Hyaenodon (AAA)

Review and photos by Mihnea (Wildheart)

Existing for approximately 26 million years, Hyaenodonts were some of the largest predators of the Late Eocene and Early Miocene epochs. Their name comes from the sharp hyena-like teeth used to tear apart possible prey. The skulls of these animals were huge and well equipped for hunting, but their brains were quite small, something typical in primitive carnivorous mammals. More than 42 species have been discovered so far on all continents exept Antarctica, South America and Australia, proving that Hyaenodonts were versatile and adaptible animals.

The AAA replica depicting Hyaenodon mongoliensis is clearly inspired by the BBC Walking with Beasts television series and is one of the brand’s higher quality figurines, along with the Entelodont. Anatomically speaking, the reconstruction of this animal is pretty much correct: the huge skull is present, the legs are slender  muscular and the tail is the right length.

The pose is nothing special. The animal may be prowling,communicating with a member of the pack or simply walking in search of a waterhole. The colouring resembles the one from the show: the underside is yellow, the claws are grey and the rest of the body is light brown and covered in black stripes. The eyes are brown with black pupils, the inside of the mouth has a fleshy pink tone and the teeth are yellowish. The genitals are also present, this particular individual being a male.

I highly recommend this replica to anyone into prehistoric mammals or simply a big fan of WWB. It isn’t too big, the details are nice and it is an exotic addition to any collection. Its only drawback is its rarity. It can sometimes be found on  eBay for a moderate price, but it may take some time to get one.