Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

I have to say, there's always something 'off' about racoon figures. Like they're made just a little too cute or cartoonish or something.
 
I still think the best one is the Safari NAW one, although it's quite large so doesn't scale with anything.

Yeah, the Safari NAW is probably my favorite too, but as you said it's a tad big.

I like that this Papo raccoon is kinda cute, but then again I find raccoons cute 

[Gwangi]

I don't have a raccoon in my collection yet because I can't find one that I like very much. In the case of Papo's, it's the arms sticking out in front of it as though it's doing a Frankenstein walk that kinda ruined it for me.

[sbell]

I don't have a raccoon in my collection yet because I can't find one that I like very much. In the case of Papo's, it's the arms sticking out in front of it as though it's doing a Frankenstein walk that kinda ruined it for me.

I find most European companies make their raccoons too whimsical.

There's been some Japanese trash pandas, they could have potential for you. Like this older Animaltales one:



Back in the day K&M Republic had a nice one in their North America toob (not the current one). Smaller models, theoretically scale better with other figures if that matters

[Saarlooswolfhound]

Honestly, the Toymany is the most accurate of the raccoons I have seen in real life (knew a guy who lived near campus when I was in college who had one just like the Toymany figure as a pet- he let it balance on his shoulders while he rode his bicycle. Very illegal but also quite impressive as the thing was HUGE).

But I do agree, this is an animal that most european countries haven't mastered yet. They are arguably a pretty odd mammal. The Safari has the best proportions and physical features of them though, but that would expected for a US company. A new one is in order though!

[bmathison1972]

I originally had a Kaiyodo Capsule Q raccoon which was 'better' but wanted something solid-piece and a little bigger.

Next up:


Species: Prosopocoilus giraffa (Olivier, 1789)
Common name(s): giraffe stag beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Book
Years of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approx. 10.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for a major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the sixth time we've seen P. giraffa in the Museum. The DeAgostini insects are believed to have been 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: Southeast Asia, from southern India to Indonesia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting hardwoods; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are currently nine subspecies of P. giraffa, many of which live on one or more islands in Southeast Asia or the South Pacific: P. g. giraffa (India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Bhutan, Cambodia), P. g. borobudur (Sumatra, Java, Bali), P. g. daisukei (Negros, Sibuyan), P. g. keisukei (Flores, Lombok), P. g. makatai (Mindoro, Luzon), P. g. nilgiriensis (southern India), P. g. nishikawai (Sangir), P. g. nishiyami (Sulawesi), P. g. timorensis (Timor).

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Charniodiscus concentricus Ford, 1958

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series/Collection: NHK Miracle Planet
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Height (excl. base) approx. 3.7 cm for a scale of 1:6 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare to unique (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: I place the Safari Ltd. Charniodiscus in the genus Arborea due to it lacking a fractal branching pattern. I am not sure if Charniodiscus has been made by other companies (e.g. Paleozoo). I had difficulty finding metrics to calculate scale. The scale above is calculated based on a height of 22 cm and it probably falls within a broader range.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Ediacaran; probably present in most seas and oceans at the time
Habitat: Marine, benthic
Diet: Presumably filter feeder of planktonic organisms in the water column
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: It has been hypothesized that Charniodiscus concentricus could have functioned biomechanically either erect in the water column like a frond on a stick (as usually depicted), or held in a recumbent position parallel to the seafloor, with its frond functioning to funnel water over and possibly between its branches.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Baptozius vinosus (Milne Edwards, 1834)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series/Collection: Diversity of Life on Earth - Advanced Crab
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Carapace width approx. 5.5 cm, within scale 1:1 or up to 1:1.3 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly may or may not be required (mine came assembled) but the model is heavily articulated.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Mangrove swamps and adjacent mud flats
Diet: Presumably a scavenger on organic material and/or predator on marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had a difficult time finding any information on the biology of this species. Apparently it is eaten in the Philippines.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cypraea tigris Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): tiger cowrie

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: Coral Reef TOOB
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Shell length approx. 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.5-1:4.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique to very rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: Safari Ltd. did not market this figure at the species level. I forget who first proposed and ID of C. tigris, but it works for the time being. There are actually more spots on the opposite side, but this side shows some of the fleshy parts better .

