Mathison Museum of Natural History

Species: Trioceros jacksonii (Boulenger, 1896)
Common name(s): Jackson's chameleon; three-horned chameleon; Kikuyu three-horned chameleon

About the Figure:
Manufacturers: PNSO; Yujin
Series: African Animals; Primary Colour Lizards Book
Years of Production: 2018; 2002
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length of adult approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.7-1:2.5. Total body length of juvenile approximately 6.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The adult was produced by PNSO in 2018 for their African Animals collection. The juvenile was produced in 2002 by Yujin for their Primary Colour Lizards Book collection. The juvenile was bycatch in an eBay lot; I wasn't initially planning on retaining it, but being a juvenile of a very interesting, yet rarely-made, species I decided to hold on to it after all.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania); naturalized in the USA (California, Florida, Hawaii)
Habitat: Montane rainforest, woodlands, thickets; arboreal
Diet: Insects, arachnids, terrestrial mollusks; occasionally small vertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike most chameleons which are oviparous (egg-laying), T. jacksonii is viviparous. Females deposit their offspring one at a time onto a branch while the young are still encased in a gelatinous egg sac. About 20 days after giving birth, females will copulate again. Females mate over a period of 11 days but almost never mate with the same male more than once on the same day.

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Great to see a young animal! I understand that you don't normally collect young animals, but if they are morphologically quite different, then there is a good reason for keeping them.

rogerpgvg wrote:

Great to see a young animal! I understand that you don't normally collect young animals, but if they are morphologically quite different, then there is a good reason for keeping them.

Yes, I don't often collect young of standard animals, unless they are the only option for the species. But every now and then, I'll retain them alongside their adult (e.g., CollectA ostrich, Safari zebra shark, Safari bowmouth guitarfish).

If space wasn't an issue, I am sure that would change ;-)

That little guy is truly a gem. :) Both are really!

I like these chameleons

Species: Bombus fervidus (Fabricius, 1798)
Common name(s): great northern bumble bee; yellow bumble bee

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Bees, Wasps, and Hornets
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Body length 4.5 cm for a scale of 4.3:1-4:1 for a worker bee
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Unlike most bumble bee toys and figures, this one was marketed at the species level. The only other bumble bee I can think of that was marketed at the species level is the rusty patched bumble bee (B. affinis) produced by Yowie Group in 2021 for the Animals with Super Powers collection.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern North America
Habitat: Grasslands, meadows, agricultural fields, suburban areas
Diet: Larvae are feed honey provisioned by adults; adults feed on nectar and pollen on a very wide variety of flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Bombus fervidus is considered commercially beneficial as it pollinates many important crop plants. The bumble bee has seen a decline in numbers across much of native range, probably due to a loss of grassland and other tallgrass habitats in favor of agriculture.

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Species: Papilio machaon Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): Old World swallowtail; common yellow swallowtail

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Insect Lore
Series: Big Bunch-O Butterflies
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Wingspan 6.2 cm for a scale of 1:1.1-1:1.3 (slightly under 1:1 for a very small specimen).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen P. machaon in the Museum. Figures in the Big Bunch-O Butterflies collection are reissues of sculpts (and in a couple cases paint jobs) of those used by K&M International for their Butterflies Nature Tube and Mini Butterflies Polybag collections. None are marketed at the species level, but several (including today's) appear to be painted after actual species. The identifications are all my own or suggested by other forum members.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Holarctic; widespread in boreal and temperate Eurasia and western North America
Habitat: Highly varied, including forests, grasslands, hilltops, Alpine meadows, tundra, wetlands, disturbed areas, parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on primarily on plants in the families Apiaceae (umbillifers), but also Asteraceae (composites) and Rutaceae (rues); adults take nectar from flowers.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern [Europe]
Miscellaneous Notes: Papilio machaon has one of the widest distributions among butterflies. In the Old World, it occurs throughout much of the Palearctic from Europe to Russia, China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan. It is widespread throughout much of Europe, although in the United Kingdom it is limited to a few areas in the East Anglia area. In Central Asia and the Middle East it occurs as far south as Saudi Arabia, Oman, and in the mountains of Yemen, Lebanon, Iran, and Israel. It occurs in the Himalayan region of Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and northern Myanmar. In North America, it occurs primarily in the West, from Alaska south to California, Arizona, and New Mexico, and east to the Great Plains.

