Mathison Museum of Natural History

[BlueKrono]

Is Paleocasts still in operation?

[bmathison1972]

Is Paleocasts still in operation?

@BlueKrono -  I went to their Etsy site yesterday and there wasn't anything; Patrick might be on vacation. I was in touch with him about this post to make sure I got things right, so he will respond to emails; I can ask him if you want and maybe pass on his email via PM

[bmathison1972]

Species: Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (Motschulsky, 1866) (large brown cicada)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai Spirits
Series: Life With Insect - Desktop Models; Insects in the World - Desktop Models
Years of Production: 2020; 2021
Size/Scale: Body length 4.3 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen G. nigrofuscata in the Museum. The figure with the pale eyes was released in 2020 in the Life with Insect collection and represents exuviae of a molted cicada; the figure with the darker eyes was released in 2021 in the Insects in the World collection and represents a nymph (although both figures use the same sculpt so the nymph has an open ecdysial suture).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia, including China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan
Habitat: Forests, parks, gardens; requires trees and soil conditions to support nymphal development
Diet: Juices from subterranean tree roots
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Cicadas are known for their long subterranean development; Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata remains underground for six years before molting into an adult.

[NSD Bashe]

That is so cool to actually see detailed figures of those, I used to see the American versions of these guys all the time when I was at my grandmother's house.  I even got to see one molt out once and it had all these pretty light pale green and yellow and red colors at first, almost like a butterfly emerging.  And I would find the skins all over the trees and down by the dock...  Your post is giving me such nostalgia   

[BlueKrono]

Is Paleocasts still in operation?

@BlueKrono -  I went to their Etsy site yesterday and there wasn't anything; Patrick might be on vacation. I was in touch with him about this post to make sure I got things right, so he will respond to emails; I can ask him if you want and maybe pass on his email via PM

That would be great. I'd love to find out all the species he can make.

[bmathison1972]

That is so cool to actually see detailed figures of those, I used to see the American versions of these guys all the time when I was at my grandmother's house.  I even got to see one molt out once and it had all these pretty light pale green and yellow and red colors at first, almost like a butterfly emerging.  And I would find the skins all over the trees and down by the dock...  Your post is giving me such nostalgia   

Thanks, NSD Bashe! Glad you are enjoying it! I would see a similar phenomenon with an annual cicada growing up in Arizona

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tenodera aridifolia (Stoll, 1813) (Japanese giant mantis)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Furuta
Series: Insect Science
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length 7.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: There were eight figures in the Insect Science collection, four 'primary' figures and four 'secondary' figures that were paired with the primary figure; the pairing seemed to have a connection. Today's mantis was a primary figure that was paired with migratory locust (Locusta migratoria); I presume the pair represented a predator-prey relationship.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia, Japan
Habitat: Woodlands, riparian areas, grasslands, meadows, agricultural fields, parks, gardens
Diet: Primarily other arthropods; on occasion small reptiles, amphibians, and hummingbirds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There has been some confusion on the taxonomic identity of this species, as the Chinese mantis (T. sinensis), which is more familiar to most casual observers and non-specialists, was originally described as a subspecies of T. aridifolia and older accounts of the true Chinese mantis often refer to T. aridifolia.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cyanoptila cyanomelana (Temminck, 1829) (blue-and-white flycatcher)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Birdtales Series 1
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.3 cm in diameter. Total figure height (including base) 4.0 cm. Body length approximately 3.0 cm for a scale of 1:5.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required, and the bird is not wholly removable from the base (it's feet are part of the rock base).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia, Japan
Habitat: Lowland and submontane forests
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: There are two subspecies of C. cyanomelana: the nominate C. c. cyanomelana, which breeds in Japan and the southern Kuril Islands, and C. c. intermedia which breeds on mainland Asia in northeast China, southeastern Russia, and the Korean Peninsula. Both subspecies winter south in Thailand, Myanmar, and the Greater Sundas.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tharrhalea variabilis (Koch, 1875) (white flower spider)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Series 3
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Body length 3.5 cm for a scale of 5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was originally marketed as Diaea variabilis, which is now in the genus Tharrhalea (see below). Being one of the original Australian Yowies, assembly is required. Despite the somewhat stylized nature of the figure, it is fairly accurate with regards to the number and arrangement of eyes, something many spider figure fall short on.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia (Queensland, New South Wales)
Habitat: Open woodlands, fields, parks, gardens; usually on low, flowering vegetation
Diet: Flower-visiting insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: This species has a somewhat complex taxonomic history. It was originally described as Diaea variabilis. In 2014, the genus Lehtinelagia was described to accommodate D. variabilis and four other species. In 2016, Lehtinelagia was placed in synonomy with Tharrhalea.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Phalacrocorax carbo carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) (North Atlantic great cormorant)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Figure width 10.0 cm. Body length challenging to calculate but measured along spine approximately 7.3 cm for a scale of 1:11.5-1:12.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: When this figure was first released, it created quite a discussion on what species it represents. Depending on which metric was used (head shape, number of tail feathers, etc.) it could possibly be assigned to any one of a few taxa. The general consensus however, is that it represents P. carbo, which is in line with Papo's recent deluge of common and familiar European birds. I also have a Kaiyodo figure representing a Eurasian subspecies (P. c. sinensis) and it will be reviewed at a later date.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Atlantic; coastally from Scandinavia to North Africa and east to Siberia in the East Atlantic and Greenland and along the eastern seaboard of North America in the West Atlantic.
Habitat: North American populations primarily breed along marine coastlines and coastal estuaries; Eurasian populations primarily breed inland along large lakes and rivers
Diet: Fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Depending on the taxonomy followed, there are 4-5 subspecies of P. carbo: P. c. carbo (North Atlantic), P. c. novaehollandiae (Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Chatham Islands), P. c. sinensis (north-central Europe to East Asia), P. carbo hanedae (Japan: Honshu Island), and P. c. maroccanus (coastal northwestern Africa).  Phalacrocorax. c. maroccanus is more commonly considered a subspecies of P. lucidus, however.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi Thomas, 1911 (golden takin)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CBIOV
Series: Protected Animals of China
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:16.25-1:17.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: CBIOV also used this sculpt for a Sichuan takin (B. t. tibetana). At the time of this writing, I believe this figure was only one of two available for this subspecies, the other being produced by forum member Ana and sold on the Likaon website. However, it seems like we've been waiting for over a year now for Ikimon to release a China-centric set that includes a small gashapon-sized B. t. bedfordi.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: China (Qin Mountains)
Habitat: Montane forests and forested valleys, at elevations of 1,200-3,500 meters
Diet: Leaves, grasses, herbs; in the winter, twigs and evergreen leaves
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable (as a species)
Miscellaneous Notes: Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi is endemic to forested regions in the Qin Mountains of China above 1,200 meters. Having such a restricted range and habitat makes the golden takin highly susceptible to deforestation. Takins, in general, are also prone to overhunting. Otherwise, the only natural predators are wolves and bears.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Spheniscus humboldti Mayen, 1834
Common name(s): Humboldt penguin; pajaro-niño