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Marine, benthic; usually among coral reefs or on sandy substrates at depths of 10-40 meters
Diet: Juveniles feed on algae; adults feed on sponges, corals, and other invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: While the shells of adult C. tigris have spots on their shells, subadult shells have stripes, leading to the epithet tigris and the common name 'tiger cowrie'.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gymnothorax favagineus Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801
Common name(s): laced moray; leopard moray; tessellate moray; honeycomb moray

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series/Collection: Moray Eel Den
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 9.7 cm for a maximum scale of 30.9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Schleich specifically marketed this eel as a laced moray. To the best of my knowledge, it was only available as part of the Moral Eel Den set, which consisted of a base with two red fan coral. I retained the coral and will show those at a later time. Other examples of this species were made by Play Visions (1996) and Toys Spirits (2020).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, esp. reef flats and outer slopes of continental reefs; at depths of 1-50 meters
Diet: Cephalopods, small fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Gymnothorax favagineus lives in a symbiotic relationship with cleaner shrimp and cleaner wrasses. The shrimp and wrasses help clean the eel's teeth and skin while the moray provides them with a safe habitat and food leftovers.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771)
Common name(s): Japanese rhinoceros beetle; kabutomushi

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series/Collection: Insects of Japan Series 1
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. horn) approx. 6.5 cm, within scale 1:1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the seventeenth time we have seen A. dichotoma in the Museum. Assembly was required. The figures in the Insects of Japan series are believed to have been cast from actual specimens and should all be within scale 1:1.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia (China, Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan)
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on organic detritus in soil; adults are attracted to tree sap and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Allomyrina dichotoma is popular as a pet in Japan. Historically, beetles would have been wild caught, and they still probably are locally, but in recent years beetles have been made available through captive breeding programs.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773)
Common name(s): Asian lady beetle; multicolored Asian lady beetle (MALB)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series/Collection: Diversity of Life on Earth - Advanced Ladybugs
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 5.7 cm for a scale of 11.4:1-7.1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen H. axyridis in the Museum. Assembly may be required (mine came assembled) and the final product is articulated. The ladybugs in this collection also came with wings and a base and could be displayed as if in flight.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native to East Asia and Japan; naturalized throughout much of North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Israel, and South Africa
Habitat: Open fields, meadows, agricultural fields, greenhouses, gardens; in introduced areas it is often found in urban and suburban areas around human habitations.
Diet: Soft-bodied insects, primarily aphids and scale insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The MALB was originally introduced to Europe and North America intentionally as a biological control agent of aphids. Being a highly adaptable species, it spread fast, and is now considered one of the world's most invasive insects. In many areas, it is out-competing native coccinellids. In North America, it appears to have adverse affects on Brachiacantha ursina, Cycloneda mundi, and Chilocoris stigma. Interestingly, in North America, it is also having an adverse affect on another introduced coccinellid, Coccinella septempunctata, which itself has adversely affected native species such as C. novemnotata, C. transversoguttata, and Adalia bipunctata.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Crotalus molossus Baird & Girard, 1853
Common name(s): black-tailed rattlesnake

