Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Triceratops horridus Marsh, 1889

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 23.0 cm for a scale of 1:35-1:39
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: One of the most common species of dinosaur produced, and possibly second to only Tyrannosaurus rex, there are endless examples of this genus available in the toy/figure market. Other nice versions available in a standard range since the production of today's include those by Creative Beast Studio (2020), PNSO (2021), Eofauna (2021), CollectA (2022), and Haolonggood (2024), among others I am sure I have missed.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Late Maastrichtian) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Open forests, fern prairies, river deltas, coastal floodplains
Diet: Plants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: There is been a lot of discussion of other ceratopsian dinosaurs being various growth stages of Triceratops. Torosaurus has been considered a full-sized adult Triceratops (although this theory is not widely accepted). The genera Nedoceratops and Ojoceratops might be juvenile stages of Triceratops. Lastly, the enigmatic Tatankaceratops might represent a juvenile or dwarf Triceratops, or possibly a Triceratops that suffered from some developmental disorder.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This critter is believed to be a reservoir for Nipah virus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Pteropus medius Temminck, 1825
Common name(s): Indian flying fox; greater Indian fruit bat

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Eikoh
Series/Collection: Miniatureplanet Vol. 19
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Size difficult to measure because of the animal's posture, but body length approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.1-1:6 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty finding consistent metrics to calculate scale. The overall consensus is that the average body length is about 23 cm, but I found a few references that indicate it could reach 30 cm.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indian subcontinent
Habitat: Tropical moist forests, swamps, agricultural land, urban and suburban areas; roosting typically occurs in tall canopy trees
Diet: Fruit, blossoms, nectar
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Pteropus medius is believed to be a reservoir for the hemorrhagic fever virus, Nepah virus. Transmission is believed to occur when the bats feed on date palm sap as it flows into collection pots, as well as the bats urinating and defecating on or near the pots.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Visitors from all around the world come to the Nagara River to watch traditional Japanese cormorant fisherman use their trained birds to catch this critter.

[Isidro]

That's the last figurine of my collection. But I calculated the scale as 1:7-1:8 (for Pteropus giganteus, that is supposedly the species of this figurine)

[bmathison1972]

That's the last figurine of my collection. But I calculated the scale as 1:7-1:8 (for Pteropus giganteus, that is supposedly the species of this figurine)

Pteropus medius is the proper name of what is commonly known as the Indian flying fox, with P. giganteus being a junior objective synonym of what is now known as P. vampyrus (large flying fox). If you don't believe me, I refer you to the publication where the change was first proposed: https://www.ceson.org/vespertilio/16/203_204_Mlikovsky.pdf

[bmathison1972]

Species: Plecoglossus altivelis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)
Common name(s): ayu; sweetfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series/Collection: Freshwater Fish Pictorial Book 1
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:5-1:12.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was reissued at least once with a slightly different color pattern. The fish is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (Japan, Korean Peninsula, China, Hong Kong, n. Vietnam)
Habitat: Amphidromous. Juveniles typically live in the lower parts of rivers while adults live in coastal marine habitats. Some populations are strictly freshwater and the fish has been stocked in reservoirs.
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: Plecoglossus altivelis is a popular food fish in East Asia. It gets one of its common names, 'sweetfish', from the taste and aroma of its flesh, described as having 'melon and cucumber' aromas.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This critter is considered one of the top five most venomous spiders in Australia

[bmathison1972]

Species: Latrodectus hasselti Thorell, 1870
Common name(s): redback spider; Australian black widow

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series/Collection: Venomous Spiders
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Base 3.2 cm long. Body length approx. 2.0 cm for a scale of 2:1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen L. hasselti in the Museum. The spider is removable from its base. The spiders in this collection also come with a round, flat, black base with the animal's Latin and Japanese names and its degree of toxicity using skulls-and-crossbones in a 1-5 scale (see inset).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia; introduced to New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Highly varied, with a preference for tropical and temperate habitats, especially in urban and suburban areas; webs are usually built in dry, sheltered areas such as in logs, rock piles, shrubs, trash piles, garages, sheds, outhouses
Diet: Primarily insects; occasionally other small animals that may get caught in their webs, including small mammals, birds, and reptiles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Latrodectus hasselti has been introduced to other locations, including New Zealand where it has successfully crossbred with the katipō (L. katipo) in the wild. However, because of size differences between the spiders and intraspecific sexual dimorphism, it can only happen when a male redback mates with a female katipo. The other way around, the male katipō is too heavy, and when it enters the web of a female redback, it triggers a predatory response causing the female to eat it!



