Mathison Museum of Natural History

Wow that is a lot! When there is something you love collecting though no amount is too many!

Species: Bombus sp. (bumble bee)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Authentics Insects
Year of Release: 1995
Size/Scale: Figure length 3.5 cm. Scale species-dependent but on average this figure scales 1.5:1-2:1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Bees in general are commonly made, whether by major manufacturers or in generic bin-style sets, but rarely specifically attributed to a member of Bombus.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Holarctic, in the Western Hemisphere south to South America; introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania
Habitat: Fields, forests, gardens, disturbed areas
Diet: Larvae are fed nectar and pollen by adults; adults feed on nectar
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A (species-dependent)
Miscellaneous Notes: There are over 250 species in the genus Bombus.

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Species: Micruroides euryxanthus (Kennicott, 1860) (Arizona coral snake)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series: Snakes
Year of Release: Unknown
Size/Scale: Figure length 14.0 cm; measured along midline 26.0 cm, making it 1:1-1:2.3 in scale.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This same sculpt was used for the Snakes to Go collection by Club Earth

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southwestern USA, northwestern Mexico
Habitat: Deserts and semi-arid plains, often in rocky areas
Diet: Small snakes and lizards
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The Arizona coral snake is venomous and possesses a very painful neurotoxin; however, to my knowledge no fatalities have been reported. I saw this species once in life, after a brief monsoon shower at Lake Roosevelt in Arizona.

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Species: Cryptoprocta ferox Bennett, 1833 (fossa)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yowie Group
Series: Wildlife Conservation Series
Year of Release: 2018
Size/Scale: Figure length 5.0 cm; head-body length 6.4 cm for a scale of 1:11-1:12.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The tail appears to be a bit short, but still a great species to have in toy/figure form. I welcome this species by a major Western manufacturer someday.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Madagascar
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Smaller animals, including lemurs, tenrecs, lizards, birds, and invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: The fossa is the largest mammalian carnivore and top predator in Madagascar.

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Would love to see at last a fossa made by CollectA or Safari ltd

Kikimalou wrote:

Would love to see at last a fossa made by CollectA or Safari ltd

Me too!

What a sweet little model and I must admit I had never heard of a Fossa until now! Thank you very much for sharing and I would also love to see one done by the major brands!

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Species: Vulpes ferrilata Hodgson, 1842 (Tibetan sand fox)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Natural History
Series: Naturally Adorkable
Year of Release: 2016
Size/Scale: Figure 6.0 cm tall. Measured along spine, head-body length 8.3 cm, for a scale of 1:7.2-1:8.4.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Naturally Adorkable collection is made up of solid-piece resin figures that primarily represent Chinese species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tibetan Plateau of western China and Ladakh plateau of northern India
Habitat: Semi-arid and arid grasslands, usually between 3,500 and 5,200 meters in elevation
Diet: Primarily pikas, but also rodents, hares, reptiles, and occassionally a scavenger
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The unusual-shaped head is an adaptation for hunting its specialized prey.

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Oh yay a canid!! And an unusual one to go with it! Great background too, looks as though it's sitting on a large desert! Haven't got this in my collection but am hoping to add one day! Thank you so much for sharing and can't wait for more!!
And I'd love to know more about why the unusual shaped head helps it to hunt its prey

I love that fox, it is such a splendid model.

That fox is a must have

very beautiful work Blaine!

Thanks everyone!

Species: Batocera lineolata Chevrolat, 1852 (white-striped longhorn beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: B.I.G. Beetles
Year of Release: 2011
Size/Scale: Body length 8.0 cm, for a scale of 1.5:1-1.8:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare to unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly is required and points of attachment are loose, allowing for some articulation.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution:  Much of Southeast Asia, including India, Laos, Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, and Taiwan; also Hawaii
Habitat: Deciduous forests
Diet: Larvae breed in the wood of several hardwood trees, including oak, chestnut, and walnut. Adults feed on the bark of host trees and sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A
Miscellaneous Notes: Females typically oviposit in older trees (>30 years old, >15 cm in diameter), but will occasionally damage seedlings, and the species is considered a forestry pest in some areas.

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Species: †Camarasaurus lentus (Marsh, 1889)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Release: 2019
Size/Scale: Figure 35.0 cm long. Height at shoulder 10.0 cm. Scale roughly 1:40.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: For a species common in the fossil record, Camarasaurus has not been made often in toy/figure form. Being a fairly recent release, this figure nicely highlights a lot of what we have learned about sauropod anatomy, including the mouth structure, the claws on the feet, and position of the nostrils.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian to Tithonian) of present day Colorado and Utah
Habitat: Arid, semi-arid areas, and tropical plains
Diet: Vegetation
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A (prehistoric)
Miscellaneous Notes: Camarasaurus fossils have been found in the Morrison Formation, a famous site extremely rich in dinosaur fossils. Among the species it lived alongside was the top predator Allosaurus fragilis, which probably hunted Camarasaurus.

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Two more beautiful species!

Species: Melolontha melolontha (Linnaeus, 1758) (common cockchafer)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Small Insects and Spiders Collection
Year of Release: 1994
Size/Scale: Body length 4.5 cm, for a scale of 1.3:1-1.7:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge there are only two figures of this species, this one and a vintage 'mini' figure by Schleich.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Throughout much of Europe
Habitat: Forests, fields, gardens, parks, disturbed areas
Diet: Subterranean larvae live in soil and feed on the roots of various plants; adults feed on leaves and flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Other common names for this and related species are 'May beetle', 'June beetle', and 'junebug'. These names come from these species commonly being active as adults in May and June.

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A May bug!!
Now I know it is actually called the common cockchafer! Great figure!
My one experience with this bug, was when this huge flying thing making a deep buzz came flying down onto my head...
I had never seen such a large bug that could actually fly!

Species: Hadrurus arizonensis Ewing, 1928 (Arizona desert hairy scorpion)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Desert TOOB
Year of Release: 2004
Size/Scale: Total figure length 6.4 cm. Body length (minus chelae) 6.0 cm, for a scale of of approximately 1:2.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The species identification is my own, but given the theme of the TOOB (North American deserts) and the color, H. arizonensis is the most-likely candidate.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Sonoran and Mohave Deserts of southwestern USA and northern Mexico
Habitat: Deserts
Diet: Insects, arachnids, and small vertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like all scorpions, H. arizonensis has a venomous sting, although it is not very potent to humans and has been described as resembling the sting of a honey bee.

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