Mathison Museum of Natural History

widukind wrote:

Wonderful owl

All three Fortune Owl collections are well done!

Species: Velarifictorus aspersus (Walker, 1869)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Dreams Come True Ltd.
Series: Sound of Autumn
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 2.2 cm for a scale of 1.3:1-1:1 (very slightly over 1:1 for a large specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sound of Autumn collection features Asian orthopterans known for their songs. Figures in this set come permanently affixed in small plastic cages, as if to simulate live captive specimens. One can push a button on the side of the cage and it plays the song the animal makes in nature! The cages are 5.5 cm x 4.0 cm x 3.5 cm. Removing the insects from the cages means irreparably damaging the cages (which was fine by me, as I don't want to display them int he cages).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Forest margins, fields, grasslands
Diet: General omnivore, including leaves, grasses, seeds, fruit, dead insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Females of V. aspersus exhibit wing dimorphism in relation to two distinct life-history strategies. Long-winged females invest resources into flight and therefore dispersal, while short-winged females invest resources more heavily in reproduction and fecundity.

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Precious unique model!

Species: Coenobita purpureus Stimpson, 1858
Common name(s): purple pincer crab; Okinawan blueberry hermit crab; blueberry hermit crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure width approximately 5.8 cm. Scale difficult to calculate as important metrics are not competely visible, but looking at in-hand pics online the figure appears to be in the 1:1 scale range
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: I can't remember, but there may have been minimal assembly. This is one of the few figures in the Natural Monuments of Japan collection that didn't come with a base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Ryukyu and Ogasawara Islands); one specimen reported from Taiwan (see below)
Habitat: coastal forests, beaches
Diet: Vegetation, fruit, carrion, dung
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Coenobita purpureus is endemic to southern Japan in the Ryukyu and Ogasawara (Bonin) islands. In 2017, a specimen was collected in Taiwan but it believed to have been introduced after a typhoon and the species is not currently believed to be established there.

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This crab is a part of the best serie ever.

widukind wrote:

This crab is a part of the best serie ever.

yes it was a monumental achievement by Kaiyodo! I have several figures from that series in my collection.

bmathison1972 wrote:

widukind wrote:

This crab is a part of the best serie ever.

yes it was a monumental achievement by Kaiyodo! I have several figures from that series in my collection.

My favourites are the bird figures, especially the fish owl

Wonderful model and picture!

Species: Pseudacris clarkii (Baird, 1854)
Common name(s): spotted chorus frog; Clark's tree frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Incredible Creatures - Tree Frogs
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Legspan 9.0 cm. Snout-to-vent length approximately 6.0 cm, for a scale of 2:1-1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This was one of three tree frogs in a set. The frogs were only marketed by color (tan, green, red) and the identifications are mine or others'. The other two species in the set appear to be the American green tree frog (D. cinereus) and the clown tree frog (Dendropsophus leucophylla). The American green green tree and spotted chorus frogs used the same sculpt, but from what I can tell the clown tree frog has a different sculpt (the clown tree frog is the only one of the trio I don't possess).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southcentral United States and northern Mexico (Tamaulipas)
Habitat: Prairies, prairie islands, savanna, woodland margins; often near ponds, marshes, roadside ditches, buffalo wallows, flooded fields, transient pools
Diet: Insects and spiders
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: During the breeding season, P. clarkii can be found around permanent, semi-permanent, and transient bodies of water. During the dry season, however, they are inactive, often buried under thatch and loose soil.

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Wonderful species model and picture!

Species: Formica rufa Linnaeus, 1761
Common name(s): red wood ant

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Heller
Series: Forest Monsters
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 11.5 cm for a scale of 25.5:1-12.8:1 for a worker
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen F. rufa in the Museum. Like other Heller products, this figure is a model kit and must be assembled and painted by the consumer. Today's ant comes in 13 pieces (top portion of body, bottom portion of body, mandibles, 2 eyes, 2 antennae, 6 legs) in a solid matte black plastic. I painted the pieces first, then assembled them while securing with super glue, and finished with a clear satin varnish.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia
Habitat: Lowland coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests and forest margins, heathland, open ridges, parks, gardens
Diet: Primarily aphid honeydew; also predaceous on other arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Colonies of F. rufa may have multiple nests so they may relocate in case of drastic changes in the environment, such attacks from another colony, change in availability of food resources, or weather. This splitting of nests causes the creation of multiple daughter nests. When the primary nest is under stress, the larvae, pupae, and queen are moved to one of the daughter nests.

