Mathison Museum of Natural History

Species: Cyclommatus metallifer (Boisduval, 1835)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Animal Kaiser
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approx. 6.2 cm, within scale 1:1 but closer to 1:1.5 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen C. metallifer in the Museum. Animal Kaiser figures are accessories to a Pokemon-like card game. Many of the vertebrates can be quite stylized and anthropomorphized, but luckily the arthropods tend to look more like traditional animal figures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indonesia
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical broadleaf forests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying logs; adults feed on tree sap, flowers, and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Males of Cyclommatus metallifer have mechanoreceptors in their mandibles; these act as sensors so the beetle controls the force of its bite so as not to break its mandibles when applying a lot of force.

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Species: †Ardipithecus ramidus White et al., 1994

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Tama-Kyu
Series: Evolution of Humanity
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Height approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:23.4-1:24.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure comes on a base with a lose-fitting placard with the ape's name in Japanese. The bases interconnect with others in the set. The ape is removable from the base, with the peg on the base, not the foot of the ape; however, the figure won't stand on its own. Normally I would have preferred to photograph the ape off of the base for the main pic, and show it on the base in an inset, but alas I couldn't get it to stand on its own.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Pliocene (Zanclean) of present-day East Africa
Habitat: Open woodlands, wooded grasslands
Diet: Primarily fruit and other plants; may have also hunted small animals or consumed carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Ardipithecus ramidus probably behaved similarly to modern-day chimpanzees, spending time in both trees and on the ground. It is not known to have had specific tool use, but may have used rocks and sticks in ways similar to chimps today. The teeth of A. ramidus suggest an omnivorous diet, but lacking the speed and agility of chimps and baboons, animal meat was probably acquired from hunting easy prey or possibly from scavenging carcasses.

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Impressive !

Species: Equus africanus asinus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): American spotted donkey; miniature donkey

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Farm World
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Height at withers (shoulders) approx. 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:20 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common (possibly unique for this morphotype, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: While this figure was marketed as an 'American spotted donkey', there are no true North American donkey breeds. In Canada and the US, donkeys are registered by their size, as either miniature, standard (which can come in large and small), or mammoth. Also, the spotted form of the donkey is a merely a genetic variant caused by a heterozygous individual containing one dominant copy of a gene for spotted and one copy of a gene for non-spotted. There are no documented cases of homozygous spotted donkeys, and the offspring of spotted donkeys can therefore either be spotted or not. This figure appears to have been modeled after a spotted miniature donkey, and the scale above is calculated based on the maximum height of a miniature donkey. While donkeys are very common as toys, this might be the first spotted miniature.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Breed originated in Sicily and Sardinia, and today is popular in the United States, Canada, and Europe, especially the United Kingdom.
Habitat: Farms, ranches, stables, large suburban yards
Diet: Grasses, shrubs; diet may be supplemented with hay, straw, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Domesticated
Miscellaneous Notes: The miniature donkey was first bred on the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia over 2,000 years ago from African stock. They were initially bred as draft animals and used for such tasks as delivering fresh bread, pulling oar-filled carts from mines, for transportation, and to power grist mills to grind grain. They were first imported to the United States in 1929 where today they are very popular as show and companion animals. The miniature donkey is not a 'bred-down' version of a larger donkey; its smaller size is natural. As a breed standard, they are no taller than 36 inches (91 centimeters) at the withers.

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Species: Diaehtria kolyma (Hewistson, 1852)
Common name(s): Kolyma eighty-eight

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Science Techni Colour - Private Specimen of a Lepidopterist Acrylic Mascot 2
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Wingspan approx. 4.5 cm for a scale of 1.3:1-1.1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This was an interesting figure to determine the identification of. It was originally marketed as Diaethria species, but the markings didn't look right for any species in that genus at the time. I came up with an identification of Catacore kolyma on my own when I acquired the set in 2019. However, when researching the species for today's post, I found a 2021 publication that made Catacore a junior subjective synonym of Diaethria! So it looks like Ikimon had the correct genus all along!

