Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Melophagus ovinus (Linnaeus, 1758) (sheep ked)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: unknown
Series: unknown
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length 7.5 cm for a scale of 18.75:1-10.7:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I know nothing about this figure; I bought it in a dollar store in the early 2000s. It is of vintage style and I wouldn't be surprised if the sculpt is from the 1970s or earlier. Nowadays they show up primarily in cheap dollar store sets. I stopped collecting cheap 'chinabugs' but as a professional parasitologist, I could never pass on an ectoparasite, even if it's not a human parasite. I have seen one other figure of this species, much smaller and also vintage, and probably based on the Creepy Crawly Thingmaker toy set.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native to Europe, North Africa, Central Asia; introduced to much of the rest of the world wherever sheep are raised
Habitat: Obligate ectoparasite on sheep (Ovis aries), but also wild ungulates, rabbits, and wild and domestic canids
Diet: Larvae feed on secretions provided by the female parent; adults feed on the blood of its host.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: A female M. ovinus produces one larva at a time and may produce upwards of 20 larvae in her lifetime. The larva remains within the mother until it is ready to pupate, feeding on secretions produced in the uterus. The mature larva forms a puparium which is deposited by the mother on the wool of the sheep, attaching it with a glue-like substance. The pupa hatches after 2-3 weeks, slightly longer in the winter. The sheep ked spends its entire life on the host and is transmitted from host to host via physical contact between the hosts.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chalcosoma chiron (Olivier, 1789) (Caucasus beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King, standard series, small
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including cephalic horn) 6.0 cm, for a scale of 1:1.5-1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Chalcosoma chiron is another 'standard' among the Japanese manufacturers. Most are sold under the synonym, C. caucasus. The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing roughly 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 here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood and detritus; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many large scarabaeid beetles, especially those among the Dynastinae, C. chiron has marked sexual dimorphism. In addition to lacking cephalic and pronotal horns, females have a smaller body and a velvety texture to the elytra due to the presence of dense, small setae (hairs).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lophochroa leadbeateri (Vigors, 1831) (Major Mitchell's cockatoo; Leadbeater's cockatoo; pink cockatoo)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Parrots & Cockatoos
Year of Release: 1996
Size/Scale: Body length 5.8 cm for a scale of 1:6-1:7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Of the few figures made of this species, I don't think any are in production anymore. This figure is a holdover from my early animal-collecting days; I might replace it if it gets made again by another company, maybe in the Safari Wings of the World collection.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia
Habitat: Arid and semi-arid scrublands, woodlands, and savanna
Diet: Seeds, nuts, grains, fruits, tubers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Lophochroa leadbeateri forages in open arid scrubby areas, but requires forested habitats for nesting. It is a cavity nesting species and requires tall, hollow trees to nest in, usually Eucalyptus and preferably near water. A female will lay 2-5 eggs a season, usually at an interval of one egg every 2-3 days. Incubation lasts approximately 3-4 weeks and the chicks remain in the next for 6-8 weeks before they fledge.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790 (eastern grey kangaroo)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Southlands Replicas
Series: Australian Animals
Year of Release: 2017
Size/Scale: Figure length 12.0 cm. Measured along spine, body length 14.5 cm for a scale of 1:10-1:12.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This species is not nearly as common in toy/figure form as its cousin the red kangaroo (M rufus), having rarely, if ever, been tackled by any modern company outside of Japan or Australia.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern Australia
Habitat: Open woodlands, forested mountains, subtropical forests, grasslands, semi-arid areas, coastal areas
Diet: Grasses, forbs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: There are two subspecies of M. giganteus: the nominate M. g. giganteus, which occurs on mainland Australia, and M. g. tasmaniensis which occurs on Tasmania. A related species, the western grey kangaroo (M. fuliginosus) occurs throughout much of southern Australia. The two species overlap in the Murray-Darling Basin area, but do not interbreed in the wild.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Prosopocoilus dissimilis elegans (Inahara, 1958)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 8
Year of Release: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 5.3 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Q figures, some assembly required. There were two figures of this sculpt in this collection, representing two different color forms (a common practice with Kaiyodo's beetles). There are several subspecies of P. dissimilis; this one was also made by Kaiyodo for their Capsule Q Museum line (which has already been reviewed in this Museum thread). This species is not as common in toy/figure form as its congeners P. inclinatus and P. giraffa.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tokara, Japan
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting logs; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: This subspecies is endemic to Tokara Islands of Japan. Like other large, showy Japanese lucanids, it is popular with collectors and breeders.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ginglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788) (nurse shark)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Release: 2015
Size/Scale: Body length 14.0 cm for a scale of 1:16.4-1:30
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: That this figure was reviewed on the Animal Toy Blog three days ago, and that this is happens to be Shark Week, is a coincidence; I used the same random selection method as always for picking today's figure . The figure appears to have only four gill slits (should be five), but as stated in the aforementioned Blog review by forum member Gwangi, the fourth and fifth gill slits of G. cirratum are very close together and grossly it might appear to only have four.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Coastal Western Atlantic (northeastern United States to Brazil), and coastal Eastern Atlantic (Iberian Peninsula to Angola)
Habitat: Coastal reefs, at depths of 0-130 meters (usually 1-35 meters)
Diet: Benthic fish and invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2015, the Pacific population of G. cirratum, which occurs coastally from Baja California to Peru, was described as a new species, G. unami. As currently delineated, G. cirratum only occurs in the Atlantic Ocean.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Rousettus aegyptiacus (Geoffroy, 1810) (Egyptian fruit bat)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Bats
Year of Release: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:6.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Play Visions Bats collection features six species of unique or very rarely made species. In general it is uncommon to have a bat toy or figure marketed at the species level.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Egypt, sub-Saharan Africa, coastal Arabian Peninsula
Habitat: Rainforests, tropical deciduous forests, savannas, Mediterranean scrub forest
Diet: Fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Rousettus aegyptiacus is valuable to a healthy ecosystem as a pollinator and seed distributor. Unfortunately, in some places it is considered a pest because it will feed on fruit intended for human consumption, and in parts of Israel was nearly eradicated.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cyclommatus elaphus Gestro, 1881

