Mathison Museum of Natural History

[Isidro]

It's exactly in the same position than my homemade European hamster! Mine is six times smaller tough

[bmathison1972]

Species: Blepharopsis mendica (Fabricius, 1772) (Devil's flower mantis; thistle mantis)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Insects
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Total figure length 6.5 cm. Scale difficult to calculate as it appears to represent an L6 nymph (or close). Body length 6.0 which would be close to 1:1 for an adult. This figure can probably fit into the 1:1 scale, even for a nymph.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The legs are somewhat soft compared to the body and it might not stand well over time on its own.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Africa, Middle East, Canary Islands
Habitat: Dry forests, semi-deserts, deserts; usually among shrubby and thorny bushes
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Much like the Idolomantis diabolica seen just a few days ago, B. mendica is primarily an ambush predator of flying insects. All stages (especially the nymphs, as seen today) are well camouflaged among flowers and foliage.

[Isidro]

Very nice species that I like a lot. I leave here one of my species factsheets (in Spanish) that I made with my photos:
https://tubiologia.forosactivos.net/t9456-blepharopsis-mendica

[bmathison1972]

Species: Papilio zelicaon Lucas, 1852 (anise swallowtail)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Beam
Series: Imomushi
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length 7.0 cm for a scale of 1.4:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifth species of Papilio featured in the Museum; the first genus to reach this milestone. The Imomushi collection by Beam features most of the species produced by Club Earth for their Caterpillars to Go collection. Interestingly, however, they are not direct copies, as the caterpillars shared between the two collections are sculpted in different positions. There is little doubt that Club Earth served as the inspiration for this set, and in general the CE caterpillars have been copied several other times. One difference between the Beam and CE collections is that the CE figures are marked with the common English names on the underside, whereas the Beam figures are not. Identification of the latter was only reliably possible by comparing shapes and colors of the sculpts.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western North America
Habitat: Open hills and mountains, fields, gardens, disturbed areas, roadsides
Diet: Larvae feed on several plants in the families Apiaceae (carrot family) and Rutaceae (rues, citrus); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern [NatureServe status Secure]
Miscellaneous Notes: Female P. zelicaon lay eggs singly on the host plants. Young caterpillars feed on leaves while older instars tend to feed on flowers and young seeds. There can be upwards of four broods a year and the butterfly can overwinter as a pupa.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mesocricetus auratus (Waterhouse, 1839) (golden hamster; Syrian hamster)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Hamster's Lunch
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.5 cm. Body length about 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon [see below]
Miscellaneous Notes: I don't know the frequency of how common this species has been made, taking into account generic hamster figures. I would guess most generic hamsters, especially those released with a pet or domestic theme, probably represent M. auratus since it's one of the species most commonly kept as a pet (even today's figure appears to represent a domestic morphotype). I decided to be a little more creative today, and have the figure off its base for the main image and show the figure with base as an inset.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Aleppian Plateau in Syria, southern Turkey
Habitat: Open steppes, agricultural fields
Diet: Seeds, nuts, insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Although M. auratus is a popular pet, its domestication in the 1930s was originally for the purpose of animal testing by medical researchers. 

[bmathison1972]

Species: Rhinella marina (Linnaeus, 1758) (cane toad)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Venomous Creatures TOOB
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:5-1:4.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This TOOB was recently re-released (not sure when) with different paint jobs; the newer version of this toad looks dusty gray with brown highlights. From what I can tell, this original figure might be more accurate.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, from extreme southern Texas to the Amazon Region and Peru; introduced to the Caribbean, eastern Australia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Oceania, and other parts of the USA (Hawaii, Florida)
Habitat: Tropical and semiarid forests
Diet: Invertebrates, other amphibians, small reptiles, small birds, small mammals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The skin of R. marina is toxic. When threatened, the large parotoid glands (and other glands across its dorsum) release a thick, milky-white bufotoxin. Symptoms of bufotoxin ingestion include shaking and convulsions, loss of coordination, excessive drooling, dyspnea, vomiting, and cardiac arrhythmia. Death has been known to occur. Rhinella marina also secretes bufotenin, a chemical used as a recreational hallucinagenic drug.