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Penguins of the World
Year of Production: 2017 (2003)
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:10
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth (and final!) species of Spheniscus we've seen in the Museum! My figure is the 2017 release of a model originally produced in 2003.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Coastal Chile and Peru, and their surrounding islands
Habitat: Coastal waters; breeding on rocky shores, in guano pits, and in caves
Diet: Fish, squid
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Spheniscus humboldti is able to survive so far north due to the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterized by cold nutrient-rich waters. Both the Humboldt Current and Humboldt penguin are named after German naturalist and explorer Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Archelon ischyros Wieland, 1896

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Favorite Co. Ltd.
Series: Prehistoric Life Soft Model
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Body length 14.0 cm for a scale of 1:25
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The animal is removable from its base. Favorite also made a larger Vinyl Model version of this species, and several small (tube, gashapon) versions exist by Kaiyodo, Colorata, Eikoh, and others.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Campanian) of present-day western North America in the Western Interior Seaway
Habitat: Marine, benthic to pelagic
Diet: Marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite morphologic similarities, A. ischyros and kin (Prostegidae) are not in the same clade as modern sea turtles (crown-group Chelonoidea), but the two groups may have split from a common ancestor in the early Cretaceous.

[SerAndrew]

Hi!
I like this model and may be interested in getting it because of taxonomic interest. However, I'm a bit picky with the extinct animals I get, and this one seems a bit too undetailed. Also, I'm not an expert, so I don't know how accurate the model is. From what I see in the web, it seems that the figure lacks the ridge in the middle of the carapacce.

What's the overall thinking about this figure in the comunity??

Thanks!

[BlueKrono]

Hi!
I like this model and may be interested in getting it because of taxonomic interest. However, I'm a bit picky with the extinct animals I get, and this one seems a bit too undetailed. Also, I'm not an expert, so I don't know how accurate the model is. From what I see in the web, it seems that the figure lacks the ridge in the middle of the carapacce.

What's the overall thinking about this figure in the comunity??

Thanks!

Ridges in bone can easily be obscured by layers of fat, muscle and integument in a living animal, especially a large round one that probably did a good job of maintaining homeothermy like Archelon.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Equus greyvi Oustalet, 1882
Common name(s): Grévy's zebra; imperial zebra

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Height at withers (shoulder) 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:19-1:21
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: While zebras are commonly made, few have been specifically attributed to E. greyvi. Several collectors have noted the stripes on the rump of this CollectA rendition are incorrect, being painted vertical rather than radially curving inward.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Africa (northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia)
Habitat: Semi-arid grasslands, Acacia savanna
Diet: Grasses, forbs, legumes
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike many other equids, E. grevyi does not form well-defined social groups. A territorial male will have a defined range, but the composition of his herd can vary daily as new members enter his territory and others leave. For the most part, territorial males are solitary, except when females arrive in breeding season. Non-territorial males (bachelor males) often travel in small groups of 2-6.

[bmathison1972]

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Easter Unlimited, Inc.
Series: Fun World
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Legspan 17.0 cm. Body length 7.5 cm for a scale of 9:1-5.75:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seenL. mactans in the Museum. This figure was sold as Halloween novelty toy. Despite this, it's rather a nice looking black widow (except for getting the number and arrangement of eyes wrong, which even some of the best major companies do).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern and southeastern USA and the West Indies; naturalized in 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 is a tangled web weaver; despite the haphazard appearance if its web, there is an organized plan with three structural levels. The uppermost level is a complex of supporting threads. The middle level are tangle threads. The lower level is made up of vertical trap threads. During the day, when the spider is not active, it spends its time in a silken tunnel which is the core of the snare.

[Gwangi]

I've been toying around with doing spooky creature reviews for this October again. It was fun last year but I don't have many spooky animals on hand at the moment.

[bmathison1972]

I've been toying around with doing spooky creature reviews for this October again. It was fun last year but I don't have many spooky animals on hand at the moment.

I was thinking about that too and was going to remind the forum in mid-late September. I still have ample arthropods luckily LOL, but most of the familiar 'scary' or venomous ones have already been showcased (at least as a species). I just got the Play Visions vampire bat, but it would be better for someone to review the Bats collection as a whole (I only have 4-5 of the species).

[Gwangi]

I'm sure I can scrape up a few things. Might also mean I have to make a few purchases, any excuse to add to the collection and expand the blog.