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Species: Prosopocoilus zebra (Olivier, 1789)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Stag Beetles Vol. 1
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approximately 12.5 cm for a scale of 2.3:1 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. zebra in the Museum. Today's figure is large, requires assembly, and is articulated. Being one of the earliest Diversity figures, Bandai did not put as much effort into the sculpt, and all of the elements of this figure (except the mandibles) are taken from the P. dissimilis model in the same set, which means the shape of the head and pronotum are technically not correct for this species. It still works alright for P. zebra, but those errors were much more noticeable in the P. giraffa model in the same set (which is the reason I ended up not getting it). The articulations and attachments are also not as smooth as later figures in the line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae live in rotting hardwoods; adults attracted to sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: From what I can tell, there are four subspecies of P. zebra. The nominate subspecies P. z. zebra is widely distributed in peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, and the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Palawan, and Siberut. Prosopocoilus z. ledae is endemic to the Philippine islands of Samar, Panay, and Mindanao, while P. z. luzonensis is endemic to the Philippine island of Luzon. Prosopocoilus z. nobuyukii is endemic to Java.

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Just aesthetically, I find the Bandai beetle very beautiful, never mind the slight imperfections. Good to see that you have a Monet painting; it's beautiful too .

rogerpgvg wrote:

Just aesthetically, I find the Bandai beetle very beautiful, never mind the slight imperfections. Good to see that you have a Monet painting; it's beautiful too .

That Dioramansion does look like one of Monet's water lily paintings, doesn't it? I never noticed the similarity before.

Yes, the similarity is quite striking.

Congratulations

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Aquatales Polyresin Series 1
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Total figure width 9.0 cm. Carapace width approximately 4.3 cm for a scale of 1:3.5-1:6.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen S. serrata in the Museum. As the name suggests, figures in this series are resin rather than the usual PVC. If I remember correctly, the Polyresin Series folded after Series 1 and other planned figures were never released.

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 highly cannibalistic, and when molting, hard-shelled crabs will attack and devour freshly-molted crabs that are still soft. Luckily, the species has a fecundity and a female can lay over a million eggs in a lifetime.

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A interesting crab :)

This crab is very detailed

Species: Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)
Common name(s): white-tailed deer; Virginia deer

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 5.8 cm. Scale would vary greatly depending on region and subspecies, but the overall scale for the species would come to approximately 1:9.1-1:20.7.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: Odocoileus virginianus is one of the most commonly-made species of deer, and all of the 'major' Western companies have produced them, and more than once. Some releases by Safari Ltd., Papo, Mojö Fun, and an earlier release by CollectA, include bucks, does, and fawns. This 2018 model by CollectA, however, does not. There are several other nice standard-sized options available, and comparing just the bucks, include those by Safari Ltd. (2012), Papo (2016), and Schleich (2014).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Much of northern and eastern North America, south and west to southern Arizona, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America; introduced to several other parts of the world, including the Caribbean, New Zealand, and East and Central Europe.
Habitat: Highly variable, including deciduous woodlands, swamps, thornscrub, deserts, agricultural land, and suburban parks, cemeteries, and yards
Diet: Vegetation; diet varies based on habitat and may include woody shoots, stems, leaves, forbs, grasses, yucca, and cacti
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Odocoileus virginianus plays an interesting indirect role in the epidemiology of Lyme disease in North America. Lyme disease is caused by the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi and B. mayonii. The bacteria are transmitted by ticks in the genus Ixodes, particularly I. scapularis. Larvae and nymphs of the ticks feed on small animals, such as mice (especially the white-footed mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus). The ticks and mice maintain the bacterium. Adult ticks feed on larger animals, favoring white-tailed deer. The deer is important for maintaining the tick's life cycle, but not the bacteria itself.