Bart: Dad, are you licking toads?
Homer: I'm not not licking toads.

[Gwangi]

I have a pet cane toad and would love to see Safari release one similar to their Incredible Creatures bullfrog. I used to have a Colorado river toad too, which tends to be the go-to species for drug use. I'm not into toad licking of course, I just like the animals. 

[bmathison1972]

I have a pet cane toad and would love to see Safari release one similar to their Incredible Creatures bullfrog. I used to have a Colorado river toad too, which tends to be the go-to species for drug use. I'm not into toad licking of course, I just like the animals. 

Growing up in Arizona, I had lots of toads. During the summer monsoons, the toads would come out. Lots of Couch's spadefoots, too, and sometimes Great Plains toads.

A cane toad would make a perfect addition to the IC line!

[Gwangi]

I have a pet cane toad and would love to see Safari release one similar to their Incredible Creatures bullfrog. I used to have a Colorado river toad too, which tends to be the go-to species for drug use. I'm not into toad licking of course, I just like the animals. 

Growing up in Arizona, I had lots of toads. During the summer monsoons, the toads would come out. Lots of Couch's spadefoots, too, and sometimes Great Plains toads.

A cane toad would make a perfect addition to the IC line!

Where I live is part of the Atlantic coastal plain and we have eastern spadefoots. I see a few every year but only once in the last 4 years I've lived here have we had enough rain to get them to breed in my own backyard. It was really cool, I was hoping it might be a yearly thing but apparently not.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Sarcophilus harrisii (Boitard, 1841) (Tasmanian devil)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Southlands Replicas
Series: Australian Animals
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Figure length 6.0 cm. Scale difficult to calculate, but body length (minus tail) approximately 4.7 cm for a scale of 1:14
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Southlands Replicas are usually among the best representatives of their respective species. Unfortunately they are becoming harder to acquire since the line apparently folded in 2020. Other decent representatives of this species have been made by CollectA, Safari Ltd., and Science & Nature.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tasmania
Habitat: Coastal heath, open and dry sclerophyll forests, mixed forests; dens usually located in hollow logs, caves, burrows
Diet: Carrion, living mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and vegetation; feeding habits usually based on food availability
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Sarcophilus harrisii has been suffering from a clonally transmissible cancer, known as devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), which is believed to have originated in the Schwann cells of the central nervous system. While typical Tasmanian devils have 14 chromosomes, these tumor cells have only 13, four of which are mutated. It is believed these tumor cells are transferred between animals by biting, scavenging infected carcasses, or sharing food. Clinical signs of DFTD include ulcerated nodules; the tumors spread locally and lesions on the face will invade the jaw bone which interferes with eating resulting in starvation, or the eyes which may cause blindness. Tumors can also metastasize to lymph nodes, lungs, heart, and spleen and may result in multiorgan failure.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus, 1758 (sperm whale)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Sealife
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Body length 22.0 cm for a scale of 1:63-1:75 for an average male specimen, or 1:87 for a maximum-sized male (the figure is sculpted as a male)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: There is no shortage of good sperm whale figures available. Other very good ones are the Maia & Borges figures that were made for Schleich (2000), Papo (2016), and Mojö Fun (2018), the Monterey Bay Aquarium (1992) and Wild Safari Sealife (2019) figures by Safari Ltd, and the Papo figure with an articulated jaw (2018). I chose this figure because of size as well as sculpt; most of the other aforementioned figures are a bit big for me. 

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide in all oceans
Habitat: Pelagic, at depths of 0-3200 meters (usually 0-1000 meters)
Diet: Squid, octopus, fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Physeter macrocephalus is a specialized predator on deep sea fish and squid. A common prey for them is the giant squid, Architeuthis dux. While P. macrocephalus typically dives between 300 and 1000 meters in search of food, analysis of gut contents and feces has suggested they can take prey from as deep as 3000 meters. A sperm whale will eat on average 3% of its body weight each day.