The figures in this series are essentially photographs of butterflies and moths embedded in acrylic. Flip the figure over and the underside reveals an image of the ventral side of the animal, too. They are also sold as keychains (hence the hole in the acrylic above the head).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South America (Ecuador, Peru, Brazil)
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Diet: Larval host plant(s) unknown; adults probably feed on ripe and rotting fruit, sap, dung, and possibly perspiration from animals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information on the biology of this species and the information above on the diet of the adult is based on other members of the genus Diaethria and other eighty-eight butterflies.

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Species: Homarus americanus Milne-Edwards, 1837
Common name(s): Maine lobster; American lobster

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Incredible Creatures
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) approx. 19.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.3-1:3.3 (see below)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen H. americanus in the Museum. The size range for H. americanus is all over the map using online resources. The scale above is calculated based on a body length of 25-64 cm. It can probably scale 1:1 for a smaller individual or 1:5 for an exceptionally large individual.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Atlantic, from Labrador to North Carolina; introduced to Norway and Iceland
Habitat: Benthic; usually in sandy and muddy areas in coastal and shelf waters at depths of 0-480 meters (usual range 4-50 meters)
Diet: Carrion, benthic invertebrates, algae, eelgrass
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The normal color of H. americanus is blueish-green to brown with red spines, due to a mix of yellow, blue, and red pigments that occur naturally in their exoskeleton. On rare occasions, these colors get distorted and may become the predominant color of the animal. Rare mutations and their frequency include blue (1 in 2 million), red (1 in 10 million), yellow or orange (1 in 30 million), split (1 in 50 million), and iridescent or albino (1 in 100 million).

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Species: Bathynomus doederleini Ortmann, 1894
Common name(s): giant deep-sea isopod

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Enoshima Aquarium Atlas Anima Series 2
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base approx. 3.3 cm in diameter. Body length approx. 4.5 cm for a scale of 1.6:1-1:3.1 (within scale 1:1 for a smaller adult specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen B. doederleini in the Museum. This might be the first figure of a giant deep-sea isopod, at least among well-known companies (it's the first I've ever had and the oldest of those in my collection). Most of the figures by Japanese companies that followed it represent B. giganteus, which is interesting as the latter occurs in the Atlantic Ocean and not around Japan. The isopod is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific, from Japan to the Philippines
Habitat: Bathydemersal; along continental shelves and slopes at depths of 100-680 meters
Diet: Primarily a scavenger on dead animals on the sea floor
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty finding information on this species; there is a lot less information readily available than there is on the related B. giganteus.

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Species: Mustela furo Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): ferret

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Egg Pet Series 1
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to calculate based on the animal's posture, but body length approx. 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:6.7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Choco Egg figures, some assembly is required. Kaiyodo also produced this figure painted as an albino.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Site or region of original domestication is unknown, but was probably in Mediterranean Europe; today the ferret is bred nearly worldwide and feral populations occur in other places, including the British Isles and New Zealand
Habitat: Human habitations
Diet: As pets, ferrets typically eat manufactured ferret, cat, or dog food; feral populations are non-discriminant predators of small animals.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Domesticated
Miscellaneous Notes: The origin of the ferret is not known. Mitochondrial DNA analysis shows it was domesticated from the European polecat (M. putorius) around 2,500 years ago, but the location of domestication remains unclear. It has been suggested that the ferret was first domesticated in Egypt, but since the animal is not depicted in hieroglyphics and there are no mummified remains of the animal in Egypt, that is unlikely. The ferret was probably first domesticated by the Ancient Romans for hunting. Ferrets were used for both hunting game, such as rabbits, as well as controlling rodent pests. Today ferrets are popular as pets, but there are restrictions and conditions for several countries, most notably Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil, and the European Union. Historically recognized as a subspecies of M. putorius, the American Society of Mammologists now considers the ferret a valid species.

