Mathison Museum of Natural History

many beautiful models I missed!

Species: Stauropus fagi (Linnaeus, 1758) (lobster moth, larva)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars Vol. 2
Year of Release: 2014
Size/Scale: Figure length 6.5 cm. Measured along midline, body 8.5 cm for a scale of 1.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure has a wire in it to reposition it, however I would not recommend it as the main body of the figure is stiff appears to be prone to breakage.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Palearctic
Habitat: Forests, parks, gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on numerous species of plants, including but not limited to, those in the genera Acer (maple), Betula (birch), Castanea (chestnut), Prunus (cherries, peaches, almonds), Quercus (oak), Salix (willow), Fagus (beech), and Tilia (linden); adults do not feed.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Stauropus fagi gets its common English name, 'lobster moth', from the crustacean-like appearance of the larva. When confronted by a would-be predator, the caterpillar engages in a menacing display by arching its body and flaying around its long, slender thoracic legs.

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Wow

Unique model?.. I am not surprised!

This one actually gave me goose bumps looking at it... what a strange and lovely bug!

A fantastic model showing Japanese brands at their best! So detailed and perfectly sculpted!

Species: Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1801) (Australian magpie)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Science & Nature
Series: Animals of Australia
Year of Release: 2019
Size/Scale: Figure height 6.0 cm. Body length 9.0 cm for a scale of roughly 1:4-1:5
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 by Cadbury (Yowies), which is somewhat stylized and requires assembly.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Trans-Fly region of New Guinea, much of Australia (outside of the large central deserts); introduced to New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Fiji
Habitat: Forest edges, fields, grasslands, parks, gardens, golf courses.
Diet: Omnivore, including earthworms, arthropods, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, grains, tubers, fruits, nuts and seeds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like some other birds, G. tibicen is known for its 'swooping' behavior during the breeding season whereby the birds will dive-bomb passerbys (including people) that get too close to their nests, in attempt to drive away would-be intruders and predators.

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Fantastic model of this rare species in figure form!

Beautiful model of a species I did not know!

A nice bird

This bird from Science and Nature is a very interesting release, I hope the brand continues providing figures like these.
It is a pity the ambiguousness of the Mojo cobra, it looks so nice!

Very nice photo

Lobster moth and Australian magpie are excellent models and the pics are excellent too

I still don't understand why we can't find a so common bird as the Eurasian magpie in the toy world

without the white patch on the back of the neck, this bird would easily be a Currawong

Species: Birgus latro (Linnaeus, 1767) (coconut crab)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Okinawa Figure Collection
Year of Release: 2004
Size/Scale: Figure width 4.0 cm. Carapace length 1.8 cm for a scale of 1:3-1:11.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is part of a collection that features different aspects of Japanese culture rather than just animals; there are 15 figures in the set and the only other two that are animals (or at least animals not depicted as food) are an Okinawa rail and Iriomote cat. Some assembly is required. The figure attaches to its coconut base by an acrylic rod, from which it is removable.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coastal habitats on marine islands, usually in sandy or rocky areas, often away from the sea
Diet: Scavengers on organic matter, including carrion, molted exoskeletons of other crabs, fruit, and coconut meat
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Birgus latro is one of the most terrestrially-adapted crab species, often living several kilometers away from the sea. Female crabs return to the sea to release eggs only when they are ready to hatch. The larval (zoeal) and glaucothoe stages are marine, the latter of which utilizes empty gastropod shells like the related hermit crabs.

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Very nice

A beautiful crab.

Very beautiful model and display!

Species: Amoeba proteus (Pallas, 1766) (common ameba)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Ecology of Plankton
Year of Release: 2004
Size/Scale: Figure 3.0 cm long for a scale of 150:1-60:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The figures in the Ecology of Plankton collection come in little jars suspended in a goo (see inset, minus the goo), as if to simulate biological specimens in a lab. I bought my set from forum member sbell, who had already removed the goo (which I probably would have done as well). The jars measure 3.7 cm tall and are 3.0 cm in diameter.

About the Organism:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Freshwater ponds, ditches, lakes, springs, and slow-moving streams, often in the bottom mud or on aquatic vegetation
Diet: Algae, bacteria, other protozoans, rotifers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A
Miscellaneous Notes: Being relatively large (for a protozoan) and visible with under low power with a light microscope, A. proteus is commonly used in classrooms for educating students about cell structure and function.

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unbelievable!.. and it's not unique?..

Amazing!!!

Species: Mecopoda niponensis (de Haan, 1843)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Dreams Come True Ltd.
Series: Sound of Autumn
Year of Release: 2004
Size/Scale: Figure length 4.5 cm. Body length (including forewings) 2.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.5-1:3.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sound of Autumn collection features Asian orthopterans known for their songs. Figures in this set come permanently affixed in small plastic cages, as if to simulate live captive specimens. One can push a button on the side of the cage and it plays the song the animal makes in nature! The cages are 5.5 cm x 4.0 cm x 3.5 cm. Removing them from the cages means irreparably damaging the cages (which was fine by me).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: China, Korean Peninsula, Japan
Habitat: Fields, forests, wetlands, gardens, disturbed areas, usually on low bushes and shrubs
Diet: Leaves and flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had trouble researching information on this species. The scale was calculated based on published data from specimens from China, and the habitat and diet are general for the genus. Mecopoda species are known for their songs; the song of M. niponensis is continuous, sometimes quiet and fast, sometimes loud and slow, with the different rhythm changes gradual and repeated.

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oh a musical figurine! very original!