[callmejoe3]

Awesome figure. While I think it looks great, I slightly prefer the 2019 Safari Sea Life figure. The CollectA figure is somewhat more detailed, but also feels more stylized. The Safari Sea life figure feels more realistic in its design, like it can pass for the real thing if I took an underwater photo of it and add a few filters.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Acutiramus sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Encyclopedia of the Paleozoic
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Total figure length 8.5 cm. Body length (excluding claws) 6.5 cm. Scale species dependent, but would calculate to 1:25-1:38 for some of the largest species in the genus.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was based on the original Dinotales figure of the same animal, but does not appear to be 100% identical. Minimal assembly required and the figure is removable from its base. This figure was marketed as being in the genus Pterygotus but based on claw and telson morphology, it appears to be an Acutiramus. It may have been based on an older reference in which Acutiramus was still considered a subgenus of Pterygotus (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Silurian to Early Devonian of present-day North America, Europe, and Australia
Habitat: Marine, benthic; probably in shallow waters offshore
Diet: Soft-bodied animals, including marine invertebrates and possibly fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: For years, Acutiramus was classified as a subgenus of Pterygotus. Separation of the genera can be done as follows: Acutiramus has a straight moveable finger on the chelae (claws) with the terminal tooth at an acute angle relative to the rest of the claw, and a paddle-shaped telson (terminal abdominal segment) with a serrated margin and a row of knobs running down its center; Pterygotus has the moveable finger of the chelae curved inwards and a paddle-shaped telson with a smooth margin and dorsal keel running down its center.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Leucopleurus acutus (Gray, 1828) (Atlantic white-sided dolphin)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length 11.3 cm for a scale of 1:18-1:26
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, the only other figure of this species is the 2019 TOOB counterpart by Safari Ltd.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Atlantic Ocean
Habitat: Pelagic, usually at depths of 0-270 meters
Diet: Shrimp, squid, fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Morphological, molecular, behavioral, and communication studies suggest that L. acutus is not closely related to the white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris, currently the only member of the genus Lagenorhynchus) and is the most basal member of Delphinidae. Leucopleurus acutus appears more closely related to killer whales (Orcinus) than Lagenorhynchus.

[Isidro]

Despite I already have one Lagenorhynchus species, I want very much to find this other Lagenorhynchus for sale for add it to my collection. It's very well painted.

[bmathison1972]

Has anyone noticed how the mammals have had a really good run lately (6 out of the last 10!)...

Next up:

Species: Dendrolagus goodfellowi Thomas, 1908 (Goodfellow's tree kangaroo; ornate tree kangaroo)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: PNSO
Series: Oceania Animals
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Figure height 6.5 cm. Body length (excluding tail) approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:6.8-1:9.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The only other figure of this species I am aware of is a small bottlecap figure by Kaiyodo for the Zoorasia collection; that figure is a 'two-for-one' mini diorama that also includes a red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus). However, there are at least three other species of Dendrolagus represented as a toy/figure.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Papua New Guinea
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Leaves, primarily of Flindersia pimenteliana (maple silkwood tree); also fruits, cereals, flowers, grasses
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of Dendrolagus goodfellowi have dropped due to extensive destruction of the lowland rainforests. Most of the existing populations occur in Natural Parks and reserves and in the rainforests in the highlands of New Guinea.



