Mathison Museum of Natural History

Species: Adalia bipunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): two-spotted lady beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series: Insects
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.8 cm for a scale of 10.9:1-5.4:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique for this set)
Miscellaneous Notes: The Wing Mau Insects collection consists of 24 figures representing 23 species of beetles (today's A. bipunctata is the only duplicated species). The figures have the Latin name printed on the underside. The figures seem to have been influenced by an Italian poster, Beetles, from 1992, as all the species are represented in that poster (including both variants of A. bipunctata) and have the same Latin names assigned to them. This poster hangs in my home office; I've had it since 1995. Some figures in this set were also produced for Play Visions for their Habitat Earth line. Most of the species in this Wing Mau collection are unique, at least as sculpts. Interestingly, even though these two figures today both represent A. bipunctata, they are different sculpts and not merely the same sculpt repainted. In nature, A. bipunctata exhibits extreme variation in color. Wing Mau beetles are often released with different paint jobs and I have also seen a solid black version of this species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Holarctic
Habitat: Highly variable as long as adequate vegetation and prey is available, including deciduous and mixed forests and forest margins, coastal dunes, grasslands, fields, parks, gardens
Diet: Aphids and other small, soft-bodied insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of A. bipunctata in North America appear to be narrowing and declining. In New York state, it is considered a 'Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)'. It is believed its decline is due to competition with established non-native species, such as Coccinella septempunctata and possibly Harmonia axyridis.

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bmathison1972 wrote:

widukind wrote:

Interesting, i believe i dont know the serie. What are the other figures?

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], this is the set:

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Next up:

Species: Hasarius adansoni (Audouin, 1826)
Common name(s): Adanson's house jumper

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toys Spirits
Series: 3D Picture Book Spiders of the World
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.2 cm for a scale of 8:1-4.2:1 for a male specimen (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen H. adansoni in the Museum. Figures in this collection come in small paper boxes designed to look like books. Each book itself is a 'strap' figure that can be worn as a keychain. Within each book is biological information on the species. The background page for the figure can be cut out and attached to a plastic base that serves as a diorama on which to display the figure (see inset). I did a step-by-step reveal of the entire presentation when I reviewed the set on the Animal Toy Blog. Hasarius adansoni is sexually dimorphic and this figure was modeled after a male specimen.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Believed to be native to Middle East and/or or Africa, now occurs over much of the world in warmer climates
Habitat: Woodlands, fields, orchards, parks, gardens, greenhouses, human habitations
Diet: Small insects and spiders
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Being an synanthropic species, H. adansoni has been introduced to much of the world via human activity. It is believed to be native to the Middle East and/or Africa but now occurs throughout the Americas, in Western, Central, and Mediterranean Europe, India, Laos, Vietnam, China, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and several Pacific Islands, among other places. Where temperatures are cooler, the house jumper is often found in artificial climates, such as in greenhouses or homes.

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Thank you, now i know it

Species: †Otodus megalodon (Agassiz, 1835)
Common name(s): megalodon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Prehistoric Life - Deluxe
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 29.0 cm for a scale of 1:49-1:69 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: The bottom jaw is articulated. We have no idea how long O. megalodon was. The scale above is calculated based on a body length of 14.2-20.0 meters. That maximum length is based on studies from 2021 and 2022. I am sure the scale will fluctuate as we/if we ever learn more about the actual size of the animal.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Miocene-Early Pliocene; worldwide in seas and oceans at the time
Habitat: Pelagic
Diet: Opportunistic, indiscriminate predator; prey probably included cetaceans, sea turtles, sirenians, seals, fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: There are four species currently assigned to the genus Otodus. The evolution of this clade is characterized by changes in the teeth, notably an increase in serrations, a widening of the crown, formation of a more triangular shape, and the disappearance of lateral cusps. This shift is believed to be related to a shift in predation, from a tear-grasping bite to a cutting bite that corresponds with a shift in prey from fish to cetaceans.

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Species: Cambarellus patzcuarensis Villalobos, 1943
Common name(s): Mexican dwarf crayfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Banjihan ACE
Series: Mexican Dwarf Crayfish
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 3.5, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique as a set/sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: There are six figures in the set, all color variants of the same sculpt. Cambarellus patzcuarensis is popular in the aquarium trade and most of the figures in the set represent domestic morphotypes. I chose the 'brown' version since it's closest to the wild type.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Mexico (Michoacán)
Habitat: Freshwater lakes and springs
Diet: Plants, detritus, aquatic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Cambarellus patzcuarensis is endemic to Lake Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, Mexico and neighboring springs in places like Chapultepec, Opopeo, and Tzurumutaro. While popular in the pet trade, it is endangered in its native range due to habitat loss and alteration.

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Another unknown brand with phantastic figures

very realistic display!

