The 70’s Glyptodon by Starlux is an interesting reproduction of an animal that had a curved and armored carapace which would have made nodosaurids and ankylosaurids proud. It is a strange toy. It has no articulation but it is able to be played with. It has some nice details but lacks finish. And what is going on with that color? Lets see, what style was to be found in the 1970’s? There were vinyl jump suits, shiny shirts with wide collars, full body flowered gowns, and a far-out use of color. So I guess an all orange toy makes sense coming from that time period.
It is made from the same hard yet brittle plastic that the brand in known for but due to its size and the thickness of its head and tail, it can survive a fall from the shelf. Its one of the hardier toys from the brand. That doesn’t mean I would leave it on the ground to be stepped on or put it on the drive way to be run over by a car, but if my kids play with it I am not too worried.
It is a small toy as well. It is 3in(7.62cm) long and under an inch high at (2.2cm). On the shell it has dimples like what you would find on golf ball. These dimples represent the scutes that covered the head and shell on the real animal. The tail actually gives away the exact species this toy represents, as Glyptodon clavipes was the only one that had a tail covered in bony rings that made it strong, flexible, and able to be swung . This feature is very clearly identified on this toy. Due to its small size the legs are mostly hidden under the shell along with what appears to be a wall of fur. The only part of the feet that are showing are its painted toes. The head looks to have the cephalic shield laying across the top though it is smooth. On its cheeks there looks to be some fur lines.
I am not sure if this figure is ugly or cute. Sure its weirdly painted orange but at the same time its kind of adorable. I mean look at it! It so little. Little eyes and ears. Soo cute. You just want to go up to it and start scratching under its ear and saying,” who’s a good girl.”
Is this a great toy? No. There are plenty of toys out there for kids so this is not needed for play time. Is it an interesting representation of an extinct animal? I think so. It is small enough to fit on a shelf and strange enough to spark a conversation. This toy has been out of production for a long time. If you are a fan of these ancient armadillos or just like the style of this toy, it is off to your usual websites like e-bay to track one down for your very own.
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I know what you think. At least Starlux produced other things.