Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Shijimia moorei (Leech, 1889)
Common name(s): Moore's cupid; bicolor cupid

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure height approx. 4.2 cm. If spread like a mounted specimen, wingspan would come to approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 2:1-1.5:1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as Everes moorei. I cannot remember if assembly was required or not..

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, from northeastern India (Assam) to Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, southern China, and Japan
Habitat: Forests, often in open areas and along paths and roads
Diet: Larvae feed on plants including Salvia japonica (East Asian sage) and Lysionotus pauciflorus (fewflower); full host range probably not known. Adults take nectar from flowers and nutrients derived from wet soil (mud-puddling).
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Not much has been reported on S. moorei. It has a very localized, patchy distribution, favoring virgin forests. It appears to be particularly susceptible to habitat destruction, and its population is declining in areas of deforestation. While it hasn't been evaluated by the IUCN, conservation efforts are underway and it is a protected species in India and Japan. Many lycaenid butterflies have a relationship with ants, but I couldn't find any information on whether or not this species does.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Xenacanthus sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Dinotales Series 4
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.5-1:12.5 depending on the species.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Dinotales figures, some assembly is required. Safari Ltd. also made this species for their Prehistoric Sharks TOOB in 2010 but that figure is sculpted with an extra pair of anal fins. With at least 21 described species of Xenacanthus, determining a species identification here would be near impossible.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Carboniferous to Permian; nearly worldwide in appropriate habitats
Habitat: Freshwater lakes, rivers, swamps
Diet: Presumably predator of small fish and freshwater invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Like related sharks, Xenacanthus had a peculiar spine jetting from the back of its head. The function of the spine is unknown but it has been speculated that it is defensive, in preventing larger predators from grabbing the shark by the back of its head. It has been suggested that it may have been poisonous, analogous to the barb of a stingray.

[Sim]

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

Thanks, I've just added this figure to Toy Animal Wiki!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Protobothrops flavoviridis (Hallowell, 1861)
Common name(s): habu; Okinawa habu; Kume Shima habu

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Yanbaru Creatures
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Base 5.0 cm across its widest points. Body length approx. 26.5 cm for a scale of 1:4.5-1:9.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The snake sits loosely on its base. This figure was kindly gifted to me by forum member Kikmalou!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Okinawa and Amami Islands)
Habitat: Montane forest, coastal palm forest, agricultural fields, parks, residential areas
Diet: Small vertebrates, including small mammals, small birds, lizards, frogs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The venom of P. flavoviridis contains cytotoxic and hemorrhagic components. A bite can cause headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, hypotension, dizziness, collapse, and possibly death, although the fatality rate is less than 1% in treated patients (untreated, it may rise to 10-20% however, especially in patients with pre-existing conditions). In suburban areas, snakes will enter houses in search of prey and on the Amami Islands, the incidence of bites is about 2 per 1,000 people, which is considered rather high. Antivenom is available in Japan.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Haliaeetus pelagicus (Pallas, 1811)
Common name(s): Steller's sea eagle; Pacific sea eagle; white-shouldered eagle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Total figure height approx. 6.0 cm. Body length difficult to measure based on posture but using culmen as a metric (n=0.7 cm) scale comes to 1:8.9-1:10.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Minimal assembly is required but the bird is not removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific, from Russia to the Korean Peninsula; vagrancy occurring south to Taiwan and rarely east into North America (see below)
Habitat: Sea coasts, estuaries, mouths of large rivers; nesting occurs on large rocky outcroppings or the tops of large trees
Diet: Fish, primarily salmon and trout; also crustaceans, mollusks, sea birds, small mammals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: While normally restricted to the Northwest Pacific, at least one vagrant bird has been moving around North America since around 2020. It was first seen near Denali National Park in Alaska in August, 2020. In 2021 the same bird (presumably) was seen in Victoria, TX after a winter storm pushed it south and east. By November of that year it had been seen in several locations in eastern Canada, including New Brunswick, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. In December of 2021, it was seen on the Taunton River in Massachusetts and later along the Maine Coast. In April, 2022 it was seen on the east side of Newfoundland and in early 2023 along the shores of Georgetown, Maine. In spring of 2024, a sea eagle was observed constructing a nest in Newfoundland, but it is unsure if it is the same individual.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hippocampus kelloggi Jordan & Snyder, 1901
Common name(s): great seahorse; Kellogg's seahorse

