Mathison Museum of Natural History

widukind wrote:

Beautieful owl

Caracal wrote:

.. indeed!

Thank you both; I wasn't sure how I'd photograph it, but I am very happy with how it turned out!

Species: Kogia breviceps (de Blainville, 1838)
Common name(s): pygmy sperm whale

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Sealife
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 14.5 cm for a scale of 1:18.6-1:26.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only figure of this species, at least in a standard range. There are two minor inaccuracies in the sculpt others have pointed out, however. First of all the blowhole is rounded and in the center of the top of the head when, like the sperm whale, it should be crescent-shaped and more to the left of the top of the head. The other innacuracy is more subtle, the sculpting of 'false gills' on either side of the head behind the eye; in the actual animal, those are white markings and not physical indentations. Otherwise, it's an amazing figure we are lucky to have in our hobby.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tropical and subtropical waters of Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans
Habitat: Pelagic, at depths of 0-1,989 meters
Diet: Fish, cephalopods, crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Just like the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), K. breviceps possesses a spermaceti organ which contains a large complex of spermaceti, a mixture of liquid fats and waxes, that allows the animal generate powerful and focused clicking sounds.

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A special specie

.. and unique model!

It is good to know about the inaccuracies but I really love this model.

Species: Hyperolius viridiflavus (Duméril and Bibron, 1841)
Common name(s): common reed frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life Africa
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approximately 3.5 cm for a scale of 2.3:1-1.2:1 depending on the subspecies/morphotype (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Hyperolius viridiflavus exhibits extreme variation throughout its range (see below); today's figure by Schleich appears to have been painted after a population that occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tropical and subtropical sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat: Lakes, ponds, swamps, and rivers that occur in tropical and subtropical savanna and grasslands and at the margins of forests; also agricultural fields and gardens
Diet: Tadpoles eat algae; adults eat terrestrial insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Hyperolius viridiflavus is often regarded as a superspecies, with over 50 described variants. As a complex, H. viridiflavus is extremely variable in size and color throughout its range and across various habitats. Some authorities recognize these variants as subspecies within two major subgroups; others have split H. viridiflavus into upwards of 10 species based on mitochondrial DNA. Further genetic analysis in combination with morphologic studies could help resolve the relationships between some of these populations.

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I feel an idiot anytime I see this model, I shouldn't miss it when it was available.

Beautiful unique model!

Species: Scylla serrata (Forskål, 1775)
Common name(s): giant mud crab; Indo-Pacific swamp crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Crabs; Diversity of Life on Earth - Ikimono Encyclopedia Advanced Crab
Years of Production: 2021; 2022
Size/Scale: Carapace width 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.3-1:4.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Both of these figures were produced by Bandai for the Diversity of Life on Earth line. The black and red model is from the first Crabs collection in 2021; the green model is from the Ikimono Encyclopedia Advanced Crab collection in 2022. The sculpts are essentially the same, but the latter is just a more refined (and more expensive!) version of the former. Like other Diversity of Life on Earth figures, they are large, require assembly, and the final product has many points of articulation.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific; naturalized in Hawaii and Florida
Habitat: Estuaries, mangroves; benthic, at depths of 0-50 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, carrion, plant material, detritus; cannibalism common
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Scylla serrata is an important food crab. Major exporters of this species are Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Bangladesh.

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very realistic, miam!

Species: Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771)
Common name(s): mountain lion; puma; cougar

