Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Ceraurinella typa Cooper, 1953

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: The Study Room
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Base 6.5 cm long. Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 4.5. Using pygidium as a metric (n=1.5 cm), scale comes to approx. 2.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure is made of resin and the trilobite is permanently affixed to its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Ordovician of present-day Canada
Habitat: Marine, benthic
Diet: Presumably scavenger or predator on soft-bodied benthic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty finding information on this species, including helpful metrics to calculate its scale.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Grylloblatta sp.
Common name(s): ice crawler; ice insect; rock crawler

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Wild Republic - Insects Nature Tube
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 6.0 cm for a scale of 4:1-2:1 depending on the species
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare (unique as a sculpt, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: This is a mysterious figure with a mysterious pedigree I haven't quite figured out. First of all, the identification is my own. While not perfect for a grylloblattid, I cannot find a better match. I cannot tell if the inner paired structures at the posterior end are an extra pair of cerci (which isn't really correct for anything) or an exaggerated split ovipositor (which would lend more support for a grylloblattid). I have seen eBay dealers selling the figure (or a slight variation of the sculpt) as an earwig (Dermaptera), but it looks even less like an earwig. This K&M figure came out in the early 2000s, but it is probably not the original. I have seen, and previously owned, the sculpt (or slight variations of it) from a few dollar store/bin sets. Most of the sculpts in K&M's Insects Nature Tube can be found in generic insect sets as they probably partnered with a Chinese company that made sculpts for multiple distributors (some of the same sculpts can be found in Safari Ltd.'s original Insects TOOB, for example). Regardless, this is the only figure I retained from K&M's tube, because of its uniqueness as a grylloblattid.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwestern USA and western Canada
Habitat: High-altitude and high-latitude ice caves and glaciers
Diet: Predator of soft-bodied invertebrates and scavenger on insects that have died on, or been wind blown onto, ice and snow
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [no species have been accessed by the IUCN]
Miscellaneous Notes: Grylloblattids are cold-active animals. They are mostly nocturnal or active during the day when the temperatures are below freezing, feeding on organisms such as collembolans (springtails) or insects that fall on the ice and snow and die or wind blown onto the ice and snow.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Eupatorus birmanicus Arrow, 1908
Common name(s): rabbit beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Beetles Vol. 5
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body approx. 6.5 cm for a scale of 1.3:1-1.1:1 (slightly over 1:1 for a large major male; 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 E. birmanicus in the Museum. The last time, back in December of 2020 (in the very earliest days of this thread), it was a figure by DeAgostini which at the time was unique for the species. Today's model by Bandai is large and requires assembly. I had difficulty finding metrics to calculate a scale and the above scale is based on a range of 4.8-6.0 cm, which is based on measurements of specimens available for sale online.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thailand)
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Unknown. Presumably, larvae feed in rotting logs or in organic detritus in soil; adults, if they feed, are probably attracted to sap flows or overripe fruit.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Breeders and collectors often refer to this species as 'rabbit beetle' or 'rabbit ear beetle' because of the two upright pronotal horns that looks somewhat like rabbit ears. The species is sexually dimorphic, and only males possess these 'rabbit ears'.

[Sim]

Species: Pandinoides cavimanus (Pocock, 1888)
Common name(s): Tanzanian red-clawed scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Scorpions
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Body length (including metastoma) approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.2-1:1.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. cavimanus in the Museum; today's figure originally marketed as Pandinus cavimanus, before the elevation of Pandinoides to the genus level (see below). Today's figure was the secret/chase figure in the Scorpions collection and is merely a repaint of the Pandinus imperator figure in the main set. Figures in the Scorpions collection come with a round amber base with the animal's Latin and Japanese names and degree of toxicity using a series of skulls-and-crossbones (see inset).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tanzania
Habitat: Arid Acacia-Commiphora savanna
Diet: Arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2015, the subgenera of Pandinus (including Pandinoides) were elevated to the genus level. In 2016, Pandinoides was narrowly defined to include three East Africa species characterized by a marked concave depression in the retrodorsal surface of the pedipalp chela manus of the adult male. As presently defined, P. cavimanus is endemic to central Tanzania.