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good job Blaine!

Caracal wrote:

good job Blaine!

Thank you. I am nowhere near your level of painting talent, however

Species: Uroplatus phantasticus (Boulenger, 1888)
Common name(s): Satanic leaf-tailed gecko; eyelash leaf-tailed gecko; phantastic leaf-tailed gecko

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Gecko Figure Collection I
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approximately 4.7 cm for a scale of 1:1.2-1:1.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was in the first of three Gecko Figure Collections sets by Kaiyodo, most of which features domestic variants of leopard geckos. Unlike many Capsule Q figures, no assembly is required. The figure could probably fit in the 1:1 scale range for a smaller or young specimen. It appears to have been sculpted as a male.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Madagascar
Habitat: Tropical rainforest; arboreal
Diet: Insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Uroplatus phantasticus is a master of camouflage, especially with its flattened, leaf-shaped tail. Notches in the tail are more commonly seen in male specimens. The gecko can autotomize its tail if stressed, threatened, or sick, but unlike with many other lizards, the tail will not regrow.

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Wonderful mimetic exemple!

Species: Prosopocoilus mirabilis Boileau, 1904

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Stag Beetles Vol. 5
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approximately 11.0 cm for a scale of 1.8:1-1.5:1 for a male specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the eighth species in the genus Prosopocoilus we've seen in the Museum (and there are more still to come)! Like other Diversity of Life on Earth figures, this model is large, requires assembly, and the final product has some articulations (not the legs, interestingly enough).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tanzania
Habitat: Tropical forests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting tree trunks; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on this species. It is in the subgenus Metopodontus, which is treated as a full genus by some authorities.

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Very realistic model!

Species: Equus kiang Moorcroft, 1841
Common name(s): kiang; Tibetan wild ass

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Signatustudio
Series: 1:20 Tibetan Plateau Collection
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Height at shoulders (withers) approximately 6.2 cm for a scale of 1:21.3-22.9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Signatustudio is a line of animal replicas made by artist J. Miguel Aparicio out of Spain. Most models are in the 1:20 scale and represent the fauna of Eurasia, including the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean, Tibetan Plateau, and Euro-Siberian regions. He also has a line for the Ethiopian Highlands and several extinct animals from the Pleistocene and Miocene. When I started the non-arthropod part of my collection, I bought a few for proof-of-concept. They are very nice but may be cost prohibitive for many collectors.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Tibetan Plateau of northern Pakistan, India (Ladakh), Tajikistan, China (Tibet, Tsinghai, Szechwan), northern Nepal
Habitat: Montane grassland and shrubland, high desert and semidesert, steppes
Diet: Grasses, sedges, forbs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Equus kiang will occasionally form herds of up to several hundred individuals. These are not permanent groupings, but rather temporary aggregations and usually consist of females, foals, and young males. These groupings are loosely led by an older female. Older males tend to be solitary.

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Beautiful! It would be great if a regular brand made one.

bmathison1972 wrote:

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Is there any online shop to buy this figure?

Yes, here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Truly wonderful model!

Wonderful unique model and picture!

Species: Papilio protenor Cramer, 1775
Common name(s): spangle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Caterpillars Vol. 1
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 12.5 cm for a scale of 2.8:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is one of three figures of this species I am aware of, all larvae (the other two were produced by Kaiyodo for their Capsule Q Museum line). Some assembly is required and the final product is articulated. It has the option of being displayed with the osmeterium extended (as shown here) or not. It also comes with a base derived from its gashapon capsule (not shown here). The set also included larvae of the Asian swallowtail (P. xuthus) and the great Mormon (P. memnon) that use the same sculpt and design.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern India and Nepal to East and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Forests and forest edges, riparian areas, citrus groves, grasslands, parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed primarily on Citrus and other plants in the family Rutaceae; adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The osmeterium is a defensive organ found in all larval stages of Papilionidae. When the larva is threatened, the osmeterium can be everted from the first thoracic segment. In addition to possibly scaring away predators by mimicking the tongue of a snake, the osmeterium also secretes volatile organic acids. Early instars of P. protenor secrete monoterpenes and sesquiterpenoids while 5th (final) instar larvae secrete aliphatic acid and their esters (iso-butyric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, methyl iso-butyrate, methyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl iso-butyrate and ethyl 2-methylbutyrate).

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