Machairodus (Bullyland)

When most hear the words “sabre tooth”, they would think of Smilodon and no others. But no species gains anything as unique as sabre teeth that large over night. It takes millennia of evolution from one species to another, and many of the steps can be found in the fossil record. Take Machairodus, a Miocene relative of Smilodon. Though not as large, it is still an extraordinary cat, and one of the few aside from Smilodon to be made into figures. Starlux made the first, and here, we look at Bullyland’s incarnation.

The pose of this figure is quite impressive, standing off against another predator, roaring a challenge. The colours are very natural, browns which lighten and darken in various parts of the body. It’s relatively small, fitting for a smaller sabre tooth, at 4″ long and 2″ high. Also, like many prehistoric mammals, this one is decidedly male.

To accuracy. This figure does have some good features, such as the shorter legs and feline features, matching modern tigers. I feel the skull could be narrower though, and while the sabre teeth are the right shape, but far too long, making it easily mistaking it for Smilodon.

While I appreciate what Bullyland have done with bringing out a more obscure species, it is a bit too similar to Smilodon to stand out from the figures made of that species. If you like this figure, I still recommend it, just not as strongly as I might recommend other figures.