Hi B., could I put the inset photo of this figure on Toy Animal Wiki with credit to you, so that the Takara Tomy scorpion set is completed?  I'm grateful to you for making me aware of this figure, I didn't know it existed prior to that.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pandinoides cavimanus (Pocock, 1888)
Common name(s): Tanzanian red-clawed scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Scorpions
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Body length (including metastoma) approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.2-1:1.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. cavimanus in the Museum; today's figure originally marketed as Pandinus cavimanus, before the elevation of Pandinoides to the genus level (see below). Today's figure was the secret/chase figure in the Scorpions collection and is merely a repaint of the Pandinus imperator figure in the main set. Figures in the Scorpions collection come with a round amber base with the animal's Latin and Japanese names and degree of toxicity using a series of skulls-and-crossbones (see inset).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tanzania
Habitat: Arid Acacia-Commiphora savanna
Diet: Arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2015, the subgenera of Pandinus (including Pandinoides) were elevated to the genus level. In 2016, Pandinoides was narrowly defined to include three East Africa species characterized by a marked concave depression in the retrodorsal surface of the pedipalp chela manus of the adult male. As presently defined, P. cavimanus is endemic to central Tanzania.

Hi B., could I put the inset photo of this figure on Toy Animal Wiki with credit to you, so that the Takara Tomy scorpion set is completed?  I'm grateful to you for making me aware of this figure, I didn't know it existed prior to that.

@Sim - sure, go ahead

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pachygrapsus crassipes Randall, 1840
Common name(s): striped shore crab; lined shore crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Habitat Earth - Crabs
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Carapace width approx. 1.3 cm for a scale of 1:3.1-1:3.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a sculpt, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: Several of Play Visions' crabs have been copied or used by other distributors, most notably PEC; I cannot remember whether or not this was one of them.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Pacific Coast of North America, from British Columbia to Baja California with a disjunct population in the Korean Peninsula and Japan
Habitat: Rocky shores, tide pools; usually in the high and mid-intertidal ranges
Diet: Green algae, brown seaweed, marine invertebrates, carrion; cannibalism not uncommon
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Pachygrapsus crassipes has an interesting distribution pattern. The main population occurs on rocky coasts of western North America, from Oregon to Baja California. The small population on Vancouver Island is believed to be disjunct, although it doesn't seem to be affected by founder effect (when a small group from a larger population establishes a new population and loses genetic diversity). The population on Vancouver Island also appears to be shrinking and it is unsure if it ever will become a permanent resident on the island. More interesting is the population around the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It was always assumed the population was introduced, presumably accidentally, from larval crabs hitching a ride on ships. However, genetic evidence suggests the migration to northeastern Asia occurred during the Late Pleistocene, long before humans had marine transport. One theory is that fluctuating sea levels during the Pleistocene, some of which may have been 120-140 meters lower than they are today, may have revealed terrains that would have allowed the crabs to easily disperse north and westward. Another theory is, of course, the use of natural rafts (e.g. tree branches) as vehicles for larval transport.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mecynorhina ugandensis Moser, 1907

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Stasto
Series: 3D File - Ladybugs & Cetoniines
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length (including cephalic horn) approx. 7.2 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Stasto 3D File figures have an ingenious design for distribution that minimizes packaging. There are eight figures in a collection. Two figures come connected to form their own gashapon capsule. The two figures are separated by gently twisting them. Once apart, the bottom of the figure extends, revealing the legs and antennae. The legs and antennae are extended and placed in the desired position and then the body is closed back up, revealing the final product. I reviewed one of their products on the Animal Toy Blog here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Africa (Uganda, DRC)
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood or compost; adults are attracted to sap and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Mecynorhina ugandensis is in the subgenus Mecynorrhinella along with M. oberthueri and M. torquata and is often considered a subspecies of the latter.





With today's post being the 1400th, 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 1300.

Arthropods: 727 (678)
Mammals: 196 (178)
Fish: 133 (123)
Birds: 112 (103)
Non-Arthropod Invertebrates: 67 (66)
Reptiles: 71 (66)
Dinosaurs: 43 (39)
Amphibians: 42 (38)
Protozoans/Plankton/Fungi: 9 (9)

*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 1300:

Insects: 508 (475)
Crustaceans: 103 (95)
Arachnids: 87 (81)
Misc. Arthropods: 29 (27)


