Mathison Museum of Natural History

Species: Euphractus sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758) (six-banded armadillo)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Eikoh
Series: Miniature Planet Vol. 3
Year of Release: 2014
Size/Scale: Figure length 6.2 cm. Head-and-body length 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:10-1:12.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Armadillo figures are generally rarely made, and this is currently a unique species in the toy/figure world. With their small size, sturdy construction, good detail, and taxonomic diversity, I predict Eikoh figures will be pursued some day as Play Visions are today :).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America east of the Andes, from southern Suriname to northern Argentina
Habitat: Forests, savannas, cerrados, shrublands, and agricultural fields, usually in drier areas.
Diet: Invertebrates, fruits, tubers, palm nuts, and carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The name is somewhat misleading as there appears to be seven bands on the body between the pectoral and pelvic shields (the first 'band' is technically part of the pectoral shield). Like other armadillos, E. sexcinctus is fossorial and digs burrows in dry soil.

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I love Eikoh models and this armadillo is just wonderful!
I think I have their dogs coming for Christmas, and so I'm very excited as I love the style of this model!

A beautieful figur

It is so wonderful, and currently on my wishlist

Thanks for the informations! I thought it would be a seven-banded armadillo - learned something new

Duck-Anch-Amun wrote:

Thanks for the informations! I thought it would be a seven-banded armadillo - learned something new

Yes, and the paint job is deceiving, which doesn't help. However, the seven-banded belongs to a different group of armadillos that has a very different head morphology too.

Armadillo figures are so rare, this one was very welcomed despite the painting.

Wonderful model of a not so common species.

very beautiful picture!

Caracal wrote:

very beautiful picture!

Indeed !

Species: Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1810 (shortfin mako shark)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Sealife
Year of Release: 2014
Size/Scale: Figure length about 12.0 cm. Measured along midline, total body length 15.2 cm for a scale of 1:18-1:26.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: I believe Safari Ltd. started the trend of making mako sharks in this dynamic pose. While Safari updated the posture in their 2017 model, I still prefer this CollectA figure (which is uncommon because normally Safari Ltd. is my go-to for sharks :-).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide in temperate and tropical oceans
Habitat: Pelagic, at depths of 0-750 meters (usually 100-150 meters)
Diet: Primarily cephalopods and fish; occasionally sea turtles, small cetaceans, sea birds, rarely other sharks
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Isurus oxyrinchus is often regarded as the fastest shark, with top speeds up to 74 kilometers per hour (give or take).

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Amazing and so realistic!

very realist!

Species: Eubalaena glacialis (Müller, 1776) (North Atlantic right whale)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Sealife
Year of Release: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length 23.0 cm for a scale of 1:54-1:78
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon (genus-level)
Miscellaneous Notes: Safari Ltd. did not designate a species for this figure, so I chose E. glacialis as it is the species associated with the Atlantic coasts of North America, including Florida (and Safari is a Florida-based company). The three species of Eubalaena are morphologically indistinguishable, so a collector can designate any species he or she wishes.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Atlantic Ocean. In the West, from Artic waters south to the Caribbean. In the East, populations used to go as far south as North Africa (see below).
Habitat: Pelagic, usually at depths of 0-16 meters
Diet: Filter-feeder of marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike the southern right whale (E. australis), populations of the North Atlantic right whale are threatened. There is concern that the eastern populations along Europe and North Africa may be functionally extinct. One of the major causes for the species' decline has been whaling. In fact, it is often believed the common name 'right' whale comes from whalers claiming it was the 'right' whale to hunt, since they are docile, usually close to shore, and stay near the surface of the water.

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I hope it will survive and increase..

I saw on tv info that a new beack whale species has been discovered in Pacific ocean, there was a film showing a stocky shape like this one, but with a little beak! :)

Caracal wrote:

I hope it will survive and increase..

I saw on tv info that a new beack whale species has been discovered in Pacific ocean, there was a film showing a stocky shape like this one, but with a little beak! :)

Thanks, and thanks for the info on the new whale species! Neat!

Species: Lamprima aurata (Latreille, 1817) (golden stag beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Series 3
Year of Release: 1999
Size/Scale: Body length including mandibles 6.0 cm for a scale of 4:1-1.5:1 (the mandibles are a bit exaggerated in this figure which could alter scale a bit)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being from one of the original lines of Cadbury Yowies, assembly is required and the figure is a bit stylized. Still, another unique representative of the Australian fauna thanks to the Yowies!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Coastal and subcoastal eastern and southern Australia
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Larvae feed in the rotting wood of several plants, primarily Eucalyptus but also she-oak (Casuarina), Acacia, Banksia, and introduced plants including willows (Salix), occasionally also in fence posts, telegraph poles, and sawdust piles; adults feed on fruit and sap flows created by nipping young shoots on trees and shrubs.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Lamprima aurata is very popular with collectors due to its bright metallic colors; luckily, it does not appear to be threatened by collecting and remains common throughout its range.

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A unique figure of a unique species!

A species which deserves rather well its scientific species name!

Species: Mimetica species (bush cricket; leaf-mimic katydid)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Insects
Year of Release: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length 6.0 cm. Scale species-dependent (I have had trouble researching this genus, but this figure is probably close to 1:1).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was, and still is, a challenge to get a precise identification on. It was marketed as 'bush cricket', which usually implies a grasshopper in the family Tettigoniidae. I think one of the biggest challenges was that the sculptor/designer made the wings flat and sideways on the body, as if mimicking leaf dorsally, rather than tall and mimicking a leaf laterally. To my knowledge, none of the Mimetica species (nor any of the broad-leaf mimics) hold their wings like this. If we take this as artistic license, the figure is a good representative of Mimetica, with potential options being M. viridifolia or M. mortuifolia (I favor the latter). In the past I have suggested an identification of Aegimia elongata but I am dismissing that ID now. Given the figure represents a member of Tettigoniidae, it should have much longer antennae, although it was probably too challenging to do wo safely without risk of breakage.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Plants, primarily leaves
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A (species dependent)
Miscellaneous Notes: As the Latin name suggests, Mimetica species are mimics of leaves, some even displaying shapes and colors suggesting disease or damage to the leaf, such as signs of caterpillar feeding. This mimicry allows them to avoid predation by birds, reptiles, and other animals.

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Wonderful ones. I also have the Mako shark. I will definitely add the Right Whale to my collection.

Such an interesting figure!