Mathison Museum of Natural History

Wow! Very beautiful caterpillar abd model!

Species: Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Egyptian vulture; white scavenger vulture; pharaoh's chicken

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Birds of Prey
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:6.3-1:9.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The bird is removable from its base, albeit leaving pegs under the feet, but the stone is not removable from its beak.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern Africa, Mediterranean Europe, Middle East, Western Asia to the Indian subcontinent
Habitat: Rock ledges and cliffs, open country, suburban areas
Diet: Carrion, small reptiles and mammals, bird eggs and nestlings, invertebrates, dung, human refuse
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Some populations of N. percnopterus, especially the nominate form in northern Africa, are known for tool use. Vultures will use round pebbles to crack open large eggs, such as those of bustards and ostriches.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Wonderful tool user unique model!   We can see some during summer here!

Caracal wrote:

Wonderful tool user unique model!   We can see some during summer here!

Oh nice; I'd love to see one!

Next up:



Species: Macrotis lagotis Reid, 1837
Common name(s): greater bilby

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Science and Nature
Series: Animals of Australia - Small Mammals
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding tail) approximately 4.0 cm. Total figure length approximately 5.5 cm. Using head length has a metric (n=2.3 cm), scale comes to 1:3.1-1:5 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Science and Nature made two sizes of the greater bilby; this is the smaller of the two. Cadbury also made one for the original Australian Yowies collections. I tried using head-and-body length to calculate scale but online resources seemed conflicted as to whether the same ranges presented by different sources included the tail or not. The data above using the head is based on morphometric analysis from a 2023 Ph.D. thesis available online. Calculating an accurate body length probably would have been challenging anyway due to the hunched posture the figure is displayed in. Macrotis lagotis exhibits some sexual dimorphism with regards to size and the data in that thesis include both male and female specimens.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia
Habitat: Deserts, dunes, semi-arid woodlands and shrubland, spinifex and tussock grasslands
Diet: Opportunistic omnivore, including seeds, fruit, bulbs, fungi, terrestrial invertebrates, and occasionally eggs and small vertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Macrotis lagotis does not drink water, but instead acquires all of the water it needs from its food.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

nice rare model and display!

The Desert Bakku Background has been getting a lot of use as of late...

Species: Scarabaeus typhon (Fischer von Waldheim, 1823)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Flying Beetles
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Base 5.5 cm long. Body length of beetle approximately 3.2 cm for a scale of 1:1.6-1:1.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen S. typhon in the Museum. This was the only figure from the Flying Beetles collection that isn't actually flying! It was the secret/chase figure in the set. The dung ball is permanently affixed to the sand base but the beetle sits loosely on the base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Palearctic, from Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula to East Russia and the Korean Peninsula
Habitat: Open habitats, usually in sandy areas and on dunes
Diet: Developing larvae feed on dung balls provisioned by parent beetles; adults feed on dung
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Scarabaeus typhon, like other 'dung-rollers', removes a piece of dung and rolls it to a new location away from competition. Depending on the species, this is often performed by a male-female pair. The dung ball is buried with a single egg, and the dung ball will nourish the developing larva. Ancient Egyptians likened the dung beetle pushing a ball of dung across the dunes to their sun god Ra pushing the sun across the sky.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

very realistic model and good picture!

Great dung model .

The egyptian vulture is one of my alltime favourites

Species: Pusa hispida saimensis (Nordquist, 1899)
Common name(s): Saimaa ringed seal

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yowie Group
Series: Wild Water Series
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate based on posture, but measured along midline, body length approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:10.6-1:18.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique to very rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: To the best of my knowledge, this is the only figure of the Saimaa ringed seal, although Nayab produced what appears to be a ringed seal of unknown subspecies. Pusa hispida saimensis is the darkest of the five subspecies of ringed seal, and I photographed the figure in this position so one could appreciate the faint gray rings on its back.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Finland (Lake Saimaa)
Habitat: Freshwater lake
Diet: Freshwater fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Pusa hispida saimensis is one of the few living freshwater seals. This subspecies is endemic to Lake Saimma in Finland. It is considered a glacial relict and is descended from ring seals that were separated from marine populations when land rose during the last ice age.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Species: Ateles paniscus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): red-faced spider monkey; Guiana spider monkey

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2010 (1998)
Size/Scale: Head-and-body length (excluding tail) approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:12.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this figure was never formally marketed at the species level and the identification is a community-based one most collectors appear to agree with. This figure was originally released in 1998 and had a bendable tail; mine is the 2010 reissue that has a solid, non-poseable tail. Otherwise, the sculpts are essentially the same.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern South America, north of the Amazon and Branco Rivers and east of the Essequibo River
Habitat: Rainforest; arboreal, usually in the middle to upper canopy
Diet: Fruit, flowers, leaves fungi, invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Ateles paniscus lives in what is described as a fission-fusion society, whereby the size and composition of the group changes as time passes and the animals move throughout the environment. For example, sleeping in one place during the night but traveling during the day with small groups splitting off for foraging. At night, A. paniscus sleeps in large groups called bands that contain upwards of 30 individuals.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Species: Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name(s): red drum; redfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Fish Factory
Series: Gulf Coast Collection
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm for an average scale of 1:8.5-1:15.4 or a scale of 1:24 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Generic 'drum' figures pop up in bin sets, but as far as I know, this is the only figure that specifically represents S. ocellatus.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Atlantic, from northern USA (Maryland) south to central Mexico; possibly established in the Mediterranean from escapees from aquaculture farms
Habitat: Coastal waters, seagrass beds, surf zones, estuaries, mouths of rivers, especially in areas with sandy bottoms, at depths of 10-40 meters
Diet: Crustaceans, mollusks, small fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Historically, S. ocellatus was a popular food fish, both commercially and with sport fishermen. It is no longer commercially fished in federal waters, and may be tightly regulated or banned in various state waters, it is still a popular food fish (I've had it; it's delicious). The species is raised via aquaculture for commercial consumption, however.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Species: Brachypelma emilia (White, 1856)
Common name(s): Mexican red-legged tarantula; Mexican redleg