Speaking of the mammals having a good run, today was the 50th mammal in the Museum to date. How have they fared? Let's take a look:

Carnivora: 15
Artiodactyla (including cetaceans): 13 (5 cetaceans)
Rodentia: 7
Marsupialia: 5
Chiroptera: 3
Sirenia: 1
Perissodactyla: 1
Cingulata: 1
Lagomorpha: 1
Liopterna: 1
Pilosa: 1
Primates: 1

[bmathison1972]

Species: Manis pentadactyla Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): Chinese pangolin

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Naturalism
Series: Naturally Adorkable
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Figure length 8.0 cm. Scale difficult to calculate but body length (including tail) 9.7 cm for a scale of roughly 1:8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Naturally Adorkable collection is made up of resin figures released in conjunction with the Chinese magazine Natural History. The almost all represent unusual taxa of Central Asian and Chinese species (except, surprisingly, for a sloth from South America). Today's pangolin appears to have been designed to hang off something, such as the edge of a cup or glass.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Subtropical deciduous and coniferous forests, grasslands, agricultural fields
Diet: Insects, primarily ants and termites
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Manis pentadactyla faces many threats, most notably poaching for their meat and scales, the latter of which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. They are also threatened by habitat destruction and the exotic pet trade. Early in the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, Chinese pangolins were believed to be the natural host of the virus; however, it is now generally believed the original host was a bat.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771) (Japanese rhinoceros beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - Beetle Magnet
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including horn) 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:2.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our seventh time seeing A. dichotoma in the Museum, and to date all seven specimens are from different companies! Today's figure is from a set of small figures with a magnet on the ventral side.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, including China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on organic detritus in soil; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: It's no surprise we have seen A. dichotoma seven times from seven different companies (and there are several more to come). Known as kabutomushi in Japanese, A. dichotoma is extremely popular in Japanese culture and has been anthropomorphized in many commercials, toys (Zoids, Transformers), television shows (Time Bokan, Jûkô B-Fighter, Transformers), roll-playing and video games (Dragon Quest, Mushihimesama, Sengoku Basara), and movies (Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Kamen Rider Stronger, Kamen Rider Kabuto).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Oedaleus australis de Saussure, 1888 (eastern plague grasshopper)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Series 1; Yowies UK Series 1
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Body length of Australian figure 6.0 cm for a scale of 2:1. Body length of UK figure 5.0 cm; figure appears to be a nymph but probably also fits into the 2:1 scale.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare [unique as a pair]
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure on the upper right is the Australian release; assembly is required. The figure on the lower left is the UK release; no assembly is required and it is permanently affixed to its leaf base. Like most of the original Yowies, both figures are somewhat stylized, and in both the antennae are too long for a member of Acrididae. Also, the UK figure on the leaf has short wings with an exposed abdomen, suggesting it is a nymph.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia, especially the eastern half
Habitat: Grasslands, semi-arid plains
Diet: Grasses
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Surprisingly, I had difficulty finding information on the biology and habitat of this species. It is a migratory species and does not appear to be an agricultural pest like the similar Australian plague locust, Chortoicetes terminifera.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chromacris speciosa (Thunberg, 1824) (soldier grasshopper)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Insects
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length 5.5 cm; scale is difficult to calculate as the figure represents a nymph, but comes to roughly 2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was simply marketed as 'grasshopper'; the species-level identification is community-based, but seems to be sound for a nymph of C. speciosa (at the very least, the genus Chromacris is sound). Play Visions figures are often stylized with regards to their paint applications, so there is often some degree of ambiguity when using color as a metric.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina
Habitat: Scrubland, savanna, patchy woodlands
Diet: Vegetation, primarily plants in the families Solanaceae (nightshades), Myrtaceae (myrtles), and Poaceae (grasses); occasionally a pest of crops such as sugarcane and rice
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: It is still unknown if the color pattern of the nymphs of C. speciosa represents aposematic coloration (bright colors that warn would-be predators the animal is distasteful if eaten). Nymphs of C. speciosa commonly feed on solanaceous plants, which are protected from many herbivores by possessing toxic compounds. It is possible that C. speciosa is distasteful by acquiring toxins from eating certain plants. Nymphs of C. speciosa are also highly gregarious, a common habit among grasshoppers that confer gut-content mediated toxicity to would-be predators.