Dimetrodon (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

Among the 2018 lineup for Safari Ltd. is everyone’s favorite sphenacodontid, Dimetrodon. This famous not-a-dinosaur was the T. rex of the Permian period and has been a pop-culture darling since its discovery. Even now it seems we’re treated to one of these flamboyant synapsids every couple years or so with Papo, Schleich, Favorite, and Recur all producing one within the last five years. A Dimetrodon from CollectA is due out this year too. The Papo Dimetrodon was a real treat– one of the best in their line. The Favorite Dimetrodon limbatus wasn’t bad either and while we can happily forget about Schleich’s attempt the Recur at least brought something new to the table. Some folks might lament the attention that Dimetrodon gets, while other bizarre Permian fauna get left in the dark. I would count myself among those folks, but I also welcome any model of a genus that’s well researched and well crafted. So how about it, does the Safari model stand out in the crowd?

First off I must admit, I don’t know much about Permian synapsids. I’m a dinosaur fan-boy first and foremost. I have enough knowledge that I can impress a group of laymen fairly well (I know it’s not a dinosaur at least) but I confess that the thought of reviewing a Dimetrodon for the blog was somewhat intimidating. I took a crash course on the genus thanks to Wikipedia but I’m not about to pretend that I know more about this animal than its sculptor and his consultant. Doug Watson brings us this latest version of the genus and his consultant was none other than Dr. Robert Reisz, Professor of Paleontology at the University of Toronto. The wonderful skeletal drawing of Dimetrodon grandis by Scott Hartman served as a reference point for the sculpt.

The thing with Dimetrodon is that it’s kind of a hard animal to reconstruct. Although classically envisioned as lizard-like in appearance and behavior this animal was no lizard. More akin to mammals than reptiles it wasn’t a mammal either. Non-mammalian synapsids are an odd group of animals that maybe looked like reptiles? Or maybe looked like mammals? It seems that the current trend is to reconstruct this animal as mammal-like, even going so far as to give it hair. The Safari model seems to handle this issue quite well, looking decidedly reptilian with a hint of its synapsid pedigree mostly conveyed in its posture and dynamism.

The Safari Dimetrodon is portrayed in a semi-sprawled posture striding forward with mouth open, as if it had just sprung out of some undergrowth to ambush an unfortunate prey item. Indeed, I think of these animals as somewhat crocodilian-like, laying motionless for much of the time but capable or tremendous bursts of speed. The right hindlimb propels the model forward with the forelimb stretched out ahead of the creature. The hands and feet look more like scaly bear paws than reptilian claws and I can imagine that a swipe from this particular animal could inflict a similar degree of damage.

Anatomically the model succeeds well. The head is large, deep, and narrowly compressed. The teeth within its maw properly show the varying dentition that “two measures of teeth” aka Dimetrodon would have had. The neck is short, body robust, and tail sufficiently short as it would have been in the actual animal. Too many companies give Dimetrodon a longer tail than it would have had in life. Features like the lips and scaly hide were directly advised by Dr. Reisz.

This Dimetrodon is muscular and husky with folds of skin hanging down its side. The strength conveyed in this figure conjure images of other powerful animals; both mammal and reptiles. Like a grizzly bear or Komodo dragon.

The paint scheme on the body is a subdued purplish brown, dark dorsally and fading to a lighter shade on the underside. It’s a realistic and non-traditional color choice that makes it easy to envision this creature hiding out in some dark forested environment. The sail, with drab green and faint purple bands is portrayed as a display feature without being gaudy. The nostrils and eyes are painted with a lifelike sheen that gives them the appearance of being wet. The tongue is pink, teeth white, and claws dark brown.

I have to admit that I was at first under whelmed by the idea of yet another Dimetrodon on the market. There are tons of other Permian synapsids in need of love. That said, this is a fantastic piece. I fell in love with it before I even had it in hand because unlike many past attempts at the genus this one gets it right. Other Dimetrodon figures all look a bit “off” by comparison, especially when viewed alongside a skeleton of the beast. I didn’t think it could get much better than the Papo Dimetrodon but this is the new benchmark for the genus. No matter how many Dimetrodon models adorn your shelf you should at least find enough room for just this one more, you won’t regret it! The Safari Dimetrodon is new for 2018 and should be easy to find, pick one up wherever Safari figures are sold!