Struthiomimus is the quintessential ornithomimid, the ostrich dinosaur many of us grew up reading about in dinosaur books. Its top speed is estimated to have been between 50 and 80 km/h, and it would have needed that speed to escape from hungry tyrannosaurs and dromaeosaurs.
CollectA’s first Struthiomimus figure came in the form of a T. rex’s unfortunate victim. This all-new, alive and kicking version is considerably larger, albeit the smallest figure in the 2016 prehistoric assortment. It measures a mere 11.5 cm from nose to tail tip and stands a little under 7 cm tall. Its colour scheme is relatively drab: light brown with a white underbelly, dark grey beak and claws, black eyes, a pink mouth, and white and black for the feathers on the arms. The earth-shaped base is painted sand brown with grey wash. Needless to say, a figure this small and slender would never be able to stand on its own.
Appropriately, the Struthiomimus is sculpted in a running pose with its head and neck held high in an S-curve and its long legs in mid-stride. It’s very easy to envision this speedy ornithomimid in the act of attempting to escape from a predator, just like in the iconic Gallimimus scene from Jurassic Park.
In keeping with the latest discoveries, the Struthiomimus is entirely covered in finely sculpted feathers save for its bill, hands, and feet. Granted, full on wings would have been nice, but as I noted in my review of the Deinocheirus, we don’t yet know the precise arrangement of ornithomimosaur plumage. The hands are correctly aligned, the open mouth reveals a complete absence of teeth, and the eyes are large and round. The tail is held straight out behind and the legs are graceful, but muscular. This animal is the picture of swiftness.
Ornithomimosaurs are arguably the most underrepresented dinosaur family in the world of prehistoric toys, so it’s fantastic that CollectA chose to make a Struthiomimus for 2016. And what a wonderful little toy it is! It’s dynamically posed, it’s well-sculpted, and it’s cute too. Indeed, I think I may just get two or three more and have a flock running across my shelf. Or should that be a gaggle?
Thanks again go out to CollectA for the advance sample!
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[…] recent years, the pantheon of ornithomimosaur figures has expanded more than ever before. Though still an underrepresented family of dinosaurs, these […]
I would argue that alvarezsauridae is the most underrepresented dinosaur family. heterodontosaurids as well. But I will agree that we need more Ornithomimosaurs. Great figure from CollectA either way.
Troodontidae is fairly under-represented as well, though not to the degree of Alvarezauridea. Scansoriopterygidae figures are pretty scarce as well.