Mathison Museum of Natural History

Nice again

Nice again

Species: Locusta migratoria (Linnaeus, 1758) (migratory locust)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments
Year of Release: Unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including wings) 5.4 cm, with scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure came from a limited series called Natural Monuments, not to be confused with the Natural Monuments of Japan collection. It is similar to, but not a copy of, the original Chocoegg figure (however, like the Chocoegg figure, assembly is required). Also, unlike most migratory locust figures, this one is actually painted as the migratory/gregarious phase!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Much of the Old World, including much of Africa (outside of the Sahara Desert), Europe, much of Asia, Japan, northern Australia, New Zealand
Habitat: Highly variable, including lowland forests, river deltas, grasslands, deserts, disturbed areas, and agricultural fields, often in open areas
Diet: Grasses
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Locusta migratoria transitions between the solitary and gregarious phases based on population density. As the population gets larger, it slowly transitions from the solitary phase to the gregarious phase (with intermediate phases as well). The solitary phases tend to be brown and green while the gregarious phase is yellow-brown without green.

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Fantastic- so realistic!

I agree, very realistic and beautiful picture!

Beautiful

Species: †Lutra lutra whiteleyi Gray, 1867 (Japanese river otter)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Shikoku
Year of Release: 2013
Size/Scale: Figure height 6.3 cm. Body length (excluding tail) 6.0 cm, for a scale of 1:9.5-1:15.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare (as subspecies)
Miscellaneous Notes: Minimal assembly is required. I also have the 2018 Papo Eurasian river otter to represent the mainland/nominate subspecies (although I haven't entirely ruled-out substituting it for the 2021 CollectA figure; will have to wait to see collectors' pics online).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, canals
Diet: Fish, freshwater crustaceans, insects, plant material
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Extinct
Miscellaneous Notes: Sometimes classified as a separate species (L. nippon), the Japanese river otter was formally declared extinct in 2012. Its extinction is believed to have been caused by overhunting for their pelts and contamination of freshwater environments.

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A nice otter

Such a gorgeous Otter! Especially as the dog in my avatar is called Otter!

A great one, it is too bad this nice animal is extinct.

How different is the Japanese river otter from the European? Could a figure of a Japanese otter be used as a European, or are there too many differences?

I didn't comment on the locust, but when I saw the photo I initially thought it was a real-life photos; the figure, setting and photo are so good!

rogerpgvg wrote:

How different is the Japanese river otter from the European? Could a figure of a Japanese otter be used as a European, or are there too many differences?

I didn't comment on the locust, but when I saw the photo I initially thought it was a real-life photos; the figure, setting and photo are so good!

You can use a Japanese otter for a European one just fine, they are the same species. The subspecies statuses for Eurasian otters are a matter of debate anyway. Morphologically, there is not much, if anything, different.

Wonderful picture but sad story!

Species: Cuculus canorus Linnaeus, 1758 (common cuckoo)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 9
Year of Release: 2004
Size/Scale: Figure stands 4.5 cm tall. Measured along spine, body length 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:5.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being a Choco Q figure, assembly is required. I am aware of only two figures of this species, both by Kaiyodo: this one, and one in the Birdtales line featuring the chick being fed by a host!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Much of Europe and Asia; one subspecies winters in sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat: Highly variable, including forests, meadows, steppes, moorlands, agricultural fields, disturbed areas, yards and gardens
Diet: Primarily insects, occasionally eggs and chicks of host bird
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cuckoos are best known for their social parasitism. The female cuckoo lays an egg in the nest of another species; the cuckoo's egg mimics the egg of the host species and will vary in color depending on what the host is. The female cuckoo will also remove an egg of the host bird, so the number of eggs in the nest remains the same. The cuckoo chick usually hatches earlier than those of the host, and will dispatch the other eggs or chicks so it receives all of the food brought by the host bird.

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What a beautiful model!

A must have

Wonderful Otter and Cuckoo

Wonderful model and display!!

Species: Pectinia lactuca (Pallas, 1776) (lettuce coral)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Corals in Colour
Year of Release: 2005
Size/Scale: Figure 3.0 cm wide for a scale of 1:33 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Yujin corals are small and made out of a limestone-calcium carbonate sandstone, rather than the usual PVC. They make great accessories for other marine wildlife.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Reefs, usually on lower slopes in turbid water at depths of 1-15 meters
Diet: Planktonic organisms that drift within reach
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Pectinia lactuca is a colonial reef-building coral. Colonies are submassive or form thick plates with radiating bodies.

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A wonderful coral!

Very beautiful composition!

Lovely coral figur

Species: Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758) (European stag beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Little Wonders
Year of Release: 2015
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 7.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: When this figure was first released, the line was called 'Insects' and included reptiles and amphibians; the line is now called Little Wonders. 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. This miniature stag beetle has a body length of 4.2 cm (including mandibles), making it about 1:2 for a large major male (it is technically within the 1:1 scale for a male, but a male that small would probably be a minor male and have much shorter mandibles).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Europe, east into parts of the Middle East and Central Asia
Habitat: Old-growth hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood of hardwood trees, particularly Quercus (oak), but also Tilia (lime), Fagus (beech), Acer (maple), Populus (poplar), and Fraxinus (ash), among several others; also rotting timber, bark chippings, compost heaps in gardens, and other detritus. Adults feed on nectar and tree sap.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Larvae of L. cervus require large, old trees in which to develop. The destruction of old-growth forests throughout Europe has lead to a substantial decline in the beetle's population. It is extinct in some European countries and very rare in many others. It is now protected throughout much of its range.

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I prefer the big version whose proportions are far better! It's a rather common species here.. :)

Caracal wrote:

I prefer the big version whose proportions are far better! It's a rather common species here.. :)

Yes, the populations appear to be more secure in southern Europe. When I lived in the Czech Republic, they were rare to virtually extinct in Bohemia (at least where I was) but common in southern Moravia.