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Originally from the Middle East, this critter can now be found worldwide in cities, yards, parks, parking lots, farms, and fields.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): house sparrow

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Mojö Fun
Series/Collection: Enthusiasts Garden Birds Collection
Year of Production: 2025
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 9.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.6-1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Presumably unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Mojö Fun really excited the toy animal community with the announcement of its 2025 Enthusiasts Garden Birds Collection. In addition to today's house sparrow, there is a common kingfisher, American goldfinch, European goldfinch, northern cardinal, Eurasian blue tit, Eurasian bullfinch, and European robin.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan. Originally native to the Middle East, with spread throughout much of Eurasia and North Africa alongside the expansion of agriculture. Introductions throughout much of the rest of the world, both intentional and unintentional (e.g., shipborne, natural spread).
Habitat: Open country, farms, agricultural land. Highly adaptable to human habitation, including urban and suburban parks, yards, zoo grounds, fairgrounds, school campuses, granaries, factories, and urban centers
Diet: Primarily seeds, grains; also buds, berries, insects, grain-based human refuse (popcorn, bread and cracker crumbs, etc.)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The spread of P. domesticus throughout much of the world has been due to natural spread and both unintentional and intentional introductions. The first introductions to North America were actually intentional! The bird was initially released in New York City in 1852 to combat the linden looper moth (Erannis tiliaria), considered a pest of ornamental and fruit trees.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This critter is endemic to Texas and usually resides in dead oak.

[Gwangi]

Acorn woodpecker? I dunno, I feel like that one was already posted.

[bmathison1972]

Acorn woodpecker? I dunno, I feel like that one was already posted.

I did a blog review of the Acorn Woodpecker, but it hasn't shown up in the Museum thread yet. However, that is not the right guess. It's pretty esoteric and I probably could have come up with something better but couldn't in a short amount of time (I chose the next figure right before I post so I have to come up with something on the fly LOL).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Camponotus texanus Wheeler, 1903
Common name(s): Texas carpenter ant

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Club Earth
Series/Collection: Ants and Termites
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 4.7 cm for a scale of 11.8:1-3.9:1 for a worker, depending on its function
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: One of several unique species in the rather esoteric Ants and Termites collection marketed by Club Earth. Club Earth was specific in their identifications and today's figure was specifically marketed as a Texas carpenter ant. The set was probably originally released in the 1990s alongside similar sets by Play Visions.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Unites States (Texas) and adjacent Mexico (Nuevo Leon)
Habitat: Oak woodlands; nests usually occur in oak logs, dead branches of live oak trees, or among rocky areas on the ground
Diet: Dead and live insects, honeydew from sternorrhynchan hemipterans, tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Camponotus species possess symbiotic bacteria in the genus Blochmannia that synthesize essential and non essential amino acids, including tyrosine, and it helps the ant to process nitrogen. Contrary to popular belief, C. texanus and other carpenter ants do not eat wood.



Clue for tomorrow's species:

Endemic to the Japanese island Okinawa, males of this species have forelegs longer than the rest of its body!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cheirotonus jambar Kurosawa, 1984
Common name(s): Yanbaru long-armed scarab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series/Collection: Capsule Q Museum: Beetles of the World
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.3-1:1.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen C. jambar in the Museum, three of which were by Kaiyodo. While the three figures by Kaiyodo are very similar, none appear to be direct copies of the others. Some assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan; endemic to the Yanbaru Forest on Okinawa
Habitat: Subtropical broadleaf forest
Diet: Larvae breed in branches of living Quercus (oak) and Castanopsis (Itajii chinkapin); adults feed on sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Cheirotonus jambar exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism and only males have such exaggerated front tibiae. The role of the long legs is not completely understood, but they may be analogous to long horns in dynastine scarabs or long mandibles in lucanids and are used for fighting rival males and securing feeding and breeding sites. They may also be used for securing the female during mating.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This Central Asian critter is known for its swollen snout, which helps with thermoregulation.

