Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Daphnia pulex Leydig, 1860
Common name(s): common water flea

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series/Collection: Aqua Night Museum
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 3.0 cm for a scale of 150:1-10:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifth time we've seen D. pulex in the Museum, and the third by Kaiyodo. All three of those are extremely similar and may have been based on this 2004 model. There is an ultraviolet light on the base that illuminated the figure (I don't remember, but I don't think my light ever worked). I do not remember if the water flea is removable from its base or not, and have not tried for fear of breakage.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan
Habitat: Still freshwater, including ponds, lakes, swamps, ephemeral pools, poorly-maintained swimming pools
Diet: Phytoplankton, algae, bacteria, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Daphnia pulex can be found in almost any permanent or long-lasting ephemeral body of freshwater, even in stagnant swimming pools, rain-filled tire ruts, and among tree moss in a rainforest several meters from the ground.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This pest of pooches has been supplanted by its feline counterpart in much of the world.

[sbell]

Clearly a dog flea. I think there's one from PV, but also a good chance you have a few other models of that species...

[bmathison1972]

Species is correct @sbell - but note the Play Visions flea is specifically marketed as a cat flea, not a dog flea :-)


Species: Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis, 1826)
Common name(s): dog flea

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: GPI Anatomicals
Series/Collection: Canine Skin Parasites
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 10.0 cm for a scale of 33.3:1-25:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is not a traditional 'toy' but rather an educational model designed to be used in veterinary offices. The set also included a tick and scabies mite.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cosmopolitan
Habitat: Mammalian hosts, including wild and domestic canids and felids; occasionally humans
Diet: Larvae feed on detritus in the environment and dried fecal matter from their hosts and adult fleas; adults feed on the blood of their mammalian hosts
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Probably the most important clinical and veterinary significance of the dog flea is transmission of the tapeworm Dipylidium caninum. Infection occurs from the ingestion of the fleas rather than their bite. In humans, the disease is commonly seen in people who have a more intimate relationship with their pets (e.g., kissing and cuddling), thus increasing the chances of incidentally swallowing a flea. It is most commonly diagnosed in diaper-aged children, probably because the tapeworms are grossly visible to an astute parent changing the diaper; the tapeworms appear as 'motile grains of rice' on and in the stool!



Clue for tomorrow's species:
These showy squackers from Down Under are sometimes considered agricultural pests, stripping orchard trees of fresh fruit! In urban areas they can create a lot of nuisance noise and soil cars and structures with their droppings.

[Isidro]

Some cockatoo I guess. Science & Nature's galah?

[bmathison1972]

Species: Trichoglossus moluccanus (Gmelin, 1788)
Common name(s): rainbow lorikeet

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series/Collection: Wings of the World
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:3.3-1:1:4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being an Australian species, other figures of this species have been produced by Science and Nature and Cadbury for both the Australian and UK Yowies collections.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern Australia; introduced to Western Australia (Perth area), Tasmania, New Zealand, and Hong Kong
Habitat: Primary rain forest, secondary growth, scrubby monsoon forest, savanna, riparian woodland, mallee, fruit plantations, urban and suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Fruit, nectar, pollen, sap, agricultural grains
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Trichoglossus moluccanus is a cavity nester. It does not excavate its own holes and typically uses natural tree hollows or crevices among overhanging rocks. They have also been known to utilize termite nests and holes and crevices in manmade structures. In the Admiralty Islands, some populations nest in holes on the ground on predator-free islets.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This dainty denizen of Australian wetlands using a very long, recurved bill for sweeping for invertebrate prey in water and mud.

[sbell]

An Australian/red-necked avocet? I'm only aware of the Yowies figure but there could be others I suppose

[bmathison1972]

Thought of a fun way to show unrelated figures from different companies together, a weekly review!

Mathison Museum of Natural History Digest: the week in review (July 14-20, 2025)

1. Safari Ltd. Ottoia prolifica
2. Kaiyodo least weasel, Mustela nivalis
3. Yujun Antimena chameleon, Furcifer antimena
4. Discovery Science angular roughshark, Oxynotus centria
5. Kaiyodo common water flea, Daphnia pulex
6. GPI Anatomicals dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis
7. Safari Ltd. rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus mouccanus

[Gwangi]

I like it. An excuse for a group shot of figures that you wouldn't likely photograph together otherwise. It's unique.

[bmathison1972]

I like it. An excuse for a group shot of figures that you wouldn't likely photograph together otherwise. It's unique.

Thanks Gwangi. Exactly my thoughts, too. A hodgepodge of figures not united by taxonomy, manufacturer, era, or scale!