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Very nice figure! Love the background

Nice again

May I ask you, in this forum and ATF, are you used same species ? I mean, it would be great if in a day you made twice. One generator for STS another for ATF, so member both forum can see different animal and will be more fun. Thanks Blain you are so much inspired

Species: †Archaeopteryx lithographica Meyer, 1861

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Favorite Co. Ltd.
Series: Dinosaur Soft Models
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 12.0 cm for a scale of 1:4.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third iteration of Archaeopteryx in my collection. The first was the mini version by PNSO, but I could never get the damn thing to stand properly. I replaced with the original Kaiyodo Dinotales figure (which still holds up well for being over 20 years old). However, when I was able to find today's Favorite version available online in North America, I snatched it up! The dinosaur is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Jurassic (Tithonian) of present-day Europe
Habitat: Semi-arid, subtropical coastal islands
Diet: Small animals, including juvenile dinosaurs, small reptiles, and invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: There has been a lot of debate on the flight capability of Archaeopteryx. There have been a few studies which conclude that Archaeopteryx was incapable of flapping flight, but it probably had at least some gliding capabilities. Archaeopteryx is often depicted as an arboreal species and may have glided down to the ground or lower branches. However, fossil records seem to show that trees were sparse on the semi-arid islands that Archaeopteryx inhabited and the animal may have been primarily ground-dwelling. The wings could therefore be used for gliding off of the ground with a running start, perhaps to evade a would-be predator or maybe catch flying insect prey, or as extra lift if running across a body of water (not unlike a modern basilisk lizard).

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Species: Morone saxatilis (Walbaum, 1792)
Common name(s): striped bass; Atlantic striped bass; striper; rockfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Fish Factory
Series: American Anglers
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.1-1:17.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (possibly unique as a sculpt, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure appears to be a reissue of the Replica Toy Fish 3-inch figure, but it could be a new/original sculpt.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western Atlantic, from Canada to the Gulf Coast; introduced to other locations around the world and reservoir impoundments within the United States for sport fishing and aquaculture.
Habitat: Marine, demersal; spawning takes place in freshwater rivers (anadromous)
Diet: Fish, aquatic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: In nature, M. saxatilis spawns in fresh water but lives as an adult in saltwater (anadromous). However, the striped bass has been adapted to spending its entire life in fresh water. This allows the fish to be stocked in freshwater reservoirs for game. The stiped bass has also hybridized with white bass (M. chrysops), and these hybrids are also used to stock freshwater reservoirs.

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Species: Euterpnosia chibensis Matsumura, 1917

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Natural Monuments of Japan
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Log base 5.0 cm long. Body length (exclusive of wings and appendages) approx. 4.0 cm for a scale of 1.7:1-1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The cicada is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Japan, from central Honshu to the Tokara Islands
Habitat: Evergreen forests
Diet: Nymphs feed on juices from subterranean tree roots; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had difficulty researching information of the biology of this species and the information on diet above is based on other related cicadas.

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Species: Camarhynchus pallidus (Sclater & Salvin, 1870)
Common name(s): woodpecker finch

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Nature Zone - Galapagos Islands
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Wood base is 6.0 cm long. Body length of bird difficult to calculate but comes to approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly is required and the bird is removable from its base (although the twig/spine and grub are permanently affixed to the bird).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Galapagos Islands (Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Fernandina, Santiago, Penzón)
Habitat: Highly variable, including montane evergreen forests, arid habitats, humid lowland forests, coastal areas, and transitional zones between different habitats
Diet: Arthropods; primarily wood-boring beetle larvae, but also other insect larvae and other soft-bodied invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Camarhynchus pallidus is a species of 'Darwin finch', a group of tanagers from the Galapagos Islands known for the striking variability in the strictures of their beaks to fill specific niches on the islands. The woodpecker finch is best known for its use of tools and social learning. Woodpecker finches use small sticks or cactus spines to pry insect larvae out from under bark or from galleries in which they develop. This is an example of 'social learning' whereby the bird learns this technique from observing others. The source of the tool and frequency of using varies based on habitat and season.

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What a cool figure with the twig and grub. Not as fun to play with for a kid maybe, but definitely a neat piece as a sculpture.

Love reading miscellaneous notes section for all of these, I'm always learning things.