Species: Cairina moschata (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): domestic Muscovy duck

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Farm Life
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate because of the animal's posture, but measured along midline the body length is approximately 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:7-1:9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was specifically marketed as a domestic Muscovy duck, C. moschata var. domestica, but that name isn't valid as a formal subspecies under the rules of the ICZN (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, from southern Texas (Rio Grande Valley) to Argentina and Uruguay; feral domestic populations occur throughout the world, including North America, Caribbean, Europe, eastern Australia, New Zealand
Habitat: Forested swamps, lakes, streams, wet grasslands, agricultural fields, urban and suburban parks
Diet: Primarily plant material, including both aquatic and terrestrial plants; also fish, amphibians, reptiles, and freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cairina moschata is believed to have been first domesticated in Brazil, prior to European discovery in the late 1490s. It was bred primarily for meat and today it is often referred to as a Barbary duck in a culinary context. The Muscovy duck is the only domestic duck not derived from mallard stock, although domestic Muscovy ducks and mallards will sometimes crossbreed, resulting in the mulard. The domestic form is sometimes given subspecies status (C. m. domestica), but more commonly it is only considered a form or variety. The subspecies name was first coined by R. A. Donkin in 1989 in his book on the origin and dispersal of the domestic Muscovy duck, but because the name was not assigned per the rules set forth in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the combination is considered invalid.

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Very interesting informations!

Species: Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): western honey bee; European honey bee

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Safariology - Life Cycle of a Honey Bee
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Egg chamber 5.7 cm tall; individual egg approximately 2.3 cm long. Larva approximately 4.5 cm wide. Pupa approximately 5.4 cm long. Body length of adult (excluding appendages and wings) approximately 5.8 cm for a scale of 4.8:1-3.9:1 for a worker. Larva and pupa are in relative scale with adult. Egg larger, approximately 23:1-15.3:1 in scale.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the sixth time we've seen A. mellifera in the Museum, and the second time we've seen a life cycle of the species (I have four). For a brief period, the adult from this set was sold individually with a slightly different paint job in Safari's Hidden Kingdom Insects line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide. Believed to be native to Africa and/or Central Asia, with natural spread throughout Africa and Europe; introduced to the Western Hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asia for honey production.
Habitat: Highly varied; anywhere with suitable hive-building sites and flowers for food source.
Diet: Larvae are fed pollen by the adults; adults eat nectar and pollen
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: The average developmental time for a worker honey bee is 21-22 days. Oviposition to hatching of the egg is approximately 3 days. The bee then spends about 6 days as a larva. The larva is fed 'royal jelly' for the first couple days and then a blend of honey and pollen ('bee bread') for the remainder of the larval stage (potential queens will get royal jelly throughout their development and after emergence). After the pupal cell is capped, the bee spends 10-11 days as a pupa, eventually emerging as an adult.

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Species: Allactaga sibirica (Forster, 1778)
Common name(s): Mongolian five-toed jerboa; Siberian jerboa

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Furuta
Series: Chocoegg Funny Animals Series 1
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure length approximately 6.5 cm. Using hind foot as a metric (n=2.0 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:3.6-1:3.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Online references refer to this figure as the Baluchistan pygmy jerboa (Salpingotulus michaelis). However, based on the size of the ears in relation to the head, that identification does not seem to be correct. There are several identification inconsistencies with figures from this set online. Whether these errors are on behalf of Furuta or collectors who post their collections online, I am not sure. For a while, several of us assumed it was a long-eared jerboa ( Euchoreutes naso) but again, based on length of the ears in relation to the head, that ID doesn’t seem right, either. Looking more closely at the ratio of head and ears, to me this figure looks most like something in the genus Allactaga. I am databasing mine as A. sibirica (syn. Orientallactaga sibirica) as it’s the most widespread species in the genus. Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required..

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Asia (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Siberia)
Habitat: Deserts, semi-deserts, forest-steppes, steppes
Diet: Plants (leaves, seeds, roots), insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other arid-adapted rodents, A. sibirica does not need to drink water as it gets all of the water it needs from the food it eats.

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bmathison1972 wrote:

Species: Allactaga sibirica (Forster, 1778)
Common name(s): Mongolian five-toed jerboa; Siberian jerboa

Miscellaneous Notes: Online references refer to this figure as the Baluchistan pygmy jerboa (Salpingotulus michaelis). However, based on the size of the ears in relation to the head, that identification does not seem to be correct. There are several identification inconsistencies with figures from this set online. Whether these errors are on behalf of Furuta or collectors who post their collections online, I am not sure. For a while, several of us assumed it was a long-eared jerboa ( Euchoreutes naso) but again, based on length of the ears in relation to the head, that ID doesn’t seem right, either. Looking more closely at the ratio of head and ears, to me this figure looks most like something in the genus Allactaga. I am databasing mine as A. sibirica (syn. Orientallactaga sibirica) as it’s the most widespread species in the genus. Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required..