[Gwangi]

I gonna guess that the next one is a Saiga antelope.

[bmathison1972]

Yup, you got it @Gwangi

Next up:

Species: Saiga tatarica Gray, 1843
Common name(s): saiga

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series/Collection: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approx. 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:10.4-1:14.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this figure is unique for its species in a standard-sized range. Safari produced a tube-sized version in 2022.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Asia; with three disjunct populations in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Russia (Kalmykia)
Habitat: Dry steppe, semi-desert, grassy plains
Diet: Plants; non-discriminant herbivore, with some of the more common food plants being grasses, prostrate summer-cypress, saltworts, forbs, sagebrush, lichens
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Saiga tatarica is probably best known for its bulbous nose, which is used for seasonal thermoregulation. The swollen nostrils filter out dust and cool the blood during the hot, dry summers and act like a radiator in winter by warming the cold air before it enters the antelope's lungs.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Named after an amphibian, this benthic invertebrate is an ambush predator of small fish and other invertebrates.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ranina ranina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): red frog crab; spanner crab; Huỳnh Đế crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series/Collection: Japan Aquarium 3D Biological Catalogue Vol. 2
Year of Production: 2008
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.3 cm long. Carapace length approx. 2.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.5-1:8.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The sand substrate is removable from the bottlecap base. I am pretty sure the crab is removable from the substrate base, but I cannot remember.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coastal regions, coral reefs; usually in sandy substrates at depths of 1-200 meters
Diet: Small fish, benthic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Ranina ranina is a nocturnal predator, hiding in sand during the day. It uses its pereiopods for digging. It waits in ambush for soft-bodied invertebrates and small benthic fish to pass by.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This bird is undergoing rapid morphologic adaptions to adjust to new, introduced prey within its range.

[Gwangi]

Snail kite

[bmathison1972]

Got it again, @Gwangi

Next up:

Species: Rostrhamus sociabilis (Vieillot, 1817)
Common name(s): snail kite

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: Everglades TOOB
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:5.5-1:6.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Given the theme of the collection, this figure probably represents the subspecies R. s. plumbeus.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America to Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula), the Caribbean, and peninsular Florida, USA
Habitat: Freshwater marshes, shallow freshwater lakes, other flatwater courses
Diet: Primarily apple snails in the genera Pomacea and Marisa; occasionally other freshwater snails, crayfish, fish, small turtles, small water birds, carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Rostrhamus sociabilis has a deeply-curved beak that is specifically adapted to feeding on apple snails. Introduction of the large apple snail Pomacea maculata in Florida is causing local populations of snail kits to undergo rapid evolution and develop larger bodies and beaks to handle the larger prey.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This svelte predator scours the epipelagic zone in search of prey, with a focus on squid.

[Sim]

The snail kite's evolution to be bigger in order to eat the invasive snails is amazing!  And I'm glad it managed this!  I'm also happy Safari made such a nice figure of it, even though I won't get it due to posed perched on a permanent base.

[JimoAi]

vlue is either the sperm whale or a beaked whale

[bmathison1972]

Species: Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): blue shark; great blue shark

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection
Year of Production: 1993
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 19.0 cm for a scale of 1:8.9-1:21
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the only shark I have from the MBA collection; they are generally a bit large for me. Looking at images online, mine seems to have an updated and refined paint job. Note, my figure is bluer than it appears in this pic; I think the blue in the diorama is affecting the perception of the blue in the figure itself.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide in temperate, tropical, and subtropical seas and oceans
Habitat: Epipelagic; at depths of 0-1,082 meters (usual range 1-220 meters)
Diet: Primarily squid; also other pelagic mollusks, crustaceans, bony fish, small sharks, sea birds, carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Prionace glauca is docile and lethargic, and attacks on humans are quite rare. Between 1580 and 2013, there have been only 13 documented attacks on humans, four of which were fatal.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Italian folklore tells that doing a crazy dance can help heal one from this critter's bite!

[Gwangi]

vlue is either the sperm whale or a beaked whale

That's where my head was at too. I don't know why I automatically assumed it was a cetacean.