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Habitat Earth - Tarantulas and Spiders
Year of Production: 1995
Size/Scale: Legspan approximately 6.0 cm. Carapace length approximately 1.2 cm for a scale of 1:2 for a female specimen (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The scale above was calculated based on a redescription of the species in a 2020 revision of the genus.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Mexico (western side of Sierra Madre Occidental)
Habitat: Dry coastal thorn scrub, dry oak forest, grasslands, palm transitions, human habitations
Diet: Primarily insects and other arthropods, occasionally small reptiles, amphibians, birds, rodents
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other Brachypelma species, B. emilia has a rather restricted distribution, being found on the Pacific side of the Sierra Madre Occidental range in the Mexican states of southern Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, and a small area in northwestern Jalisco near the border with Durango. It is a fossorial species, usually found in modified or self-made burrows under large rocks, under dense thorny thickets, large tree roots, or in leafy ground cover. They sometimes occur around human habitations when domiciles are constructed in or around their habitat.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

If I've ever seen a cute spider, then it's this one!

Species: Atrophaneura semperi (Felder & Felder, 1861)
Common name(s): batwing; black ballerina

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Wild Republic - Butterflies Nature Tube
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.8-1:2.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The K&M Butterflies Nature Tube figures were not marketed at the species level, however most of them appear to be painted after actual species. All of the identifications are mine or by other members of the ATF and STS forums. Today's identification was provided by another forum member. I am not particularly comfortable with today's identification, but it's better than anything I could come up with. If one accepts this identification, it would represent stylized rendition of a female specimen. Several of the sculpts (and in some cases paint style) in this set were also used by some of the earlier Safari Ltd. sets and Insect Lore.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines)
Habitat: Primary and secondary rainforest
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the genus Aristolochia (pipevine); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Atrophaneura semperi belongs to a complex of swallowtails from Asia, especially in the Indomalayan realm. The complex, commonly referred to as 'red-bodied swallowtails' or 'ruby swallowtails' because of their red bodies, includes members of the genera Atrophaneura, Byasa, and Losaria, and Pachliopta. They were elevated from subgenera of Papilio in 2005. Larvae of most species feed on pipevines in the genera Aristolochia or Thottea, and have aposematic coloration and serve as models for Batesian mimicry (when a harmless/nonpoisonous species resembles a poisonous, dangerous, or distasteful species).

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Species: Lamypris noctiluca (Linnaeus, 1767)
Common name(s): common glowworm

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Large Insects and Spiders
Year of Production: 1994
Size/Scale: Body length (exclusive of wings and appendages) approximately 7.5 cm for a scale of 4.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only figure of this species by a major commercial manufacturer (although I have seen at least one bootleg of it). Forum member Jetoar (founder of Paleo-Creatures) made a female for me as a personal commission. One day he asked me what I would like for him to make; I said 'surprise me' and it is one of the things he came up with. The Paleo-Creatures female was showcased in the Museum back on February 23, 2021.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia, North Africa
Habitat: Old-growth grasslands, verges, hedgebanks, and heaths; often in areas of chalk and limestone soils
Diet: Larvae feed on terrestrial mollusks; adults do not feed
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Lamypris noctiluca exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism. The male has the typical beetle body plan (as shown here today), but the female is larviform. It can be distinguished from larvae by color and the presence of compound eyes and developed sexual structures.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Species: Cercopithecus ascanius (Audebert, 1799)
Common name(s): red-tailed monkey; black-cheeked white-nosed monkey; red-tailed guenon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Monkeys and Apes TOOB
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Total figure length about 8.0 cm. Body length (excluding tail) approximately 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.6-1:15.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The body of this figure is probably too red for this species, although sometimes their base coat can lean more red or orange than grey. At the time of this writing, this figure is classified as the Atlantic masked titi (Callicebus personatus) on the Toy Animal Wiki site, probably because of the color, but the sculpted features and length-to-width ratio of the tail better support Cercopithecus over Callicebus. Despite the simple color (which was common in TOOBs of this era) I see no reason to question Safari's designation.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Africa
Habitat: Primary and secondary rainforest, riverine gallery forest, swamp forests; usually in the middle canopy
Diet: Primarily fruit; also leaves, flowers, insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cercopithecus ascanius occurs in social groups of 7-30 individuals (usually 11-14). A group typically contains a dominant male, a matrilineal group of females, and their offspring. Males will leave a group when they are sexually mature and either survive alone or in all-male groups until they can replace the dominant male in a different troop. Sometimes, groups of C. ascanius will congregate at food resources or in large trees during periods of rest.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

precious unique model and astute display!

Caracal wrote:

precious unique model and astute display!

Thanks. I was very happy with how the display turned out!