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 1300th post:
Two figures: 116 (111)
Three figures: 10 (9)
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), Anax junius (2), Anomalocaris canadensis (3), Anoplophora chinensis (2), Apis mellifera (6), Armadillidium vulgare (3), Atrax robustus (3), Attacus atlas (2), Bathynomus doederleinii (2), Bathynomus giganteus (6), Beckius beccarii (2), Birgus latro (2), Bombyx mori (3), Bos taurus (6), Brachypelma smithi (6), Cambaroides japonicus (3), Canis lupus (2), Carabus auratus (2), Carabus blaptoides (2), Carcharhinus melanopterus (2), Chalcosoma atlas (3), Chalcosoma chiron (5), Chalcosoma moellenkampi (3), Cheirotonus jambar (3), Chiromantes haematocheir (3), Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (2), Coccinella septempunctata (5), Cybister chinensis (3), Cyclommatus elaphus (3), Cyclommatus metallifer (2),Danaus plexippus (11), Daphina pulex (2), Dorcus grandis (3), Dorcus hopei (9), Dorcus rectus (3), Dorcus titanus (3), Dynastes grantii (5), Dynastes hercules (12), Dynastes neptunus (6), Equus ferus (3), Equus quagga (2), Eupatorus birmanicus (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), Hexarthrius parryi (2), Homarus americanus (2), Homoderus mellyi (2), Hyalophora cecropia (2), Hymenopus coronatus (4), Idea leuconoe (4), Idolomantis diabolica (2), Kirkaldyia deyrollei (2), Lamprima adolphinae (2), Lamypris noctiluca (2), Latrodectus hasselti (2), Latrodectus mactans (6), Leiurus quinquestriatus (2), Locusta migratoria (5), 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 (7), Morpho menelaus (4), Morpho peleides (3), Noctiluca scintillans (2), Odontolabis burmeisteri (3), Ogyris genoveva (2); Onchorhynchus clarkii (2), Oncorhynchus mykiss (2), Oryctes gigas (2), Pagurus filholi (2), Pandinoides cavimanus (3), Pandinus imperator (4), Papilio glaucus (2), Papilio machaon (5), Papilio protenor (2), Papilio xuthus (5), Papilio zelicaon (2), Paralithodes camtschaticus (3), Parantica sita (2), Pediculus humanus (2), Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (2), Phalacrognathus muelleri (2), Phoebis philea (3), Pieris rapae (2), Poecilotheria regalis (2), Portunus pelagicus (3), Procambarus clarkii (3), Prosopocoilus dissimilis (3), Prosopocoilus hasterti (2), Prosopocoilus giraffa (5), Prosopocoilus inclinatus ( 8 ), Prosopocoilus zebra (2), Rhaetulus didieri (2), Rosalia batesi (2), Sasakia charonda (3), Scarabaeus typhon (2), Scylla serrata (2), Tachypleus tridentatus (3), Vanessa atalanta (2), Vespa ducalis (2), Vespa mandarinia (5).

Genera with more than one species:
Acanthophis (2), Acherontia (2), Actias (2), Aeshna (2), Aglais (2), Allomyrina (2), Ambystoma (2), Ameerega (2), Anas (2), Anax (2), Androctonus (2), Antohpleura (2), Aphonopelma (2), Argiope (2), Atergatis (2), Bathynomus (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), Chaetodon (3), 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 (5), Dyscophus (2), Erinaceus (2), Esox (2), Equus (5), 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), Mecynorhina (2), Megasoma (4), Mictyris (2), Morpho (5), Mustela (3), Myotis (2), Nyctereutes (2), Odontodactylus (2), Odocoileus (2), Odontolabis (4), Oncorhynchus (4), Oophaga (2), Ornithoptera (4), Oryctes (2), Oryx (3), Ostracion (2), Ovis (2), Oxyuranus (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), Strix (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  7
AAA  8
Access Toys/The Access  1
Adventure Planet  1
Agatsuma Entertainment  3
AMT/Ertl  1
AquaKitz  1
Aquameridian Ltd./For Corporation  2
Arboreum Artwork  3
Ayano Katyama  3
Bandai/Bandai Spirits  47
Banjihan ACE 1
Beam  2
Beauty of Beasts  1
Big Country Toys, LLC  1
Blip Toys  4
Break Co. Ltd.  3
Bullyland  30
Caboodle! Toys/Noah's Pals  2
Cadbury/Yowie Group  58
CBIOV  1
Chap Mei  1
Club Earth/Wing Mau  46
Coca Cola  3
CollectA  71
Colorata  48
DeAgostini  28
Discovery/Discovery Communications  3
Dreams Come True Ltd.  3
Easter Unlimited Ltd.  1
Eikoh  3
Eofauna  2
Epoch/Tarlin  24
FaunaFigures  1
Favorite Co. Ltd.  10
F-toys  17
Funrise Toys  4
GPI Anatomicals 1
Haolonggood  2
Hayakawa Toys  4
Heller  2
Ikimon/Kitan Club  54
Imperial Toys  2
Innovative Kids 2
Insect Lore 8
Jam  2
Jasman  1
K&M International  32
Kabaya  17
Kaiyodo/Furuta  214
Koro Koro  1
Land & Sea Collectibles  2
Maia & Borges  5
Maruka  1
Merial  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  39
Play Visions  55
PNSO  10
Qualia  2
Rainbow  1
Rainforest Café  1
Rebor  1
Re-Ment  4
Royal Ontario Museum  1
Running Press  1
Safari Ltd.  152
Sbabam  1
Schleich  23
Science and Nature  9
Sega  61
ShanTrip  3
Shikoku Aquarium  1
Shine-G  4
Signatustudio  2
Skillcraft  4
SO-TA/Toys Spirits  12
Southlands Replicas  7
Stasto  6
Stewart Sales & Services  2
Takara Tomy A.R.T.S./Subarudo  45
Tama-Kyu  1*
Tedco Toys  1
Toy Fish Factory/Replica Toy Fish  13
Toymany  1
Toy Major  13
Trendmasters  2
Trilobiti Design  1
US Toy  3
Vivid Toy Group  2
Wicked Cool Toys  3
Wolff Marketing Group  1
Yell  5
Yujin  62
unknown  18