[bmathison1972]

Correct species, @sbell

Species: Recurvirostra novaehollandiae Vieillot, 1816
Common name(s): red-necked avocet; Australian avocet; cobbler; cobbler's awl; painted lady

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series/Collection: Yowies Series 2
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 8.5 cm for a scale of 1:4.7-1:5.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Australian Yowies, assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia; primarily southern part of the continent but with patchy distribution throughout. Rare vagrant to New Zealand.
Habitat: Inland salt-lakes and salt marshes, hypersaline lakes, freshwater lakes, dams, lagoons, marshes, sewage ponds, rivers, estuaries
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Avocets of the genus Recurvirostra feed by sweeping their long, delicate, recurved beaks in water and underlying mud in search of invertebrate prey.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This enigmatic stag beetle is endemic to the Sunda Islands [sorry this was an esoteric one]

[bmathison1972]

Species: Odontolabis stevensi Thomson, 1862

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series/Collection: Mushi King - small series, standard
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. mandibles) approx. 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.1-1:1.7 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as O. duivenbodei, which is now regarded as a subspecies of O. stevensi; the subspecies is endemic to the islands of Timor and Sangir Besar. I had difficulty finding metrics to calculate scale and the scale above is based on a length of 5-8 cm based on specimens for sale online.
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: Sulawesi, Sangir Besar, Timor
Habitat: Broadleaf rainforest
Diet: Presumably larvae feed in rotting wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on this species and some of the information above is inferred from other species in the genus. There is an all-black form of the species endemic to central and northern Sulawesi.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
One could call this Japanese endemic a Calcified Cupid, shooting love darts at a potential mate!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Euhadra amaliae (Kobelt, 1875)
Common name(s): Amalia snail; red-lipped snail

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series/Collection: Chocoegg Animatales Series 2
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Total figure length approx. 5.0 cm. Shell width by height approx. 2.1 cm x 1.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.2-1:1.7.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Presumably unique (as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required. This sculpt was reissued in 2002 as part of a Furuta Choco Egg Classic collection features variations of earlier models in the series.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Honshu)
Habitat: Montane and lowland woodlands; arboreal
Diet: Soft vegetation, leaf litter, lichens, mosses, microorganisms for nutrition; soft stone (such as limestone) for shell development
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Euhadra amaliae is one of several terrestrial snails that uses 'love darts' (gypsobela) in their courtship ritual. Although the snails are hermaphroditic, it appears to be only used by one member of the pair. The current understanding is that the darts manipulate the recipient's sperm collection mechanism, thus increasing chances of paternity for the sender. The dart is covered with a mucus that contains an allohormone. The allohormone causes the bursa complex (sperm digestion organ) to be closed off and the copulatory canal to open, allowing more sperm to access the sperm storage area and fertilize eggs.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This is generally considered the largest species of these masters of camouflage.

[sbell]

Parson's chameleon tomorrow?
Probably the Toymany unless you have the PV?

[stargatedalek]

Since I don't think a Malagasy giant chameleon has ever been done that's probably correct (length versus weight size).

So I'm going to guess Plistospilota guineensis.

[bmathison1972]

Neat ideas! Depending on what references are used, Parson's chameleon might be considered the largest, but not here today  .

Species: Furcifer oustaleti (Mocquard, 1894)
Common name(s): Malagasy giant chameleon; Oustalet's chameleon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: New-Ray
Series/Collection: Lizards
Year of Production: 1995
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approx. 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.9-1:4.5 depending on sex
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: The identification of F. oustaleti is community-based and I agree with it. Like many New-Ray figures, this chameleon came in two colors, the other being predominately yellow with dark brown maculae.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Madagascar; introduced to Kenya and USA (Florida)
Habitat: Dry deciduous forest, humid evergreen forest, montane savanna, degraded forests, agricultural land, urban and suburban settings
Diet: Insects, small birds, small reptiles, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: With a maximum length of nearly 70 cm (including tail), F. oustaleti is generally considered the largest chameleon in the world, although there are unsubstantiated reports of Parson's chameleon (Calumma parsonii) and Meller's chameleon (Trioceros melleri) reaching greater lengths.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
This Australian beetle is known for the velvety mottling of the upper surface of living specimens, unique in the region for members of its family. After death, however, specimens tend to become greasy and brown, hence its common name. [another esoteric one]