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King, DX series, small
Year of Release: 2005
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The 'small DX' figures by Sega are similar to, but sometimes slightly better than, the 'small standard' figures. I am not sure how many there are in this series; I have only a small handful.

About the Animal
Geographic distribution: Indonesia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying logs with white rot; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Cyclommatus elaphus is the largest species in its genus; major males can reach a lengh of 10.9 cm (including mandibles).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822)
Common name(s): pirarucu; arapaima

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Fossil Fish
Year of Production: 2015 (2004)
Size/Scale: Body length 11.5 cm for a scale of 1:12.5-1:39
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: My figure is the 2015 release of a figure that was originally released in 2004 and then again in 2011. The figure attaches to its habitat-style base by an acrylic rod, from which it is removable.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Amazon River Basin, South America
Habitat: Floodplain lakes, large tributaries of the Amazon River, varzea
Diet: Fish; rarely water birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: Arapaima gigas is an obligate air-breather. In addition to oxygen acquired via its gills, it must come to the water surface every 5-15 minutes to 'gulp' air.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mesotopus tarandus (Swederus, 1787)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Tropical Rain Forest Stag Beetles
Year of Release: 2005
Size/Scale: Base 5.5 cm long. Body length (including mandibles) 7.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: The Colorata beetles attach to a log base by means of a small acrylic rod. They are removable from the base and interchangable amongst each other. Minimal assembly is required (the legs need to be attached).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Equatorial West Africa, including Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ghana
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae breed in rotting logs colonized by very specific fungi; adult feeding habits not well-documented but probably attracted to sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Commonly called the 'African Demon', M. tarandus is one of the largest stag beetles in Africa. That is probably why it is the only African species routinely made by Japanese companies. It is also cultivated in terraria, but can be difficult to rear because it requires a substrate supplemented with specific fungi.

[Gwangi]

That's funny that you randomly got the nurse shark right after my review of it. I may be quiet  in here but I'll enjoying the thread all the same.

[bmathison1972]

That's funny that you randomly got the nurse shark right after my review of it. I may be quiet  in here but I'll enjoying the thread all the same.

Thank you, Gwangi. I am happy you are enjoying it!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Coreoperca kawamebari (Temminck et Schlegel, 1843) (Japanese perch; redfin perch; eye-spot perch)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 6
Year of Release: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Q figures, some assembly is required. The figure is removable from its base, but it leaves a small peg on the ventral side of the body.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan, Korean Peninsula
Habitat: Freshwater rivers
Diet: Fish, aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Female C. kawamebari lay their eggs on submerged plants; however, it is the male that guards the eggs and fry.

[JimoAi]

Species: Coreoperca kawamebari (Temminck et Schlegel, 1843) (Japanese perch; redfin perch; eye-spot perch)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 6
Year of Release: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Q figures, some assembly is required. The figure is removable from its base, but it leaves a small peg on the ventral side of the body.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan, Korean Peninsula
Habitat: Freshwater rivers
Diet: Fish, aquatic invertebrates, tadpoles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Female C. kawamebari lay their eggs on submerged plants; however, it is the male that guards the eggs and fry.