Anyway, we'll look at stats again after post 1500!! Until then, enjoy the posts!

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Anomalocaris canadensis Whiteaves, 1892

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: The Great Old Sea
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:3.6-1:4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen A. canadensis in the Museum. Minimal assembly is required and the final product has some articulations. Interestingly, this is one of the most accurate representations of this species available! The Great Old Sea collection, or variations of it, are released almost annually and an Anomalocaris was also released in 2022 (and possibly again since then, I've lost track). I am not sure whether or not it is the same sculpt with a repaint, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early to mid-Cambrian of present-day Canada
Habitat: Marine, pelagic
Diet: Presumably soft-bodied marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Anomalocaris canadensis is believed to have been a pelagic predator. It moved through the water column by undulating the flexible flaps along the side of its body. With each flap slightly sloped below the next one posterior to it, it allowed the line of flaps to function as a single long lateral fin, maximizing efficiency. Model reconstructions show this mode of swimming to be intrinsically stable.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Lingwulong shenqi Xu et al., 2018

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: PNSO
Series: Prehistoric Animal Models
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Total figure length approx. 49.0 cm. Using front right tibia as a metric (n=3.0 cm) scale comes to approx. 1:37.5 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The scale above is calculated based on the front right tibia using the illustration in the original description. The species was described from individuals of different developmental stages so the scale above, assuming I did it right to begin with, should be taken with caution. It's probably fine for the advertised scale of 1:35.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early to Middle Jurassic (late Toarcian-Bajocian) of present-day East Asia
Habitat: Open coniferous and fern woodlands and adjacent riparian areas
Diet: Plants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Lingwulong shenqi is believed to be one of the oldest known diplocodoids. It is currently placed basal in the family Dicraeosauridae and split from a shared ancestor with Dicraeosaurus and Amargasaurus in the late Toarcian (Jurassic) roughly 174 MYA.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Conraua goliath (Boulenger, 1906)
Common name(s): goliath frog; goliath bullfrog; giant slippery frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Red Data Animals
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length (SVL) approx. 4.2 cm for a scale of 1:3.4-1:7.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The frog comes with a habitat-style base that it sits loosely on (see inset). The base didn't really work with the diorama I wanted to photograph the figure in, so I chose to do it as an inset.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Africa (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea)
Habitat: Lowland rainforest, usually associated with rivers and waterfalls with rich, clean, and slightly acidic water
Diet: Tadpoles are specialists on the aquatic plant Dicraea warmingii; adults feed on insects, crustaceans, mollusks, and other amphibians
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Conraua goliath is the largest extant frog in the world, with some individuals reaching weights of 3.3 kg and having an SVL of up to 32 cm.

[Isidro]

I put this figurine in the wanted list long ago, but I didn't imagined that the scale is so big, I tought it was closer to 1:12-1:15, so seeing the scale you put in the post I'm deleting the figurine from my wishlist.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Golofa porteri Hope, 1837

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - small series, DX
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. cephalic horn) approx. 3.4 cm. Front femur approx. 0.7 cm for a scale of 1:3.4 (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 G. porteri in the Museum. I had difficulty researching information on the metrics of this species. One website indicates the length is 5-10 cm, but I do not know if that includes the cephalic horn or not. A published study describing an example of teratology in G. porteri indicates the length of a normal front femur is 2.4 cm.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central America and northern South America, from Guatemala to Venezuela
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical rainforest
Diet: Larvae develop in rotting wood; adults have been documented feeding on Chusquea (South American bamboo)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on this species. In Colombia, adults have been observed feeding and mating on Chusquea. Males use their elongated pronotal and cephalic horns in combat to secure feeding sites and mates.