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari North American Wildlife
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Total figure length 14.0 cm. Head-and-body length (exclusive of tail) approximately 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:10-1:15.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: As someone who lives among mountain lions (really, I mean there is probably one within a couple miles of my apartment as I write this), this is by far my favorite P. concolor figure. Other popular versions are those by Papo (2007) and Schleich (2022). The Papo figure has a nice build, but a goofy-looking face and the front paws are splayed in an awkward way. Among major western companies, it has also been made by Bullyland (2010) and Mojö Fun (2013), and an earlier version by Safari (2002) exists. Safari also made a larger version for their Wildlife Wonders line in 2015, but it was merely a repaint of their WW jaguar, which rendered the body proportions inaccurate for a mountain lion! They made up for it in 2018 by releasing a Florida panther (P. concolor couguar) in their WW line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western North America to southern South America; relict populations in southern Florida
Habitat: Montane coniferous and mixed woodlands and forest, lowland tropical forests, grasslands, dry brush country, swamps, and deserts, especially in areas with steep canyons, escarpments, rims, and dense vegetation; occasionally entering suburban areas
Diet: General predator; common prey include white-tailed and mule deer, caribou, bighorn sheep, peccaries, raccoons, skunks, opossums, lagomorphs, rodents, and various birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Attacks on people by mountain lions are rare but they do occur (very recently, in fact; there was one earlier this week in California). In North America, there have been over 125 attacks documented in the past 100 years, 27 of which were fatal. Those reported fatal attacks have been documented in Oregon (2), California (5), Kentucky (1), Texas (1), Washington (3), British Columbia (6), Alberta (1), New Mexico (2), Montana (1), Colorado (3), and Mexico (2).

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Interesting overview about puma figures. Safari's model is not very popular but I agree it is a good one. It is probably one of the most recognizable for the species.
Though, something pops up, CollectA... yes, they have never released a puma or a jaguar. Tehir third generation of felines is very good, if they release a puma with a similar quality, we might have an excellent representative of the species. Unfortunately Papo and Schleich already presented a 2nd version but they're just OK, nothing really special.

Very nice photo

Editorial note: when I discussed the mountain lions above, I completely forgot about the 2016 version by Papo! I still think this Safari figure is better (for my needs), but the 2016 Papo is a marked improvement over their earlier one!

Species: Oryx gazella (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): gemsbok; South African oryx

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life Africa
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 7.3 cm for a scale of 1:15-1:17
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Papo produced this species in 2012, and while an elegant figure, it lacks the characteristic black maculae on the lower legs. I originally had the Papo figure (it was bycatch in an eBay lot), but replaced it with this Schleich version due to inaccuracies in the former's paint job. Safari Ltd. produced and adult and kid in 1998, but they were retired in the early 2000s.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Africa; naturalized in North America (New Mexico)
Habitat: Wooded and wet grasslands, semi-arid plains, stony plains, deserts
Diet: Grasses; when grass is scarce, diet may be supplemented with roots, tubers, tsama melons, and cucumber
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Oryx gazella lives in herds of roughly 10-40 animals; a herd typically consists of a single dominant male, a few nondominant males, and females. The dominant male will mate with all receptive females in his herd, and will try to secure access to more females by herding mixed or nursery herds into his territory. Females will leave the herd to give birth. Gemsbok are referred to as 'hiders', as the calves are not seen out in the open with the mother, but rather are hidden in the general vicinity, with the mother returning to nurse the calf periodically throughout the day.

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Nice figures again

I like this model despite not receiving the same enthusiasm as the previous Schleich. It is a perfect version 2.0 of the former. The old model was new to the market, this is just an update in a very similar style but Schleich did a good job.

Species: Eupatorus gracilicornis Arrow, 1908
Common name(s): five-horned rhinoceros beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Beetles Vol. 2
Year of Release: 2021
Size/Scale: Wingspan (as displayed here) 18.0 cm. Body length (including horns) approximately 10.0 cm for a scale of 2:1-1:1 (slightly over 1:1 for a large male specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen E. gracilicornis in the Museum. Like other Diversity of Life on Earth figures, this beetle is large, requires assembly, is articulated when assembled, and may be expensive. The model may be displayed with the flying wings exposed (as shown here) or in a neutral pose, and there is a base (not shown) to display the flying beetle off the ground.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood; adults feed on nectar, plant sap, and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The life cycle of E. gracillicornis is not fully understood. In captivity, the time period from oviposition to pupation is approximately eight months. However, newly emerged adults will not mate. It has been speculated that the adults have a very long inactive period before they mate; others have suggested there is a missing trigger that is necessary in nature but might be lacking in an artificial environment, such as a cold period, drier diapause, etc.

