Mathison Museum of Natural History

A really stunning frog, truly. I recently got one and I adore it.

Beautiful frog!

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

A really stunning frog, truly. I recently got one and I adore it.

Bullyland does a good job on invertebrates and small animals like this, much moreso than they do 'wildlife'

Next up:


Species: Carabus auratus Linnaeus, 1761
Common name(s): golden ground beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Souvenirs Entomologiques
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.3 cm in diameter. Total figure height approximately 3.5 cm. Body length approximately 2.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: It's been too long since I purchased this to remember if the beetle comes safely off of its snail prey and base. Bullyland had previously produced two versions of this species (one in blue and one in green) in 1994.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western and Central Europe; naturalized in North America (New England area)
Habitat: Grasslands, fields, agricultural fields, parks and gardens; often in areas with loamy soil
Diet: Snails and slugs, earthworms, soft-bodied insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Carabus auratus was introduced to the Boston area in the United States in the 1940s for control of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). It has continued to spread north, being documented as far north as Maine in the United States (1987) and New Brunswick in Canada (2015).

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Species: Acanthoscurria geniculata (Koch, 1841)
Common name(s): Brazilian whiteknee tarantula

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Large Insects and Spiders
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Legspan 10.3 cm. Body length 4.3 cm for a scale of approximately 1:2 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was part of an apparent resurgence by Bullyland in the late 2010s to produce high-quality invertebrate and amphibian figures. Other spiders included an updated Mexican red-kneed tarantula, Gooty sapphire ornamental tarantula, and a velvet spider.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America (Amazon Basin of northern Brazil)
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Diet: Insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Acanthoscurria geniculata is popular in the pet trade due to its large size, ease-of-care, and striking colors. Handlers should exercise caution, however, as the spider possesses Type I and Type III urticating hairs.

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Species: Hypolimnas bolina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): common eggfly; great eggfly; blue moon butterfly

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Adventure Series 2
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Wingspan 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.5-1:1.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Australian Yowies, some assembly is required. Hypolimnas bolina is sexually dimorphic and this figure was based on a male specimen. The underside of the wings is painted like the upperside (which is not correct) and like most nymphalid figures, it suffers from an extra pair of legs.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Madagascar, South and Southeast Asia, South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Japan
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical woodlands and shrubland, rainforests, tropical savanna, disturbed areas, parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on a wide variety of plants, including Sida (sida), Elastostema, Portulaca (purslanes), Laportea, Triumfetta (burbark), Asystasia, Fleurya, Pseuderanthemum, Ipomoea (sweet potato), Alternanthera (joyweeds), Synedrella (nodeweed); adults take nectar from a variety of flowers.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Hypolimnas bolina is sexually dimorphic and females are mimetic with multiple color morphs. Males are jet black with two white spots on each forewing and a blue-rimmed white spot on the forewings. Females vary based on geographic distribution. In some areas, they mimic distasteful danaine butterflies in the genus Euploea; it is considered an example of Batesian mimicry.

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Species: Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, 1912
Common name(s): Komodo dragon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Mojö Fun
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 19.5 cm. Snout-to-vent length approximately 9.0 cm for a scale of 1:16.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: I had a hard time choosing a Komodo dragon for my collection, taking into account size, sculpture, posture, and paint. For the size I wanted, I felt today's by Mojö Fun had the best sculpt and paint, but I would have preferred a less static pose. Mojö Fun reissued this model in 2020 with a new paint job, but I prefer the original shown here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indonesia (Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar Islands)
Habitat: Lowland tropical savanna forest, beaches, ridge tops, dry riverbeds
Diet: Young lizards feed on invertebrates, small vertebrates, bird eggs; adults primarily feed on carrion but will hunt large prey, including deer, wild and domestic pigs, goats, water buffalo
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: There has been a lot of research and discussion on how V. komodoensis brings down large prey. Historically, it was believed that bacteria in the mouth of the lizard cause sepsis in their prey. However, it is now believed that bacterial sepsis is from bacteria in the environment that enter the bite wound, especially when the wound is exposed to dirty fresh water. In 2009 it was found that V. komodoensis has glands in the lower jaw that contain toxic proteins. The role these toxins play in nature is not fully understood, but experimental data suggest the toxins can lead to blood clotting, lowering of blood pressure, muscle paralysis, induction of hypothermia, and eventually shock and loss of consciousness in would-be prey.

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A very nice one, even if I prefer the second paint job

I agree, it looks good. I recently got the mini-version of the CollectA Komodo dragon. It has a livelier pose but I thought that it isn't so common for Komodo dragons to have their tail up, except in a fight. Or is it?

Species: Scolopendra sp.
Common name(s): giant centipede

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: 4D Master
Series: Bug & Creature World
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 19.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for some species
Frequency of genus in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Being a 'puzzle figure' substantial assembly is required. This particular model comes in 17 pieces and according to the accompanying paperwork, one is considered a beginner if it can be assembled in 12 minutes, average if it can be assembled in 8 minutes, and advanced if it can be assembled in 4 minutes.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide in tropical and subtropical regions
Habitat: Highly varied, including rainforests, subtropical forests, thornscrub, savanna, deserts
Diet: Insects and other invertebrates; occasionally small reptiles, amphibians, and mammals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [species dependent, but most if not all probably Not Evaluated]
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other centipedes, members of the genus Scolopendra are venomous. The venom contains serotonin, hemolytic phospholipase, cardiotoxic proteins, and cytolysin. While human deaths from centipede bites are rare, they have occured with S. subspinipes and S. gigantea.

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impressive species and model!