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Seaside Creatures Vol. 2
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Height approx. 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.9-1:3.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Ikimon produced this figure at least twice; a more orange-colored version was part of the first volume of Seaside Creatures in 2017. Another sculpt was used for two other collections in the Nature Techni Colour line. One set included two leafy seadragons and ten different colors of the great seahorse. The other set consisted of only the great seahorse, with nine different colors of the same sculpt (I didn't check each individually, but they were certainly nine of the colors used in the set with the leafy seadragons).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs; at depths of 1-150 meters
Diet: Small marine crustaceans, fish larvae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Hippocampus kelloggi is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Consumption of seahorses is believed to help primarily with impotence, but also wheezing, nocturnal enuresis, pain relief, and labor induction. Overfishing for medicinal purposes is one of the reason's for the species' decline. Importation and exportation of seahorses has been controlled under CITES since 2004, but not all countries adhere to their rules.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gymnothorax javanicus (Bleeker, 1859)
Common name(s): giant moray

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 1
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate based on the 'hunched' posture near the head, but body length approx. 15.5 cm for a scale of 1:19.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required. The moray comes with a bonus; attached to the mouth is a bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus), a species itself that has only one other representative as a toy or figure, and that's one of the original Australian Yowies. The wrasse is not removable from the eel.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 0-50 meters
Diet: Fish, crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Gymnothorax javanicus engages in cooperative hunting with the roving coral grouper, Plectropomus pessuliferus. The eel hunts in the reef, and fish scared up into the water column are eaten by the grouper, while the grouper may scare fish down into the coral to hide where they are eaten by the moray.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Desmodus rotundus (Geoffroy, 1810)
Common name(s): common vampire bat

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Bats
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan approx. 7.7 cm. Body length approx. 3.7 for a scale of 1:2.4.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Vampire bats as a whole are surprisingly rare in toy/figure form, having also been made by at least Action Products, Bullyland, and AAA. I always favored the Action Products figure but it's hard to come by!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, from Mexico to Uruguay, northern Argentina, and central Chile; also Caribbean Islands Margarita and Trinidad
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical woodlands, grassland, savanna
Diet: Mammalian blood
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Vampire bats have both anesthetic and anticoagulant compounds in their saliva, allowing them to feed virtually unnoticed by their prey at night.



P.S...yes, it's a total coincidence I just reviewed this on the Blog! At least, most of the research into the animal and figure and the photography was already done for me! LOL.

[EpicRaptorMan]

We really need some better representations of this species in toy form.

[bmathison1972]

We really need some better representations of this species in toy form.

I agree; it's surprising it's not more common, given the animals reputation and links to vampire folklore.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pandinus imperator (Koch, 1841)
Common name(s): emperor scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Scorpions
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:2 for a very large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifth time we've seen P. imperator in the Museum. The figure has multiple articulations. I do not know if assembly is typically required (mine came assembled), but it's possible it might depending on the packaging. This same sculpt was also used in the set for the Tanzanian red-clawed scorpion (Pandinoides cavimanus) and large-clawed scorpion (Scorpio maurus). The set also came with larger (18.0 cm) versions of P. imperator and P. cavimanus, but I only purchased the three smaller figures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Africa
Habitat: Rainforest, tropical savanna
Diet: Insects and other arthropods; occasionally small vertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: With a maximum length of around 20 cm, P. imperator is one of the largest scorpions in the world, second only to the giant forest scorpion (Gigantometrus swammerdami) which tops out at about 23 cm.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Hallucigenia sparsa (Walcott, 1911)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Favorite Co.
Series: Cambrian Creatures Mini Model - Burgess Shale Series
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 7.5 cm for a scale of 7.5:1-1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen H. sparsa in the Museum. This is probably the first figure to display the current concept of what H. sparsa may have looked like.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Cambrian of present-day Canada
Habitat: Marine, epibenthic
Diet: Presumed filter feeder of detritus, or predator on sponges or other soft-bodied animals, or carrion (see below)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Hallucigenia sparsa appears to have had a simple mouth with radial teeth and pharyngeal teeth in front of its gut. While long thought to be a filter feeder of detritus, it may have used its radial teeth to feed on living, or dead, animal prey. Hallucigenia is often found in conjunction with the sponge Vauxia and it may have used its teeth in a rasping method to feed on this and other sponges. It may have also used the same method to feed on carrion on the sea floor.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tapirus indicus Desmarest, 1819
Common name(s): Malayan tapir; Asian tapir; piebald tapir; black-and-white tapir

