Mathison Museum of Natural History

Species: Tachypleus tridentatus (Leach, 1819)
Common name(s): Japanese horseshoe crab; tri-spine horseshoe crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: New Friends of the Waterside
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length 12.0 cm for a scale of 1:4.5 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There is a point of articulation between the carapace and the abdomen. Based on the lateral spines, the figure was modeled after a male specimen, and the scale above is calculated for a male. The sculpt is rather perplexing. The morphologic features are accurate for T. tridentatus dorsally; however, the gills on the underside are those of the Atlantic horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus. We know the figure was intended to be T. tridentatus, as all of the species in the 'Friends of Water' line represent the Japanese fauna.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western Pacific, from Japan to Indonesia
Habitat: Benthic; in coastal marine and brackish waters at depths of 0-20 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Gravid adult T. tridentatus lay large batches of eggs in special ‘nursery areas’ in sandy beaches off the coast. Hatchlings remain in the nest over winter, feeding on their yolks for several months. During the next spring and summer, juveniles leave the nest at low tide to feed on the exposed surface. Juveniles tend to stay in shallower water near breeding grounds for the first couple years. As adults, they move into deeper waters, coming inshore during warmer months.

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Beautiful model and display!

Species: Scenedesmus sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Science Techni Colour - Microorganism Acrylic Mascot
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Maximum figure width 6.5 cm. Individual cells on average 2.8 cm for a scale of 2800:1-1077:1 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in this set are essentially photographs of microorganisms encased in acrylic. They were also sold as keychains (hence the hole in the clear part of the acrylic). While marketed only at the genus level, the morphology is very similar to S. acuminatus and the scale above is calculated based on that species. The translusent nature of the figure makes it difficult to photograph well.

About the Organism:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide (exclusive of Arctic and Antarctic zones)
Habitat: Eutrophic freshwater, including lakes, ponds, ditches; also wastewater
Diet: Nutrients derived from photosynthesis
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Scenedesmus is being studied as a possible source of biofuel production, as members of this genus are capable of producing bio-hydrogen, biodiesel, bioethanol, and drop-in fuels, especially when grown in nitrogen concentrations of 0.32g/L. Due to the organism's natural abundance in eutrophic freshwater ecosystems, it does not appear to significantly or negatively affect the environment when cultivated in large quantities.

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It's great that there even micro-organisms are made as models. You say that individual cells are 2.8 cm. Do you mean 2.8 μm?

rogerpgvg wrote:

It's great that there even micro-organisms are made as models. You say that individual cells are 2.8 cm. Do you mean 2.8 μm?

No, 2.8 cm refers to the size of the figure's cells; actual cells are 10-27 μm (or so, I can't remember the source I referenced)

strange and beautiful picture!

bmathison1972 wrote:

rogerpgvg wrote:

It's great that there even micro-organisms are made as models. You say that individual cells are 2.8 cm. Do you mean 2.8 μm?

No, 2.8 cm refers to the size of the figure's cells; actual cells are 10-27 μm (or so, I can't remember the source I referenced)

Ah, I see. Thanks!

Species: †Canadaspis perfecta Briggs, 1978

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Favorite Co. Ltd.
Series: Cambrian Creatures Mini Models
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Body length 7.0 cm for a scale of 1.4:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is very well done, based on our knowledge of the animal from the fossil record. The number of legs and abdominal segments is correct, as is the presence of two pairs of antennae and eyes on stalks.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cambrian (Wuliuan) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Marine, benthic
Diet: Presumably microorganisms, algae, detritus
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Canadaspis perfecta was described from the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada. Additional Canadaspis fossils have been found in nearby Utah and Nevada. Canadaspis laevigata has been described from the Maotianshan Shales of Yunnan Province, China; C. laevigata was about 10 million years older than C. perfecta. The phylogenetic placement of Canadaspis is far from resolved, but it is currently placed in Hymenocarina, an extinct clade of arthropods that may represent a sister-group to, or nestled basally within, Pancrustacea (true crustaceans and insects)

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That was my thought too Andreas.