Species: Sphyraena barracuda (Edwards in Catesby, 1771)
Common name(s): great barracuda

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Fish Factory
Series: Gulf Coast Collection
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Body length 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:8-1:26.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: When I first acquired the Gulf Coast Collection, I didn't retain this figure, instead favoring the barracuda made by Kaiyodo for the Kurosio Komekko series. However, I ended up keeping this TFF model after all. For one reason, it is nice to have a complete Gulf Coast Collection and secondly, it really is a very nice rendition of the species! Also, the TFF figure is solid-piece and without a base, so there is little chance of breakage or pieces getting lost.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate coastal waters
Habitat: Usually along the margins of coral reefs, at depths of 1-100 meters
Diet: Other fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Sphyraena barracuda is a popular game fish; however, there is a risk of Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) from eating its flesh. CFP is caused by the toxins ciguatoxin and maitotoxin. The barracuda acquires the toxin from eating herbivore fish, which have acquired the toxin from eating the phytoplankton Gambierdiscus toxicus. Symptoms of CFP include diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, numbness, itchiness, sensitivity to hot and cold, dizziness, weakness, and in some cases a slowed heart rate and low blood pressure. There is no specific treatment for CPF and some symptoms can persist for weeks or months to even years, sometimes resulting in long-term disability. Death is rare and most patients recover over time.

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A figure from my favourite serie

Species: Pan paniscus Schwarz, 1929
Common name(s): bonobo; pygmy chimpanzee

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Primates TOOB
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate but head-and-body length approximately 3.7 cm for a scale of 1:19-1:22
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: I was hesitant to retain this figure as I would prefer a standard-sized version. If a major company ever produced a bonobo, I am likely to replace this one with it (although it is in the popular 1:20 scale range).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo Basin south of the Congo River)
Habitat: Tropical rainforest, forested swamps, agricultural fields
Diet: Primarily fruit, but also nuts, stems, shoots, pith, leaves, roots, tubers, flowers, mushrooms; rarely invertebrates or meat
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Pan paniscus and the common chimpanzee (P. troglodytes) are the closest living relatives to modern humans. Different studies estimate the Pan-Homo divergence to be at different times. Molecular studies in 2006 suggest the divergence occurred approximately 6.3 million years ago (MYA) with continued interbreeding until about 4 MYA. Molecular studies in 2005 suggest the split between P. paniscus and P. bonobo occurred approximately 0.86-0.89 MYA, possibly due to the spread of savannas at the time; the two species are currently separated by the Congo River. In 2017, morphologic analysis focusing on the musculoskeletal structure suggest the Pan-Homo divergence was around 8 MYA and the split between P. paniscus and P. bonobo occurred about 2 MYA.

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Most of us use the Nayab chimp as a bonobo because actually it is what it looks like and the size is standard and the figure is more realistic then many other chimps from major brands.

Roger wrote:

Most of us use the Nayab chimp as a bonobo because actually it is what it looks like and the size is standard and the figure is more realistic then many other chimps from major brands.

the Nayab chimp lacks certain bonobo-specific characteristics, such as the parted hair.

I'd rather wait for one specifically marketed as such.

bmathison1972 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Most of us use the Nayab chimp as a bonobo because actually it is what it looks like and the size is standard and the figure is more realistic then many other chimps from major brands.

the Nayab chimp lacks certain bonobo-specific characteristics, such as the parted hair.

I'd rather wait for one specifically marketed as such.

I understand and it makes sense considering your way of collecting. I think the Nayab model is a common chimpanzee wich works nicely as a bonobo but not a completely satifying one. Let's hope someone release this species, they can always call it pygmy chimpanzee which is more marketable, perhaps.

Species: Geothelphusa dehaani (White, 1847)
Common name(s): Japanese freshwater crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Earth Life Journey Crabs and Shrimp
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Base 5.5 cm across its widest points. Carapace width approximately 2.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: There have been multiple releases (at least three, possibly four) of Epoch's Earth Life Journey Crabs and Shrimp collections, each with a slightly different species composition and often consisting of re-releases with different paint jobs. A set typically has 6 or 7 figures in it. In all there are 10 species (9 crustaceans and 1 xiphosuran). I have collected mine individually over the years so I am not entirely sure which of mine came from which release. Today's G. dehanni comes in three pieces; the crab comes in two pieces plus a base. The crab sits loosely on its habitat-style base so there is no peg or other form of secure attachement. This crab also comes in at least one other color (blue).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Montane forests, usually in riparian areas including clear streams and surrounding terrestrial habitats (under rocks and logs, in forest litter, etc.)
Diet: General omnivore; primarily terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and carrion, but occasionally plant material and detritus. Cannibalism not uncommon.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Geothelphusa dehaani is eaten in Japan and exported to other countries for human consumption. Eating raw or undercooked G. dehanni is an important risk factor for infection with lung flukes in the genus Paragonimus.

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bmathison1972 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Most of us use the Nayab chimp as a bonobo because actually it is what it looks like and the size is standard and the figure is more realistic then many other chimps from major brands.

the Nayab chimp lacks certain bonobo-specific characteristics, such as the parted hair.

I'd rather wait for one specifically marketed as such.

Roger wrote:

bmathison1972 wrote:

Roger wrote:

Most of us use the Nayab chimp as a bonobo because actually it is what it looks like and the size is standard and the figure is more realistic then many other chimps from major brands.

the Nayab chimp lacks certain bonobo-specific characteristics, such as the parted hair.

I'd rather wait for one specifically marketed as such.

I understand and it makes sense considering your way of collecting. I think the Nayab model is a common chimpanzee wich works nicely as a bonobo but not a completely satifying one. Let's hope someone release this species, they can always call it pygmy chimpanzee which is more marketable, perhaps.

I agree with Blaine,I really can't see a Bonobo when I look at the Nayab and I agree with Rogério, it should be great if a brave company would make a realistic Bonobo