Yujin and kaiyodo did make one for the Kyoto aquarium too

[bmathison1972]

Thanks, I'll change it to 'rare'. I found references to both!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Leucauge argyrobapta (White, 1841) (Mabel orchard spider; orchard spider)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Spiders Bulk
Year of Release: 1997
Size/Scale: Legspan 7.0 cm. Body length 2.0 cm for a scale of 5.7:1-5:1 for a male and 3.6:1-2.7:1 for a female (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Spiders Bulk collection by K&M International features six figures, at least four of which (possibly five) are unique as toys, including today's. In fact, to my knowledge, this is the only figure of a spider in the family Tetragnathidae. The scale of this figure (above) is based on whether one considers the figure a male or a female. The length of the front legs is suggestive of a male, but the form of the palps is suggestive of a female. If I had to choose, I'd consider this a female specimen, as the length of the front pair of legs isn't appreciably longer than the second pair. Please note: in past postings on the ATF and STS forums, I used the incorrect Latin name (L. venusta) for this species; L. venusta is the scientific name of the common orchard spider.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeastern USA (Florida) south to Brazil
Habitat: Woodlands, forest edges, shrubby meadows, orchards, gardens
Diet: Insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike many spiders, L. argyrobapta is gregarious, and will often attach their webs together when prey is plentiful.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cuora trifasciata (Bell, 1825) (golden coin turtle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yowie Group
Series: Wild Water Series
Year of Release: 2019
Size/Scale: Figure length 5.7 cm. Carapace length 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.75-1:6.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: US-based Yowie Group revitalized the Yowies lines, creating single-piece figures representing often very rarely-made or unique species. They like to help with conservation efforts and bring attention to vulnerable and endangered species, such as today's golden coin turtle.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern China (Hainan, Hong Kong)
Habitat: Freshwater streams in temperate and subtropical broadleaf forests
Diet: Fish, frogs, freshwater invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Historically, C. trifasciata was common throughout much of southern mainland China. In the past three generations, it is believed the population has dropped by 95%, largely due to habitat destruction and overcollection for the pet trade. It now only occurs in the wild on the islands of Hainan and Hong Kong.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gnathopogon caerulescens (Sauvage, 1883) (willow shiner; Biwa moroko gudgeon)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Freshwater Fish Pictorial Book 2
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique [as a sculpt]
Miscellaneous Notes: Yujin released their Freshwater Fish collections at least twice (not including a combined box set); I am not sure which mine is from. Neither Yujin figures nor their accompanying papers have the year of production. This fish is attached to a habitat-style by an acrylic rod, from which it is removable.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Lake Biwa, Japan
Habitat: Freshwater lake
Diet: Freshwater invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Gnathopogon caerulescens is endemic to Lake Biwa in Japan. I had trouble researching information on the biology of this species; the dietary information above is based on other members of the genus Gnathopogon.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Brachypelma smithi (Cambridge, 1897) (Mexican red-kneed tarantula)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Little Wonders
Year of Release: 2009
Size/Scale: Legspan 10.5 cm. Body length (excluding appendages) 5.2 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Brachypelma smithi is probably the most common species of spider in toy form identifiable at the species level (if not tied with or second to the southern black widow, Latrodectus mactans). This is our second look at it in the Museum. As with many spider figures, the eye arrangement is not correct. The smaller figure in the image is the miniature counterpart of the larger figure; it was released in 2020 as part of the Mini Insects and Spiders collection. All of the figures in the mini collection are simply smaller versions of the standard-sized CollectA figures, often with simpler paint jobs (as seen here). The smaller figure here is a legspan of 5.6 cm and a body length of 2.8 cm for a scale 1:2

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southside of the Balsas River Basin in Guerrero, Mexico
Habitat: Tropical deciduous forests, thornscrub, semi-deserts
Diet: Primarily insects and other arthropods, occasionally small reptiles, amphibians, birds, rodents.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: There is confusion to the identity of spiders referred to as Mexican red-knees, since the description of a cryptic sibling species, B. hamorii, by Cleton and Verdez in 1997. The two species are indistinguishable morphologically and can only be separated by DNA barcoding and strict geographic distribution. In the absence of a figure being specifically ascribed to a given species, I am referring to all figures as the classic B. smithi. Both species are very common in the pet trade (and don't be surprised if the pet store doesn't know which species they are selling).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Papilio memnon Linnaeus, 1758 (great Mormon)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Caterpillar
Year of Release: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length 11.5 cm for a scale of 2.5:1-2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: There are three figures in this collection, all the same sculpt representing different species of Papilio. Assembly is required and the final product is articulated. These are not toys, and are probably best for serious and patient collectors who specialize in these taxa. All three species have a retractable osmeterium (a defense organ) that can be exposed by first pulling the head and legs forward, popping out the osmeterium, and then resetting the head (see inset). For this particular figure I am displaying it without the osmeterium (but another species in the set has its osmeterium exposed on my shelves). All three figures also come with a base that allows them to be displayed off the ground (as if on a branch), but I display mine without the base (takes up less space that way).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Forests, forest clearings, citrus orchards, gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on Citrus; adults take nectar from a variety of flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Papilio memnon is a highly variable species; it has four forms of the adult male and many forms of the adult female (up to 26 have been reported). Sexual dimorphism is also pronounced. The strong polymorphy of this species is believed to be related to Batesian mimicry, with individual populations resembling toxic or distasteful species they share a common range with.