Mathison Museum of Natural History

[JimoAi]

Species: Amphiprion ocellaris Cuvier, 1830 (clown anemonefish; common clownfish)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Coral Reef Fish
Year of Release: 2015
Size/Scale: Figure 5.7 cm long across its widest points. Body length of fish 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.25-1:2.75.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: My Colorata Coral Reef Fish box set was released in 2015, but it is a re-release of an earlier set (I just haven't figured out the original year). The fish attach to the host anemone with a clear acrylic rod and are safely removable.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific, from northern Australia to the Sea of Japan
Habitat: Coral reefs, usually at a depth of 1-15 meters
Diet: Plankton, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Amphiprion ocellaris forms a symbiotic relationship with its host anemone. The fish and their nests benefit by receiving protection by the stinging tentacles of the anemone, and the anemone benefits by receiving protection from fish that might feed on its tentacles and removal of parasites or other debris. It has also been proposed that the bright color of the fish attracts potential prey for the anemone.

I think the Ocellaris clownfish figure frequency should be common or very common due to a certain disney movie. I had alot of this fish as a child thanks to said movie

[bmathison1972]

among companies that produce collectible animal figures, it actually hasn't been made that often.  TAI currently shows only 16 (albeit not complete). I am not counting every child's toy set that has Nemo in it...

[JimoAi]

among companies that produce collectible animal figures, it actually hasn't been made that often.  TAI currently shows only 16 (albeit not complete). I am not counting every child's toy set that has Nemo in it...

There's also one made by nature techni colour, 2 large ones by safari ltd, kaiyodo Bottlecap series,the elusive one by Takara tomy I've reviewed and the wingmau one, not counting cheap versions. The ones I had as a child was multiples from the safari toob, the first large one by safari and the one from 3d pictorial book

[bmathison1972]

Species: Macrocheira kaempferi (Temminck, 1836) (giant Japanese spider crab)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Primary Colour Crustaceans Book
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Legspan 9.3 cm. Carapace 2.0 cm wide, for a scale of 1:20 for a large specimen.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen M. kaempferi in the Museum. Assembly is required. This figure was (as were several of the figures in the collection) re-released by Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. after Takara took over Yujin in 2008.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific in the seas around Japan and Taiwan
Habitat: Benthic, usually at depths of 50-400 meters
Diet: Marine invertebrates and algae, also a scavenger
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Because of the depth at which it lives and difficulty catching it, M. kaempferi is not a common commercial crab species; however, it is considered a rare delicacy in Japan.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Macrauchenia patachonica Owen, 1838

