Mathison Museum of Natural History

Kikimalou wrote:

bmathison1972 wrote:

Species: Opheodrys vernalis (Harlan, 1827)
Common name(s): smooth green snake
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (possibly unique as a sculpt)

Ther is also the safari Ltd from the River toob

Safari never indicated that's what it is. That seems to be an STS community-based identification. In the text on their site they call it a water snake, which in North America usually refers to snakes in the genus Nerodia. TAI should probably be corrected to reflect this.

Difficult to imagine clotheless Homo erectus living in Europe during ice ages but you're rightn we have no evidences of clothes using.. I like this figure because of its full human look!

Caracal wrote:

Difficult to imagine clotheless Homo erectus living in Europe during ice ages but you're rightn we have no evidences of clothes using.. I like this figure because of its full human look!

Not wearing clothes in the cold wouldn't make him Homo erectus, it would make him Homo shrivelus!

bmathison1972 wrote:

Caracal wrote:

Difficult to imagine clotheless Homo erectus living in Europe during ice ages but you're rightn we have no evidences of clothes using.. I like this figure because of its full human look!

Not wearing clothes in the cold wouldn't make him Homo erectus, it would make him Homo shrivelus!

bmathison1972 wrote:

Caracal wrote:

Difficult to imagine clotheless Homo erectus living in Europe during ice ages but you're rightn we have no evidences of clothes using.. I like this figure because of its full human look!

Not wearing clothes in the cold wouldn't make him Homo erectus, it would make him Homo shrivelus!

Species: Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (Motschulsky, 1866)
Common name(s): large brown cicada; abura-zemi

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Break Co. Ltd.
Series: Biological Pictorial Book - Cicadas
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length of nymph approximately 3.7 cm, within scale 1:1 for a mature nymph. Body length of adult (excluding wings and appendages) approximately 4.2 cm, slightly over scale 1:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen G. nigrofuscata in the Museum. Figures in the collection were not identified to the species level and the identifications are my own. There have been several cicada species made by Japanese manufacturers, but G. nigrofuscata is the most common of them.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia, including China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan
Habitat: Forests, parks, gardens; in ares with trees and soil conditions that support nymphal development
Diet: Nymphs feed on juices from subterranean tree roots; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Cicadas are known for their long subterranean development; Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata remains underground for six years before molting into an adult.

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Species: Trichogomphus martabani (Guérin-Ménéville, 1834)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - standard series, small
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.8 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing 65-75 species of Lucanidae and dynastine Scarabaeidae. The dates of release are currently unknown to me (c. 2008). The figures were produced in conjunction with Bandai and came with Pokemon-style playing cards. At the time of this writing, I think I have all but two of the species. For a review of the sets, please see the overview by forum member Beetle guy here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central to Southeast Asia, from India and eastern Nepal to China, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam
Habitat: Montane woodlands (see below)
Diet: unknown (see below)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on the habitat and biology of this species (or even genus, for that matter). The habitat information above is based on the beetle's distribution. Trichogomphus martabani is a member of the tribe Oryctini. Larvae of many oryctines feed in decaying organic material, such as humus and compost, while adults feed on rotting fruit and vegetation or burrow into the stems of living plants, such as sugarcane and palms.

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Species: Theraphosa blondi (Latrielle, 1804)
Common name(s): Goliath birdeater

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Wild Republic - Venomous Adventures Nature Tube
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 3.5 cm for an average scale of 1:3.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is stamped 'bird-eating spider' which usually infers T. blondi. The sculpt is nice, but the color is a bit dark for this species, as in nature they are usually tan or light brown with golden vestiture.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern South America (Amazonia)
Habitat: Rainforest; ground-dwelling, with burrows commonly found in marshy or swampy areas
Diet: Arthropods, worms, small vertebrates (rodents, amphibians, lizards, snakes, small birds)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite being parts of a set of venomous animals, the bite of T. blondi is relatively harmless to humans and has been compared to that of a wasp's sting. The spider does, however, possess Type III urticating hairs which can be harmful to humans, resulting in itching, burning, rashes, and blisters when they come in contact with skin and mucus membranes.

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Species: Aldisa albatrossae Elwood et al., 2000

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Rainbow
Series: Sea Slug Chopstick Rest
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length 4.5 cm for a scale of 4:1-2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in this set are made of polystone and are designed to serve as rests for chop sticks.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 3-72 meters
Diet: Sponges
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Aldisa albatrossae is believed to mimic nudibranchs in the genus Phyllidiella.

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Beautiful sea slug and picture!