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series/Collection: Snakes
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Measured along midline body length approx. 23.0 cm for an average scale of 1:3.3-1:4.7 or up to 1:5.6 for a maximum-sized individual
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (possibly unique as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite being specifically marketed as C. molossus (Wing Mau snakes have the common name printed on the underside), it lacked the characteristic black coloration at the end of the tail just before the rattle. I remedied that with a Sharpie. I normally don't like to alter figures, but this was a simple fix for a very important diagnostic feature! The sculpt was also used by Club Earth for their Snakes to Go collection and that figure had the rattle painted black which also technically is not correct.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southwestern United States to southern Mexico
Habitat: Boreal mixed woodlands and forests, rocky outcroppings, deserts, grasslands
Diet: Rodents and other small mammals, small birds, lizards
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other rattlesnakes, C. molossus is known for the 'rattle' at the end of its tail used for warning would-be predators it is venomous. The rattle is made of keratin and each time the snake sheds, a new segment is added. There is a common misconception that each segment represents one year, but rattlesnakes, especially juveniles, can molt multiple times a year. The rattle can become fragile, and as the rattle gets longer in the wild, terminal segments may break off. However, at least one captive rattlesnake (species unknown) had 29 segments!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Blaptica dubia (Audinet-Serville, 1838)
Common name(s): dubia roach; orange-spotted roach; Guyana spotted roach; Argentinian wood roach

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Egmont Ehapa Publishing Co.
Series/Collection: Micky Maus
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 10.0 cm for a scale of 2:1-3:1 for an adult female.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was sold as a publishing premium for the biweekly comic book Micky Maus out of Germany. Forum member widukind was kind enough to secure one for me :-).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern South America (s. Brazil, n. Argentina, Uruguay)
Habitat: Tropical rainforest; usually on the ground in leaf litter and rotting logs
Diet: Overripe fallen fruit, decaying plant material; occasionally dung or carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Blaptica dubia is sexually dimorphic. Males have fully functional wings and are capable of flight, while females have greatly reduced wings and resemble larger versions of nymphs. The dubia roach is popular as a 'feeder' insect in the pet trade, but is banned in Canada and some U.S. states due to the animal's risk of becoming invasive.

[Gwangi]

I have a 10 year old colony of dubia that I raise for my reptiles. I can understand them being banned in Hawaii or Florida but in Canada? That's absurd.

[stargatedalek]

I have a 10 year old colony of dubia that I raise for my reptiles. I can understand them being banned in Hawaii or Florida but in Canada? That's absurd.

Patently so. Canada has an unfortunate habit of jumping on bandwagons of banning "invasive species risks" that don't make any sense. Cane toads are banned here too despite them not realistically being able to survive over winter, let alone become well enough established to be invasive.

[Gwangi]

I have a 10 year old colony of dubia that I raise for my reptiles. I can understand them being banned in Hawaii or Florida but in Canada? That's absurd.

Patently so. Canada has an unfortunate habit of jumping on bandwagons of banning "invasive species risks" that don't make any sense. Cane toads are banned here too despite them not realistically being able to survive over winter, let alone become well enough established to be invasive.

The U.S. is like that too, depending on the state. For example, Jack Dempsey cichlids are illegal in Maine for fear of becoming an invasive. Even though they come from Central America and absolutely could not survive a Maine winter. That was once the case at least, the law may have changed. Meanwhile, you can keep crocodilians in Pennsylvania.

[sbell]

I have a 10 year old colony of dubia that I raise for my reptiles. I can understand them being banned in Hawaii or Florida but in Canada? That's absurd.

Patently so. Canada has an unfortunate habit of jumping on bandwagons of banning "invasive species risks" that don't make any sense. Cane toads are banned here too despite them not realistically being able to survive over winter, let alone become well enough established to be invasive.

The U.S. is like that too, depending on the state. For example, Jack Dempsey cichlids are illegal in Maine for fear of becoming an invasive. Even though they come from Central America and absolutely could not survive a Maine winter. That was once the case at least, the law may have changed. Meanwhile, you can keep crocodilians in Pennsylvania.

We can't even keep hognose snakes where I am -- just because there's a species here. Even though most captive ones are eastern hognose snakes

[Gwangi]

I have a 10 year old colony of dubia that I raise for my reptiles. I can understand them being banned in Hawaii or Florida but in Canada? That's absurd.