What a wonderfully weird animal!

no odder than a limule! Very beautiful display for this unique and beautiful model!

Species: Sternotherus carinatus (Gray, 1856)
Common name(s): razor-backed musk turtle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Turtle Good Luck Charms 2
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Carapace length 2.8 cm for a scale of 1:5.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: While this figure is currently unique for its species, Safari Ltd. made the related loggerhead musk turtle (S. minor) for their Frogs and Turtles TOOB (2003).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South-central United States
Habitat: Medium to large rivers and streams, sometimes lakes and swamps; usually in bodies of water with rocky or sandy substrates and low turbidity
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates, fish, amphibians, aquatic vegetation, carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Sternotherus carinatus has become very popular in aquaria, due to its relatively small size, hardiness, and ease of care. While the natural lifespan of S. carinatus is unknown, in captivity specimens have been documented living 20-29 years.

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Beautiful unique model and display!

Species: Dorcus grandis Didier, 1926

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: World Insect Series 1
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.7 for a major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifth species of Dorcus we've seen in the Museum. Based on the map on the card that accompanied the figure, it was probably intended to represent the nominate subspecies, D. grandis grandis (see below). The World Insect Series 1 collection consists of 15 species of scarabaeoid beetles and five species of butterflies. Some of the beetles have fragility isses, easily losing legs and two of them crumbling outright new out of the box; forum member Beetle guy had a similar issue with his set (we suspect it had something to do with the paint, as it happened to two metallic species). There is also a World Insect Series 2, but I have never seen it and have no idea of its composition. Beetle figures by ShanTrip (for which I have showcased a few previously in this thread) appear to be Indian knockoffs of the World Insect Series figures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Tropical broadleaf forest
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are three subspecies of D. grandis: the nominate D. g. grandis (Laos, Vietnam, China), D. g. formosanus (Taiwan), and D. g. moriyai (Myanmar, India). Dorcus grandis and its subspecies are sometimes considered subspecies of D. hopei.

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very realistic!

Species: Meles anakuma Temminck, 1844
Common name(s): Japanese badger; anaguma

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 3
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:16-1:17.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, some assembly is required (as indicated by some obvious seams in the image).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, mixed woodlands, copses; occasionally suburban and agricultural areas
Diet: Insects, earthworms, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Meles anakuma is endemic to Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Shōdoshima in Japan. Genetically it is very similar to the Asian badger (M. leucurus) and the two are sometimes considered conspecific. It has been suggested that M. anakuma diverged from M. leucurus approximately 0.43 MYA, crossing over to Japan from the Korean Peninsula via land bridges that are believed to have formed and disappeared several times due to eustatic changes of sea level.

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A interesting species, a little too much puzzle for my taste - but a must have

The same for me!

Species: Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): common kestrel; Eurasian kestrel

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 11
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Figure height (including base) 5.2 cm. Body length approximately 6.2 cm for a scale of 1:5-1:6.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being original Choco Q figures, assembly is required; the feet are part of the branch, so the bird cannot be displayed in whole off of its base. These two figures represent the same sculpt, just painted to represent different sexes, with the male on the right and the female on the left.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Widespread in the Old World, including much of Europe, South and Central Asia, Africa; rare vagrant to the east coast of North America
Habitat: Open woodlands, grasslands, heathlands, marshlands, agricultural fields, urban and suburban areas
Diet: Small mammals (voles, mice, shrews, etc.); occasionally insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Falco tinnunculus hunts by hovering about 10-20 meters above the ground, and then quickly swooping down onto their prey. Like many 'birds of prey', F. tinnunculus has very keen eyesight and can spot potential prey from a distance.

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Wonderful models!

Here their "on the same place" fly, is called "danse du St Esprit" (Holly Spirit dance) :)

Caracal wrote:

Wonderful models!

Here their "on the same place" fly, is called "danse du St Esprit" (Holly Spirit dance) :)

I have observed the hovering behavior here with the American kestrel!