I dont prefer slugs but many are very colourful beauties

Species: Gulo gulo (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): wolverine; glutton

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari North American Wildlife
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding tail) approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:8-1:14
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: A familiar species, but not widely represented in toy form and most are retired at the time of this writing (although I believe today's Safari figure is still available). Other nice examples by major companies include those by Schleich (2011, retired in 2014) and Mojö Fun (2012, retired in 2018).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Holarctic, in boreal, arctic, and alpine zones. In North America, distribution include Canada, Alaska, and Pacific Northwest to the Sierras of northern California. In Eurasia, distribution includes Fennoscandinavia, Russia, and extreme northern China, usually north of 50 degrees latitude.
Habitat: Alpine woodlands, tundra, open grasslands, boreal shrub; usually in shrub transition zones or above the timberline
Diet: Generalist predator of large and small mammals and birds; also invertebrates, eggs, carrion, roots, berries
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Gulo gulo is well known for is ferocity and aggressive eating behavior (hence the common name, ‘glutton’). They are often one of the top predators in their range and hunt a wide range of mammal and bird prey, including rodents (even porcupines), lagomorphs, deer, sheep, goats, bison, moose, elk, geese, and sometimes other predators such as martens, mink, foxes, weasels, lynx, coyotes, and young wolves. They are also scavengers and will eat carrion as well as take prey from other large predators, such as wolves, mountain lions, and bears. When food is plentiful, wolverines will cache their prey. Like other mustellids, G. gulo seems ‘driven to kill’ and individuals will often kill more than they can eat or cache. This may be an adaptation to living in regions where food can become scarce, especially in the winter. Despite their ferocity, wolverines may themselves be prey for wolves, mountain lions, black and brown bears, and golden eagles.

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Species: Tympanuchus cupido attwateri Bendire, 1893
Common name(s): Attwater's prairie chicken; Attwater's greater prairie chicken

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yowie Group
Series: All American Series
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate but body length approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The toy is front-heavy and doesn't stand well over time.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: USA; today populations occur in two locations in coastal Texas, the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge in Colorado County and on private land in Goliad County
Habitat: coastal prairie grasslands
Diet: Grass shoots, flowers, seeds, invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated (as a subspecies); the species is listed as Near Threatened. As a subspecies, it has a NatureServe status of Critically Imperiled and is listed as CITES Appendix II
Miscellaneous Notes: Tympanuchus cupido attwateri has always had a rather restricted distribution in the Western Gulf coastal grasslands, from the Bayou Teche in Louisiana to the Neucas River in Texas, possibly south into Tamaulipas, Mexico. The primary cause of its population decline since 1900 is habitat destruction. One of the major contributors is the widespread planting of Chinese tallow trees for the soapmaking industry, which have aggressively invaded the grasslands, displacing native plants. Urbanization has also caused significant habitat destruction, as is the lack of bison that help naturally maintain the grasslands.

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Oh yes, unique

Species: †Anzu wyliei Lamanna et al., 2014

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Figure length approximately 12.5 cm. Using left tibia as a metric (n=2.5 cm) scale come to approximately 1:24 based on specimen CM 78001
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: I am unaware of any other figures of this species by well-known, mainstream manufacturers, although it is my understanding there 3D-printed options available.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of present-day North America
Habitat: Possibly open woodlands near riparian areas, floodplains
Diet: Presumably vegetation
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Anzu wyliei is named after Anzû, a demon-like monster in several Mesopotamian religions. Anzû may have been a precursor to the Mesopotamian god Abu. In Sumerian and Akkadian mythology, Anzû is a divine storm-bird and the personification of the southern wind and the thunder clouds.

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Species: Rangifer caribou (Gmelin, 1788)
Common name(s): woodland caribou

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:16.7-1:20
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Indeterminant (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: With nomenclatural changes to the genus Rangifer (see below), it is difficult to determine what other figures are modeled after the current concept of R. caribou. Caribou/reindeer figures are rarely marketed at the subspecies/population level and natural variation can be difficult to interpret in a toy or model. In general, however, reindeer/caribou models are common and there are several good options to choose from.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northeastern Canada
Habitat: Boreal woodlands, often around marshes, bogs, lakes, rivers; sedentary
Diet: In the summer, tree leaves, mushrooms, grasses, sedges, other ground-dwelling plants; in the winter, primarily lichens
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated; prior to the 2022 nomenclatural changes, the entire R. tarandus complex was classified as Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2022, Rangifer tarandus (which included all populations of caribou/reindeer) underwent significant taxonomic changes resulting in the recognition of six species and numerous subspecies, several of which were brought out of synonomy. The woodland caribou (R. t. caribou) is now a valid species restricted to northeastern Canada with at least five defined subpopulations: boreal woodland caribou (R. c. caribou), Labrador caribou (R. c. caboti), Newfoundland caribou (R. c. terraenovae), and two populations that have yet to be formally named, the Torngat Mountains montane caribou and the Atlantic-Gaspésie ecotype.

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Species: Canthigaster epilampra (Jenkins, 1903)
Common name(s): lantern toby

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Tropical Fish
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is marked 'pufferfish' and the identification is my own. Of all the figures in the set, this was the most challenging for me to identify. I finally decided on C. epilampra based on the green base with a yellow tail.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 6-60 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Canthigaster epilampra is most commonly found on outer reef slopes below 24 meters where it occurs singly or in pairs. It mainly feeds on benthic invertebrates such as mollusks, brachiopods, and echinoderms, but will also eat algae.

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