcane, tubers and roots, bulbs, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Chrysocyon brachyurus is the largest South American canid and the tallest extant canid. It is probably best known for its very long legs, which are probably an adaptation for hunting among the tall grasses of its natural habitat.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chelodina reimanni Philippen & Grossman, 1990
Common name(s): Reimann's snake-necked turtle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Furuta
Series: Choco Egg Animatales Funny Series 2
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 6.3 cm. Carapace length approximately 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:5.9 for a female or 1:4.4 for a male.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: New Guinea
Habitat: Freshwater rivers, marshes, swamps
Diet: Mollusks, crayfish, insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Chelodina reimanni prefers to live in shallow, marshy ponds where the water is consistently greater than 30°C. During the dry season (August-October), the turtle will usually aestivate in the mud.