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Nice deer

Species: †Euproops danae (Meek & Worthen, 1865)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleocasts
Series: unknown (see below)
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length 4.0 cm for a scale of 1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: Paleocasts is a line of prehistoric animals, mainly invertebrates, produced by artist Patrick May and sold on Etsy in the U.S. (although at the time of this writing, I am not sure if he is still active). The figures can usually be purchased finished or unfinished. If I remember correctly, this small horseshoe crab was an accessory to a Tullimonstrum figure (along with Paleolimulus), but was sold to me individually. Both horseshoe crabs came in light (as seen today) and dark finishes.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Carboniferous of present-day North America
Habitat: Coal forest wetlands and swamps; freshwater to brackish, benthic
Diet: Presumably predaceous on benthic aquatic invertebrates, possibly terrestrial invertebrates as well (see below)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: The presence of fossils of E. danae among the fossils of strictly terrestrial plants and animals suggests that the horseshoe crab may have ventured onto land, more so than seen with extant marine species, probably crawling among moist litter on the forest floor, on low vegetation in the undergrowth, or on floating mats of debris.

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Species: Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): Jacob sheep

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Farm Time
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approximately 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:9.7-1:14.3 (see below)
Frequency of breed in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge this figure is unique for its breed; I cannot find any other Jacob sheep on the Toy Animal Wiki. I had difficulty calculating scale, as Jacob sheep tend to be measured by weight rather than height. The scale above is based on a range of 53-78 cm, which is the general range I found for multi-horned sheep breeds.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Origin of breed unknown, but believed to be what is now Syria (see below); today it is bred primarily in North America and Europe
Habitat: Pastures, fields, meadows
Diet: Grasses, legumes, forbs, and other low-growing roughage
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Domesticated
Miscellaneous Notes: The precise origins of the Jacob are unknown. While they have been popular in England for many centuries, documentation suggests they may have originated in what is now Syria approximately 3,000 years ago. Pictorial evidence traces the movement of the sheep through North Africa, Sicily, Spain, and eventually to the British Isles. Legend has it that the sheep were first introduced to Ireland in 1588 on a wrecked ship of the Spanish Armada. The Jacob was introduced to North America in the mid-1900s. Today, the Jacob is bred primarily for its wool and skin. Jacob sheep are unique in having four, or even in come cases, six horns, although some individuals may only have two. Both sexes have horns, but rams generally have larger horns than ewes.

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Species: Cynomys parvidens Allen, 1905
Common name(s): Utah prairie dog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yowie Group
Series: All Americas Series
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Figure stands approximately 5.5 cm tall. Scale difficult to calculate, but using hind foot as a metric (n=1.1 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:5-1:6. Attempts at using body length as a metric come to similar numbers.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was first released in Australia in a collection known as Ranger Series, which focused on animals from the Americas and surrounding waters. The collection was later released in the United States under the name All Americas Series. I am not sure, however, if the two releases were both in 2016 or if the Australian release was in the previous year.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: USA; endemic to southwest Utah in the Awapa Plateau, East Fork, and the main stem of the Sevier River to eastern Iron County
Habitat: Swale land with well-drained soil and abundant herbaceous plants
Diet: Flowers, seeds, grasses, forbs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Cynomys parvidens has very specific habitat requirements. The burrows must have an adequate drain ability and must be deep enough to provide shelter from predators and insulation during the winter. The burrows must be one meter deep, but without hitting groundwater. They also favor habitats with soil that matches their fur color for camouflage and adequate vegetation for food, but the vegetation needs to be low enough so the prairie dogs to scan for predators. The range of C. parvidens is restricted by climatic, physical, and biological barriers. To the west, the climate is warmer and drier, and tall grass restricts views of their surroundings. Mountains and deserts to the east, west, and south are too harsh, have inadequate soil, and may be impassable.

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Not entirely realistic, but very cute.

Species: Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): blue swimmer crab; flower crab; blue crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Enoshima Aquarium
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.5 cm in diameter. Carapace width 3.0 cm for a scale of 1:4.8-1:6.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. pelagicus in the Museum. The crab is removable from its base. I cannot remember how much, if any, assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, estuaries; usually in the intertidal zone at depths of 0-65 meters
Diet: Marine invertebrates, fish, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Portunus pelagicus usually spends the day buried in the sand or mud. At night, they come out to feed on bivalves, fish, and algae. They are very good swimmers and cannot survive long periods of time out of water.

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