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Release: 2018
Size/Scale: Figure length 12.0 cm. Height at shoulder 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:21.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Like all figures of M. patachonica, this 2018 rendition is depicted with a prehensile trunk-like snout. However, it is now believed that Macrauchenia may have had a snout more similar to that of a moose (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Miocene to Late Pleistocene of present-day southern South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Venezuela)
Habitat: Grasslands, savanna, open forests
Diet: Plants, probably grasses, shrubs, and trees
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Molecular analyses suggest M. patachonica and other members of Litopterna are the sister group to Perissodactyla, with an estimated divergence date of about 66 million years ago. While some authorities today believe M. patachonica had a moose-like snout, pictographs from Colombia dated from 12,600 to 11,800 years ago depict a trunked animal which may have represented Macrauchenia or a relative, lending support for the earlier depictions with a trunk-like snout.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Diploderma polygonatum donan (Ota, 2003) (Okinawa tree lizard)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Yaeyama
Year of Release: 2014
Size/Scale: Figure 5.5 cm across its longest points. Snout to vent length 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.37-1:1.75 for a female (which, based on the color, it appears to be).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as Japalura polygonata donan. Assembly is required. Kaiyodo had previously produced D. polygonatum in the original Chocoegg Animatales line (but as that figure was produced in 1999, it must represent a different subspecies).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Yonagunijima Island in the Yaeyama island group of the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan
Habitat: Evergreen broad-leaf forests; arboreal
Diet: Insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Diploderma polygonatum exhibits marked sexual dimorphism. Females, as demonstrated in this figure, are more brightly colored than males.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lucanus maculifemoratus Motschulsky, 1861 (Miyama stag beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Bugs Museum
Year of Release: 2000
Size/Scale: Base of box 4.5 cm x 4.0 cm. Body length (including mandibles) 3.2 cm for a scale of 1:1.3-1:2.25 (roughly 1:2 for a major male)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: The species has become a standard among Japanese companies that regularly produce insects. The Bugs Museum collection is a set of 6 insects that are displayed in little boxes, as if they were museum specimens (see inset). The insects, the base, and cover are all separate and removeable, so the insects can be displayed on or off the bases, with or without the plastic covers. Each has a small sticker with the Japanese name, sex, and (for the beetles) size. The stickers do not hold well and are best reinforced with glue.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northeast Asia, including China, Taiwan, Korean Peninsula, eastern Russia, and Japan
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood and detritus; adults feed on tree sap.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like with several stag beetles, males of L. maculifemoratus have intrasexually selected large mandibles. It is believed those with larger mandibles will have more success at securing mates and feeding sites. However, large mandibles could come at a cost of flight and other mobility.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Nerodia erythrogaster (Forster, 1771) (plain-bellied water snake)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series: Snakes
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Figure 14.0 cm long. Measured along midline 25.7 cm for a scale of 1:3-1:4.75.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare [unique as a sculpt]
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as a yellow-bellied water snake, which historically refers to the subspecies N. e. flavigaster; however, today subspecies are generally not recognized for this species. This same sculpt was used by Club Earth in their snakes collection, and there are two paint variants available (although the other variant appears to be painted after a juvenile, while the one shown here today represents an adult).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeastern United States and adjacent Mexico
Habitat: Areas of permanent water, including rivers, lakes, ponds, coastal wetlands
Diet: Amphibians, fish, freshwater crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Nerodia erythrogaster is ovoviviparous, meaning embryos develop inside eggs that remain in the mother's body until they are ready to hatch, and females give birth to live young rather than laying the eggs. This species is also not venomous.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lamypris noctiluca (Linnaeus, 1767) (common glowworm)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleo-Creatures
Series: N/A
Year of Release: 2016
Size/Scale: Figure length 5.8 cm. Body length 6.0 cm for a scale of 2.4:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was a personal commission by forum member Jetoar, founder of Paleo-Creatures. It compliments the male from Bullyland (but not to scale). One day he asked me what I would like for him to make. I said 'surprise me' and this is one of the things he came up with .

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia, North Africa
Habitat: Old-growth grasslands, verges, hedgebanks, and heaths; often in areas of chalk and limestone soils
Diet: Terrestrial mollusks
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Lamypris noctiluca exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism. The male has the typical beetle body plan, but the female (as shown in this figure) is larviform. It can be distinguished from larvae by the color and presence of compound eyes and developed sexual structures.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius, 1775) (southern black widow)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Club Earth
Series: Spiders to Go
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Legspan 6.5 cm. Body length 2.7 cm for a scale of 2:1 for a larger specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: The Club Earth figures are marked with a common name on the underside. The figure on the left is by Club Earth; the figure on the right is by a set from an unknown manufacturer. This unknown set of spiders consists of 12 species that were all presented in either the Spiders to Go collection by Club Earth or the Habitat Earth: Spiders collection by Play Visions (or both). While the sculpts are not 100% identical to those by either CE or PV, they are also stamped with the common name on the underside, so there is no question where the influence came from (although the species that are shared with CE have much more similar sculpts than those shared only with PV).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern and southeastern USA and the West Indies; introduced to Hawaii.
Habitat: Forests, fields, rodent burrows, disturbed areas, houses, gardens, garages, sheds.
Diet: Small insects and other arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Latrodectus mactans exhibits sexual dimorphism. Females (as shown in these figures) are much larger than males. The males are less than half the size of the females, have a more slender and ornate abdomen, and enlarged pedipalps (as do the males of many spiders). The males are also harmless, in contrast to the venomous females.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Eurystomus orientalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Oriental dollarbird)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Furuta
Series: Chocoegg Animatales - Birds
Year of Release: 2003
Size/Scale: Figure height 4.5 cm. Wingspan 6.5 cm. Body length 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:6.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly is required and the bird is removable from the acrylic rod that connects it to the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, southern Japan, eastern Australia
Habitat: Forests, Open woodlands, roadsides, agricultural fields
Diet: Insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Eurystomus orientalis is an cousin of the kingfishers. The forage for prey by 'hawking' large flyng insects from high exposed perches, especially at dawn and dusk and after rains.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Scarabaeus typhon (Fischer von Waldheim, 1823)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Souvenirs Entomologiques
Year of Release: 2005
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.0 cm in diameter. Body length of beetle 2.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.25
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure on the left shows a beetle rolling a ball of dung; the figure on the right shows the female guarding the brood ball. Figures are not removable from their bases.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Palearctic, from Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula to East Russia and the Korean Peninsula
Habitat: Open habitats, usually in sandy areas and on dunes
Diet: Developing larvae feed on dung balls provisioned by parent beetles; adults feed on dung
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Scarabaeus typhon, like other 'dung-rollers', removes a piece of dung and rolls it to a new location away from competition (figure on the left). Depending on the species, this is often performed by a male-female pair. The dung ball is buried with a single egg that is placed in a hollow chamber in the narrow end (figure on the right); the dung ball will nourish the developing larva. Ancient Egyptians likened the dung beetle pushing a ball of dung across the dunes to their sun god Ra pushing the sun across the sky.