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approx. 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:16.4-1:20
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: While not commonly made, several of the well-known Western companies have produced a Malayan tapir, including also Safari Ltd., CollectA, and Schleich. It was also popular with now-vintage companies and several miniatures have been made by Japanese companies. When I went to purchase a Malayan tapir in 2018 or 2019, all available at the time were retired; this figure was kindly gifted to me by forum member Roger who found one in a local shop in Spain! CollectA has since released theirs in 2020, but to the disappointment of many collectors, it was merely a repaint of their 2013 Baird's tapir. Papo reissued this model in 2023.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, from the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra
Habitat: Primary and secondary rainforest, marshes, rubber plantations, agricultural fields
Diet: Non-discriminant herbivore, favoring young shoots, leaves, buds, herbs, and fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Tapirus indicus is the only extant tapir that occurs outside of the Americas. It was first described in the genus Tapirus, but was moved to the genus Acrocodia in 1913. However, molecular analysis in 2011 showed it forms a sister group with extant Tapirus species from the Americans and that it diverged from that group about 25 million years ago during the Late Oligocene. The subspecies T. i. brevetianus was described based on a melanistic individual from Sumatra, but the validity of the taxon is in question.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Anthaxia nitidula (Linnaeus, 1758)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series: Insects
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excl.) appendages approx. 5.5 cm for a scale of 11:1-7.9:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Wing Mau Insects collection consists of 24 figures representing 23 species of beetles (there are two color variants of Adalia bipunctata). The figures have the Latin name printed on the underside. The figures seem to have been influenced by an Italian poster, Beetles, from 1992, as all the species are represented in that poster (including both variants of Adalia bipunctata) and have the same Latin names assigned to them (this poster hangs in my home office; I've had it since 1995). Some figures in this set were also produced for Play Visions for their Habitat Earth line. Most of the species in this Wing Mau collection are unique, at least as sculpts, but they are commonly bootlegged and often repainted in unrealistic colors. Anthaxia nitidula is sexually dimorphic in relation to color, and today's figure is painted after a female. I would have liked to photograph this figure outside, but alas we got our first snow yesterday (a light snow, but enough that it wouldn't have fit with this species' flight period lol).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western Palearctic (Europe, North Africa, Near East)
Habitat: Forests, fruit orchards, parks, gardens
Diet: Larvae bore into leaving trees; common host plants include Prunus (almond, plum, peach), Crataegus (hawthorn), Pyrus (pear), Mespilus (medlar), and Sorbus (mountain ash). Adults eat pollen from flowers.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite that its larvae bore into important crop trees, such as almond, pear, peach, and plum, A. nitidula is not considered a serious crop pest, and is actually considered a beneficial insect as a pollinator.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Anotogaster sieboldii Sélys, 1854
Common name(s): golden-ringed dragonfly; jumbo dragonfly; Siebold's dragonfly; oniyanma

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: B.I.G. Insects
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length of nymph approx. 6.0 cm for a scale of 1.2:1. Body length of adult approx. 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: While no dragonfly species are commonly made as toys or models, this is probably the most commonly made species, due to its popularity and familiarity in Japan (and somewhat surprised it took this long to come up for this thread, but that's the nature of random selection). The nymph and adult shown in this image are variations of the same figure! It is an ingenious design whereby components of the adult (minus the wings) are contained within the nymph. So, if one wanted to display both an adult and nymph as I did here, one would need to purchase two figures! I did a step-by-step of the reveal when I reviewed the figure on the Animal Toy Blog. With the final products, the nymph comes out to slightly larger than 1:1 while the adult comes to slightly under 1:1.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia, Japan
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, canals, ditches, riverbanks
Diet: Nymphs feed on aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, small fish; adults feed on flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Female A. sieboldii lay eggs in mud or sand in freshwater. Eggs hatch about a month after being laid. The dragonfly can spend upwards of 3-5 years as an aquatic nymph (naiad) before becoming and adult, molting up to ten times during the process. The nymphs are voracious predators of any aquatic animal small enough for them to attack, including aquatic insects, freshwater crustaceans, tadpoles, and small fish. After molting to adult, the adult dragonflies mate and lay eggs after about two months.