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Nice

Species: Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): Labrador Retriever

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Farm Life
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Shoulder height approximately 4.6 cm for a scale of 1:12.4-1:13.5 based on a male (see below)
Frequency of breed in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is one of the most commonly produced dog breeds. Other nice examples include those by Mojö Fun (2018, adult and pup), Nature's Wonders HD (2007), and Safari Ltd. (2007, in golden and black). When I started the 'synoptic' non-arthropod part of my collection, today's Papo Labrador was my choice for a domestic dog. I will admit, and this has been hinted at recently on the forum, I am not a dog person at all. I am 100% a cat person. But, I have always found the Labrador Retriever to be an attractive, smart, and friendly breed and a good ambassador to my collection for a domestic dog. As I have grown to appreciate domestic animal figures better, I have added a few more dogs, such as CollectA's Beagle and Boxer, both from 2021. The 2023 Schleich Bichon Frisé is currently en route to me and I plan on getting CollectA's Rough Collie later this year. I may get more dog breeds as they release, but only if both the breed and quality of the figure appeal to me. The scale above is based on measurement standards of the American Kennel Club for a male dog, which this figure is sculpted as.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Breed originated in England, and is now popular nearly worldwide
Habitat: Human habitations, farms, ranches
Diet: General omnivore
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Domesticated
Miscellaneous Notes: The Labrador Retriever originated in England, being descended from St. John's water dogs that were imported from Newfoundland and crossed with British hunting dogs. Historically it was used for hunting, as a good pointer and flusher, and it remains popular for that purpose today. Because of its intelligence and good temperament, it is both a popular pet dog and a good guide dog. They can also perform tasks that help otherwise disabled persons, such as activating an emergency phone or removing cash from am ATM. And because it is a good swimmer, the Labrador Retriever is used for water rescue and lifesaving.

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Species: Hypselodoris bullockii (Collingwood, 1881)
Common name(s): Bullock's nudibranch; purple nudibranch

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Incredible Creatures
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length 6.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: While no nudibranchs are commonly made, this is probably the best-represented species in toy form, having also been made by Kitan Club/Ikimon (multiple times) and Play Visions. Safari didn't market this sea slug at the species level, but the identification makes the most sense based on morphology and familiarity of the species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 1-31 meters (usually 15-25 meters)
Diet: Specialized predator on sponges
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Hypselodoris bullockii is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, meaning two individuals will mate with and cross-fertilize each other.

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Interesting, I bought one recently and my plans to expand my little dog collection are very similar to yours. The only difference is that I intend to acquire some older models like the Papo Neapolitan Mastiff and a few others. There's a dog fever around, I wonder if it is Bonnie's fault.
Actually, I want my little dog collection to be synoptic and roughly at 1:12 scale so your measurements are very helpful to me. This one is quite close and it is actually slightly smaller than the 1:12 scale Schleich labrador I have in my collection for a long time. I bought it without needing one but that figure has such a perfect geometry and Papo dogs are so attractive to me. I also bought the Newfowldland to pair with the Labrador.

Roger wrote:

Interesting, I bought one recently and my plans to expand my little dog collection are very similar to yours. The only difference is that I intend to acquire some older models like the Papo Neapolitan Mastiff and a few others. There's a dog fever around, I wonder if it is Bonnie's fault.
Actually, I want my little dog collection to be synoptic and roughly at 1:12 scale so your measurements are very helpful to me. This one is quite close and it is actually slightly smaller than the 1:12 scale Schleich labrador I have in my collection for a long time. I bought it without needing one but that figure has such a perfect geometry and Papo dogs are so attractive to me. I also bought the Newfowldland to pair with the Labrador.

Speaking of older dogs, I wouldn't mind the most recent Schleich Bernese Mountain dog as well.