[Isidro]

Just very rare? I could not imagine that is not unique! Being a beetle from a region where no brands are founded, not very well known amongst insect collectors, extremely similar to other much better known species in the genus (S. sacer), and when the only thing in the world that gives it a bit of fame is its connection with Jean-Henri Fabre field experiences...  one could not expect to find another figure out of the Fabre memorial series. Which is the other/others??

[bmathison1972]

Just very rare? I could not imagine that is not unique! Being a beetle from a region where no brands are founded, not very well known amongst insect collectors, extremely similar to other much better known species in the genus (S. sacer), and when the only thing in the world that gives it a bit of fame is its connection with Jean-Henri Fabre field experiences...  one could not expect to find another figure out of the Fabre memorial series. Which is the other/others??

The 'secret' figure in the Epoch Flying Beetles collection is S. typhon (which is interesting, since it is the only figure in the set that is not 'flying').

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dryocopus pileatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (pileated woodpecker)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Backyard Birds TOOB
Year of Release: 2013
Size/Scale: Figure length 5.5 cm. Body length difficult to measure, but roughly 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:5.3-1:6.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare to very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Backyard Birds TOOB offers a chance to get some rare and unique figures of small North American birds!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern North America, across Canada to the Pacific Northwest, and along Pacific Coast
Habitat: Mature deciduous, mixed deciduous-coniferous, and coniferous forests, second-growth and fragmented woodlots
Diet: Insects, predominately carpenter ants; also fruits, nuts
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Dryocopus pileatus nests in cavities in dead trees, or occasionally the dead branch of a live tree or an electrical pole. They forage for insects in dead wood, both in standing and felled trees. Carpenter ants make up roughly 60% of their diet, but they will eat other insects in wood, such as beetle larvae, as well as berries and nuts.

[Isidro]

Not unique, Nayab (?) produced one as well: https://sts-forum.forumieren.de/t22331p25-lots-of-birds-and-reptiles-i-need-help-with-2-18-21

[bmathison1972]

Not unique, Nayab (?) produced one as well: https://sts-forum.forumieren.de/t22331p25-lots-of-birds-and-reptiles-i-need-help-with-2-18-21

Thank you! I will edit accordingly!

[Halichoeres]

Interesting, I didn't know they were such devastators of carpenter ants!

[Gwangi]

Glad to see you decided to keep it. I remember you saying you packed it away in my review of that toob. There are some of these living in the wood lot behind my house, love them.

[bmathison1972]

Glad to see you decided to keep it. I remember you saying you packed it away in my review of that toob. There are some of these living in the wood lot behind my house, love them.

I had, but then your review made me keep it . I underestimated how good it actually is!

Next up:

Species: Lucanus maculifemoratus Motschulsky, 1861 (Miyama stag beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Coca Cola
Series: unknown
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Base 3.5 cm in diameter. Body length (including mandibles) 5.0 cm, within 1:1 scale for a small specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our second look at L. maculifemoratus in the Museum. I don't know much about this particular set. It was marketed and produced by Coca Cola, but I do not know who actually made the figures (Takara Tomy A.R.T.S., Bandai, and Sega are all possibilities). There are six species in the set that represent typical scarabaeoids made by Japanese companies, but they are relatively good quality. One side of the base has 'Coca Cola' and the other side has the Japanese name of the insect; the figures are safely removable from the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northeast Asia, including China, Taiwan, Korean Peninsula, eastern Russia, and Japan
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood and detritus; adults feed on tree sap.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like with many large scarabaeoid beetles, L. maculifemoratus spends most of its life as a larva in the host substrate. The larval development takes almost 2 years, but adults only live for a few months. Adults die after mating and ovoposition and do not overwinter as adults.