Just a head's up, there will not be a Museum post tomorrow (11/8 ) and Saturday's may post a little bit later in the day than usual.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Madrasostes kazumai hisamatsui Ochi, 1990

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Dango Mushi 04
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Body length (as presented here) approx. 8.5 cm. Head width approx. 3.5 cm for a scale of 24.3:1-17.5:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is articulated and can roll into a ball (Bandai produced a second species of Magrasostes in 2020 and I display that one rolled up). Forum member Beetleguy showed the 'unrolling' when he reviewed this figure on the Animal Toy Blog. I couldn't find any metrics for this species to calculate scale and the original description of the species isn't available online. The scale above is calculated based on other East Asian species of Madrasostes.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Tokara Islands)
Habitat: Subtropical hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on rotten tree wood; the beetle's association with termites (below) might indicate the beetles specialize on byproducts of the termites. Adult diet unknown, but possibly the same substrate as the larva or they may not feed.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: A had difficulty finding open access information on the biology of the species. However, several papers indicate the beetles are associated with the termites Coptotermes formosanus and Hodotermes sjoestedti in the dead wood of trees such as Machilus thunbergii (Japanese bay tree) and Quercus (oak). The beetle larvae were found in inner rot which was described as 'reddish-brown clay-like rotten wood substances'. It is unknown if these substances are the biproducts of a brown-rot fungus or the termites, since areas of this stage of decay have often been adandoned by the termites.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Petrogale xanthopus Gray, 1855
Common name(s): yellow-footed rock-wallaby; ring-tailed rock-wallaby

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Science and Nature
Series: Animals of Australia - Small
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Total figure height and width both approx. 5.0 cm. Posture makes calculating a scale challenging, but using hind foot as a metric (n=2.1 cm) scale comes to 1:5.7-1:8.1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Science and Nature had previously made a larger version of this species in 2010 (I think).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia (fragmented regions of New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland)
Habitat: Rocky outcrops, cliffs, and ridges in semi-arid habitats such as mulga scrub
Diet: Primarily grasses in the wet season, switching over to fallen leaves during times of drought
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of P. xanthopus dropped drastically from the 1880s to the 1920s due to hunting for its pelt. Since 1968, multiple national parks have been established to protect the yellow-footed rock wallaby.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Evenus coronata (Hewitson, 1865)
Common name(s): crowned hairstreak; Hewitson's blue hairstreak

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Major
Series: Butterflies
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan approx. 6.5 cm for a scale of 1.4:1-1.1:1 (slightly larger than 1:1 for a very large specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen E. coronata 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. My identification here today is based on the similarities to the Club Earth figure which was specifically marketed as E. coronata. Several species produced by Toy Major have been produced by other companies of the same era (Club Earth, early Safari Ltd., etc.), as these companies tend to influence one another, and it is sometimes difficult to determine who came first.


About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Coastal Central and South America, from southern Mexico to Ecuador
Habitat: Montane cloud forests
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Sapotaceae; adults feed on nectar
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: While the dorsal surface of the wings of E. coronata are a brilliant, metallic blue, the undersides are predominately olive-green. This allows the butterfly camouflage when it sits at rest with its wings folded over its body, blending in with the leaves of its rainforest home.

[bmathison1972]

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Incredible Creatures
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 11.0 cm for a scale of 9.2:1-7.3:1 for a worker bee
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the seventh time we've seen A. mellifera in the Museum. With nearly 1 million described species of insects, it's hard to believe this is the only insect ever made originally for the Incredible Creatures line (not including the last remaining Hidden Kingdom figures that were integrated into the IC line in 2018 or adult insects from some of the life cycle sets that were briefly sold in the IC line).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide. Believed to be native to Africa and/or Central Asia, with natural spread throughout Africa and Europe; introduced to the Western Hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asia for honey production.
Habitat: Highly varied; anywhere with suitable hive-building sites and flowers for food source.
Diet: Larvae are fed pollen by the adults; adults eat nectar and pollen
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: Apis mellifera ranks as the single most important insect of pollinator for crops globally, and is the most effective crop visitor worldwide, contributing approximately 13% of floral visits to 5% of plant species across all plant networks. In the USA alone, it was estimated that honey bees contribute $11-$18 billion USD annually to agriculture via pollination.