Your choice does make sense. It's even advisable to change TAW.

Species: Dryocopus martius (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): black woodpecker

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Total figure height about 6.5 cm. Scale difficult to calculate but body length approximately 8.5 cm for a scale of 1:5.3-1:6.5.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: From what I can tell, no assembly required. Kaiyodo also produced this species for their Chocoegg Animatales line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia
Habitat: Old-growth coniferous, subtropical, and boreal forests
Diet: Insects; primarily carpenter ants, but also beetle larvae and other insects in wood
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Dryocopus martius is a specialist on carpenter ants, although it will eat any insects it finds within wood, such as beetle larvae. It fills the same ecological niche in Europe as the related pileated woodpecker (D. pileatus) in the Nearctic and lineated woodpecker (D. lineatus) in the Neotropics.

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A figure from one of my alltime favourites

Beautiful model and photo!

Species: Conger myriaster (Brevoort, 1856)
Common name(s): whitespotted conger; common Japanese conger

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 2
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Measured along midline, body length approximately 11.5 cm for a scale of 1:7-8.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The eel sits loosely on its base. The base also came with a section of line, hook, and worm, as if it was being fished for, but I chose not to display the figure like that.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific (Japan, Korean Peninsula, China)
Habitat: Bathydemersal; usually in sandy and muddy areas at depths to 320-830 meters
Diet: Fish, crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Conger myriaster is one of the most valuable fishery species in the waters around China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula. The annual haul from the Yellow and East China seas averages 13,000 tonnes. In sushi and sashimi, it is referred to as anago.

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Yujin was really a great brand in the 2000's

Species: Sittiparus owstoni (Ijima, 1893)
Common name(s): Owston's tit; Izu tit

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 11
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:2.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Kaiyodo originally produced two versions of this figure, which at the time represented two subspecies of the varied tit (S. varius), the nominate form (S. v. varius) and Owston's tit (S. v. owstoni). In 2014, three subspecies of S. varius were given species-level rank, including Owston's tit (see below). I also have the 'true' S. varius figure and it will be featured at a later date. Being one of the original Choco Q Animatales figures, assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Miyakejima, Mikurajima, and Hachijojima Islands in the Izu Archipelago)
Habitat: Evergreen broadleaf forest, coniferous and mixed forest, bamboo forest
Diet: Seeds, nuts, insects (especially caterpillars)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: In 2014, the varied tit (Sittiparus varius) was divided into four species based on morphological and molecular data (mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses). The four species are as follows: varied tit, S. varius (widespread in Japan, central and southern Korean Peninsula, northeastern China, Russian Kuriles); Owston's tit, S. owstoni (endemic to the Japanese islands of Miyakejima, Mikurajima, and Hachijojima in the Izu Archipelago); chestnut-bellied tit, S. castaneoventris (endemic to Taiwan); Iriomote tit, S. olivaceus (endemic to the Yaeyama Islands of Japan). The varied tit still has five extant and one extinct subspecies. The nominate subspecies (S. v. varius) is widespread, being found in the southern Kuriles, northeastern China, Korea Peninsula, and much of Japan. The remaining extant subspecies are all endemic to one or a few Japanese islands: S. v. sunsunpi (Tanegashima), S. v. namiyei (Toshima, Niijima, Kōzu-shima), S. v. yakushimensis (Yakushima), and S. v. amamii (Amami Ōshima, Tokunoshima, Okinawa). The last subspecies, S. v. orii, was endemic to the Japanese Daitō Islands (Kitadaitōjima, Minami Daitōjima) and became extinct around 1940.

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Species: Anthopleura fuscoviridis Carlgren, 1949
Common name(s): Japanese green flower

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Seaside Creatures Vol. 1
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Diameter of base approximately 3.0 cm for a scale of 1:1-1:3.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (unique as a sculpt)
Miscellaneous Notes: This same sculpt was reissued in the Seaside Creatures Vol. 2 collection in 2019, albeit colored brown instead of green. Both figures are also magnets.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (southwest Hokkaido to Kyushu)
Habitat: Intertidal rock crevices and hollows
Diet: Marine invertebrates, small fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other sea anemones, A. fuscoviridis has toxins in its tentacles for immobilizing prey. Two of these toxins, Delta-actitoxin-Afv1a and Delta-actitoxin-Afv1b, are neurotoxins that bind voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs/NaVs), thus delaying their activation. These toxins may turn out to be useful medically in managing cardiovascular and neurologic disorders associated with VGSCs/NaVs.

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Congratulations, this beautiful green flower is a very rare figure.
Nice photo too .

Great model. I had never seen it.