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ryssonotus nebulosus (Kirby, 1819)
Common name(s): brown stag beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series/Collection: Mushi King - small series, standard
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. mandibles) approx. 3.5 cm for a scale of 1.1:1 (very slightly over 1:1 for a maximum-sized specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Presumably 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: Eastern Australia
Habitat: Broadleaf forests, urban and suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood, preferably those infected by white-rot fungi; adults feed on tree sap, nectar, ripe/overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Ryssonotus used to contain seven species. In 2016, the genus Safrina was described to accommodate all of them except R. nebulosus, rendering Ryssonotus a monotypic genus. At the same time, three additional new species were described in Safrina.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Like its relatives, these big, bicolored beauties of the Australian Bush can long-lived, upwards of 50 years or more in captivity!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Calyptorhynchus banksii (Latham, 1790)
Common name(s): red-tailed black-cockatoo; Banksian cockatoo; Bank's black cockatoo

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Science and Nature
Series/Collection: Animals of Australia - Small
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.1-1:9.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was sold as both a stand-alone model and a keychain, and has also appeared in a small collection of 'small' birds.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia
Habitat: Tropical rainforest, eucalypt, sheoak, and acacia woodlands, shrubland, agricultural land
Diet: Nuts, seeds, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Different subspecies of C. banksii in different areas have adapted to different feeding habits based on their bill morphology. The nominate subspecies (C. b. banksii) in eastern Australia feeds mainly on fruit of trees in the genera Terminalia (tropical almond), Pandanus (screw pine), and Eucalyptus (gum tree). Calyptorhynchus banksii samueli from inland central and southern Australia feed primarily on burrs and hard seeds on the ground, especially Emex (double-gee) and Erodium (stork's-bills). In the forests of southwestern Australia, C. b. naso uses its larger bill to remove seeds from the thick woody fruits of Eucalyptus calophylla (marri). Calyptorhynchus banksii graptogyne occurs in forests of extreme southeastern Australia and feeds on the fruits of several forest eucalypts, especially E. baxteri (red stringybark). In some areas, C. banskii has become an agricultural pets of nuts and fruits.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Generally considered the largest of its kind in much of Europe, it rarely settles, even usually eating its prey in flight.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Anax imperator Leach, 1815
Common name(s): emperor; blue emperor

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series/Collection: Wild Animals/Garden Animals
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.2-1:1.4. Using wingspan as a metric (n=10.0 cm), scale comes to approx. 1:1.1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen A. imperator in the Museum. In 2023 Papo moved several figures from their Wild Animals line to a new Garden Animals line, including today's dragonfly.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Africa, Europe, Middle East, West and Central Asia
Habitat: Large, well-vegetated ponds and lakes, slow-moving rivers, canals
Diet: Nymphs feed on aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles, small fish; adults feed on flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: With a body length of 7.3-8.2 cm and a wingspan of nearly 10.4 cm, A. imperator is the largest dragonfly throughout much of Europe. In the eastern Mediterranean, however, that award goes to the magnificent emperor (A. immaculifrons), a species that occurs mostly in West and South Asia but just reaches Europe in the Aegean Islands and Cyrus.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
Shark Week may be over on the Blog, but it's continuing in the Museum  . This striped surveyor of the sea floor occurs in the West Pacific from Japan to Australia.

[bmathison1972]

Now time for the week in review. I decided to photograph the animals this time on the blue paper I use for aquatic life. I feel it brings out the colors better and shows the features of the darker figures better. Thoughts?


Mathison Museum of Natural History Digest: the week in review (July 21-July 27, 2025):

1. Cadbury Yowie red-necked avocet, Recurvirostra novaehollandiae
2. Sega Odontolabis stevensi duivenbodei
3. Kaiyodo Amalia snail, Euhadra amaliae
4. New-Ray Malagasy giant chameleon, Furcifer oustaleti
5. Sega brown stag beetle, Ryssonotus nebulosus
6. Science and Nature red-tailed black-cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii
7. Papo emperor, Anax imperator

[bmathison1972]

Species: Heterodontus zebra (Gray, 1831)
Common name(s): zebra bullhead shark; barred bullhead shark

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series/Collection: Sharks
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:11.2-1:16.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare; possibly unique as a sculpt (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: This species was also produced for the Discovery Science Return to the Isle of Jaws collection. It is hard to tell for sure, but that figure may have been based on the Play Visions model.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs; at depths of 0-200 meters (usual range 50-200 meters)
Diet: Benthic fish and invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Members of the genus Heterodontus get their common name 'bullhead' sharks from the prominent ridges over their eyes.



Clue for tomorrow's species:
These large lines of legs deliver their venom through a modified pair of front legs called forcipules. The venom is rarely medically important, but there have been a couple deaths associated with the genus.