Fukuisaurus (CollectA)

If you’re looking for dinosaurs in Japan, then the best place to find them is in the Early Cretaceous strata of the Kitadani Formation, located in the Fukui Prefecture. Species discovered there include the megaraptoran Fukuiraptor, the maniraptoriforme Fukuivenator, the avialan Fukuipteryx, the sauropod Fukuititan, and the subject of this review, the ornithopod Fukuisaurus. Somehow, I get the distinct impression that if a ceratopsian is ever found in that region, it’ll end up being named Fukuiceratops.

The 2020 CollectA Fukuisaurus is a fairly small toy at just 14 cm long from nose to tail tip and slightly over 5 cm tall at the hips. It is walking along on all fours with its tail pointing to the right, its left hand raised in mid-step, and its head raised and turned to the left. The wide open mouth suggests that this individual is either browsing on shrubbery or emitting some kind of sound, the purpose of which is entirely up to your imagination.

The main colour on this toy is a sandy beige with white for the underbelly and the markings on either side of the head. Taupe grey is used for the beak, the claws, and the row of osteoderms running all the way down the spine to the tip of the animal’s tail. The tiny eyes are black and the inside of the mouth is dark pink. Capping it off are the medium brown spots scattered all over the body.

The sculpting meets the high standard we’ve come to expect from CollectA. Small, rounded scales cover the entire body, complimented by heavy skin folds on the neck, flanks, and around the shoulder and hip joints. The limbs are relatively slim, but muscular, and the head features tiny nostrils and a visible tongue inside the mouth.

Like many Japanese dinosaurs, Fukuisaurus is not very well represented in the fossil record, but based on the available specimens, we know that it was a basal hadrosauroid from the Early Cretaceous period, and a fairly small one at that, reaching only about 4.5 metres long and 400 kg in weight. Its body is thought to have resembled that of Altirhinus and Iguanodon, and this figure does a very good job of reflecting that, complete with small thumb spikes. Combined with the accurate head, it looks just like the restoration at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. Interestingly, Fukuisaurus‘ skull was incapable of sideways chewing, which would have limited the range of its diet.

Overall, the CollectA Fukuisaurus is a very pleasing little figure: finely crafted, accurate in appearance (as far as we know), and representing a little known genus. Oh, and it’s also one of the few dinosaur toys with a name beginning with the letter F! Definitely a worthy addition to anyone’s collection.