This year has been an exciting one for Haolonggood collectors as it has seen the company broaden its horizons and release a range of non-dinosaur prehistoric animals. They include a few Cenozoic mammals and the model we’re looking at today, a Sarcosuchus. Sarcosuchus is an early Cretaceous crocodyliform that superficially looks like a gigantic gharial but belongs to a clade...
If there’s one thing that young prehistory fans enjoy, it’s randomly pitting their toys against one another in savage battles, geography and time be blowed. And if there’s another thing that young children in general are entertained by, it’s seeing things change colour by immersing them in water. That’s precisely why Mattel’s two biggest properties, Barbie and Hot Wheels, have...
When it comes to prehistoric crocodilians there are two species I’ve wanted in my collection more than any other: Purussaurus, the gigantic caiman from the Eocene, and Stomatosuchus, one of the most bizarre crocodilians ever described. Within less than a year, Mattel has delivered action figures of both genera. The first mass produced toys of both. Stomatosuchus (mouth crocodile) is...
Purussaurus, like Deinosuchus and Sarcosuchus, is a top contender for the title of the biggest crocodyliforme of all time. Unlike those other two, it was a proper member of the order Crocodilia, a commodious caiman that dwelled in the rivers and lakes of South America during the Miocene epoch between 16 and 5.3 million years ago. And Mattel, with their penchant for producing...
The metriorhynchid Torvoneustes swam the savage seas during the Late Jurassic period around 145 million years ago. It was about 4.7 metres long, the same length as a very large American alligator and would have been a deadly predator of cephalopods, fish, and other marine reptiles—although like most other metriorhynchids, it would have in turn fallen victim to bigger pliosaurs. A Torvoneustes is...
Imagine yourself for a moment in a swamp. Not just any particular swamp. There’s mangrove trees with many vines hanging off their branches, tall reeds and cattails, and a strange assortment of prehistoric fauna. There’s a herd of ginormous Paraceratherium feeding on the trees, Phiomia fleeing from ravenous Titanoboa, Baryonyx fishing, and Beelzebufo hopping around. As you try to admire...
Rauisuchus is a genus of pseudosuchian that lived in the late Triassic of what is now Brazil. It is also the latest pseudosuchian and Triassic taxa offered from Mattel, who has miraculously produced more of these animals than any other toy company I can think of. Moreso than their mega theropods, gigantic sauropods, or even many of the offerings in...
“How do you do, fellow dinosaur lovers? Dr. Bella Bricking and Beth Buildit here once again, wishing you all both a happy National Dinosaur Day and a happy Pride Month! Are you ready for yet another dive deep into the exciting world of prehistoric LEGO sets?” *sigh* “Why are we wearing these getups, Doc? I’m cooking in here!” “Why, we...
Now here’s something unprecedented from Mattel. No, not a prehistoric pseudosuchian most people have never heard of. Mattel likes those, and this is that too. What makes this one unique is that it represents an animal that lived during the Cenozoic. The era immediately following the Mesozoic and the one in which we’re currently living. Gryposuchus specifically lived in the...
Mattel loves Pseudosuchians, or so it would seem. Just this year they released five of these crocodile-line archosaurs. Not since Bullyland’s heyday have we seen so many representatives of the group made by a single company, and I think Mattel must surely win the award for most Pseudosuchians ever produced. Also, like Bullyland, Mattel has produced a lot of Triassic...
Review and photos by Faelrin, edited by Suspsy Being a heavy collector of the Mattel Jurassic World line, it’s not often I give attention to their fantastic line of minis despite having collected a good portion of them ever since the line’s launch in 2018. In fact, this is probably my first review of these particular types of figures. 2023...
Many of the most vibrantly coloured vertebrates living on the planet today are reptiles, particularly squamates such as the gold dust day gecko, the collared lizard, the rainbow boa, and the eastern coral snake. Certain testudines including the red-eared slider, the eastern box turtle, and the northern river terrapin also feature bold patterning and coloration. Extant pseudosuchians, on the other...