Patently so. Canada has an unfortunate habit of jumping on bandwagons of banning "invasive species risks" that don't make any sense. Cane toads are banned here too despite them not realistically being able to survive over winter, let alone become well enough established to be invasive.

The U.S. is like that too, depending on the state. For example, Jack Dempsey cichlids are illegal in Maine for fear of becoming an invasive. Even though they come from Central America and absolutely could not survive a Maine winter. That was once the case at least, the law may have changed. Meanwhile, you can keep crocodilians in Pennsylvania.

We can't even keep hognose snakes where I am -- just because there's a species here. Even though most captive ones are eastern hognose snakes

Wow...that's depressing. Hognose snakes are great! But captive hognose snakes are mostly western hognoses (Heterodon nasicus), not the eastern hognose which are harder to keep due to their preference for amphibians. Western hognoses are easier to convert to rodent prey.

There are some states where it is illegal to keep corn snakes because they're native to the state, even if the corn snake is a captive bred color morph.

[sbell]

I have a 10 year old colony of dubia that I raise for my reptiles. I can understand them being banned in Hawaii or Florida but in Canada? That's absurd.

Patently so. Canada has an unfortunate habit of jumping on bandwagons of banning "invasive species risks" that don't make any sense. Cane toads are banned here too despite them not realistically being able to survive over winter, let alone become well enough established to be invasive.

The U.S. is like that too, depending on the state. For example, Jack Dempsey cichlids are illegal in Maine for fear of becoming an invasive. Even though they come from Central America and absolutely could not survive a Maine winter. That was once the case at least, the law may have changed. Meanwhile, you can keep crocodilians in Pennsylvania.

We can't even keep hognose snakes where I am -- just because there's a species here. Even though most captive ones are eastern hognose snakes

Wow...that's depressing. Hognose snakes are great! But captive hognose snakes are mostly western hognoses (Heterodon nasicus), not the eastern hognose which are harder to keep due to their preference for amphibians. Western hognoses are easier to convert to rodent prey.

There are some states where it is illegal to keep corn snakes because they're native to the state, even if the corn snake is a captive bred color morph.

Then that's definitely why. No native species. Or ones that could possibly be.

They banned bowfin recently, I think for fear of introducing them. I say they should ket it happen. They were here 60mya, so technically they belong

[Gwangi]

I have a 10 year old colony of dubia that I raise for my reptiles. I can understand them being banned in Hawaii or Florida but in Canada? That's absurd.

Patently so. Canada has an unfortunate habit of jumping on bandwagons of banning "invasive species risks" that don't make any sense. Cane toads are banned here too despite them not realistically being able to survive over winter, let alone become well enough established to be invasive.

The U.S. is like that too, depending on the state. For example, Jack Dempsey cichlids are illegal in Maine for fear of becoming an invasive. Even though they come from Central America and absolutely could not survive a Maine winter. That was once the case at least, the law may have changed. Meanwhile, you can keep crocodilians in Pennsylvania.

We can't even keep hognose snakes where I am -- just because there's a species here. Even though most captive ones are eastern hognose snakes

Wow...that's depressing. Hognose snakes are great! But captive hognose snakes are mostly western hognoses (Heterodon nasicus), not the eastern hognose which are harder to keep due to their preference for amphibians. Western hognoses are easier to convert to rodent prey.

There are some states where it is illegal to keep corn snakes because they're native to the state, even if the corn snake is a captive bred color morph.

Then that's definitely why. No native species. Or ones that could possibly be.

They banned bowfin recently, I think for fear of introducing them. I say they should ket it happen. They were here 60mya, so technically they belong

I would rather see bowfin transplanted around than most gamefish species. I annoys me to no end how protected and spread about some non-native gamefish (trout especially) are while other non-native fish and even some natives are persecuted. A topic best left for another thread, I suppose. I did not know bowfin weren't in Canada! Looking at a range map it looks like they are but just barely.