[bmathison1972]

I put this figurine in the wanted list long ago, but I didn't imagined that the scale is so big, I tought it was closer to 1:12-1:15, so seeing the scale you put in the post I'm deleting the figurine from my wishlist.

When brontodocus did his walkaround, he came up with a scale of 1:4-1:9 and Kikimalou has it on his 1:8 scale shelf. I've never seen anyone calculated it smaller than 1:10.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Eurasian eagle-owl; Uhu

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wings of the World
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Scale extremely difficult to measure due to the posture, but the body length (including tail feathers as presented here) comes to approx. 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:5.6-1:7.5. Other potential metrics (total bill length, tarsus) are not fully exposed to use reliably.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Probably considered one of the best examples of this species outside of Japan, it may get some competition when Papo releases one later this year.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia
Habitat: Highly variable, including coniferous and mixed forests, mountain ranges, riverbeds, deserts, grasslands, farmland; often around rocky landscapes, especially when breeding
Diet: Primarily small mammals, but also birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and large insects and other invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Bubo bubo essentially fills the same ecological role as the great horned owl (B. virginianus) in the New World. The great horned owl and the snowy owl (B. scandiacus) are probably sister taxa and split from a common ancestor a little more than 4 MYA. The great horned and snowy owls split from the B. bubo complex in the Old World after colonizing the Americas and becoming isolated during the Pleistocene glacial cycles.

[stargatedalek]

Poor thing looks concussed. Great sculpt but, oof the QC on that paintjob...

[EpicRaptorMan]

The sculpt is good but the feet look a little goofy. Obviously started to slack there.
I'm not sure if I even have this owl in my collection anymore or not

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allotopus moellenkampi (Fruhstorfer, 1894)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Subarudo
Series: Forest Insects EX
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. mandibles) approx. 10.7 cm for a scale of 1.5:1 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required and the final product is articulated. It was one of four 'standard' figures in the set, each of which came with a piece of the 'chase' figure, a large Dynastes hercules. One must collect all four to assemble the D. hercules. Allotopus moellenkampi is not nearly as commonly made is the related A. rosenbergi.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia (Myanmar, peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra)
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae breed in decaying wood; adults presumably feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: As with A. rosenbergi, I had trouble researching information on this species. Allotopus moellenkampi is also popular with collectors but not as common in terraria with breeders as larvae require wood infected with particular fungi.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Sphaenognathus feisthamelii (Guérin-Méneville, 1838)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - small series, standard
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. mandibles) approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.6 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing 65-75 species of Lucanidae and dynastine Scarabaeidae. The dates of release are currently unknown to me (c. 2008). The figures were produced in conjunction with Bandai and came with Pokemon-style playing cards. At the time of this writing, I think I have all but two of the species. For a review of the sets, please see the overview by forum member Beetle guy here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern Andes (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela)
Habitat: Montane tropical grasslands, agricultural fields
Diet: Larvae live in soil and feed on detritus and small plant roots; adult diet unknown (may not feed)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Sphaenognathus feisthamelii has an unusual morphologic feature, not entirely rare with some groups of scarabaeoid beetles. A canthus completely divides each eye to the degree that the beetle essentially has four eyes, two dorsal and two ventral. I am not sure what role that plays since the adults since most of the time in soil, only emerging for mating and a brief dispersal.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dynastes hercules (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Hercules beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Beetles of the World
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (including pronotal horn) approx. 8.5 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:2.2 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our thirteenth time seeing D. hercules in the Museum. These two figures have the same sculpt and only differ in color; according to the accompanying paperwork, they both represent the nominate subspecies. Some assembly is required.

About the Organism:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, Caribbean
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood; adults are attracted to fresh and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other large, horned dynastine scarabs, male D. hercules use their pronotal and cephalic horns for battling rival males for mating rights to females and securing feeding and breeding sites.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Shringasaurus indicus Sengupta et al., 2017

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 17.5 cm for a scale of 1:17-1:23. Using femur as a metric (n=1.2 cm), scale comes to approx. 1:22.5.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second commercially-available figure of this species; the first was actually by forum member Jetoar for his Paleo-Creatures line. It has since been made, at least twice I believe, by Mattel for the Jurassic World line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Triassic (Anisian) of present-day India
Habitat: Semi-arid anabranching fluvial floodplains and adjacent open woodlands
Diet: Browser of vegetation, probably with a focus on leaves rather than stems or shoots
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Shringasaurus indicus is believed to have lived in large, multigenerational groups consisting of both sexes. The reptile is thought to have been sexually dimorphic and the supraorbital horns are believed to have belonged to only to one sex, presumably the male but we really don't know.