Pachycephalosaurus (Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

Amongst us dinosaur collectors there are but a few really good Pachycephalosaurus figures out there that are usually referenced. You probably already know which ones they are but in case you don’t they’re the figures by Battat, Favorite, and CollectA. The Battat is of course hard to find, and both the Battat and Favorite are also starting to show their age. The CollectA figure in my own opinion is unremarkable and I never quite understood its popularity. But now, thanks to Safari and their effort to replace the old Carnegie line, the definitive Pachycephalosaurus figure is here. Let’s take a closer look and I think you’ll agree.

The Wild Safari Pachycephalosaurus is new for 2020 and measures 8.13” long and stands 4” tall. Pachycepahlosaurus was the largest of its family, estimated to have measured 14’ in length. That puts this model at about 1/20 in scale. The figure is sculpted by Doug Watson, as the majority of Safari’s prehistoric lineup has been for the last several years.

Despite being the most popular of the “bone headed” dinosaurs we really don’t have a lot of material for Pachycephalosaurus, only skull material has been found. For this reason the body of this sculpt is based on material we have for Dracorex. Of course there is also strong evidence that suggests Dracorex was a juvenile Pachycephalosaurus. Doug Watson previously sculpted the 2012 Safari Dracorex which I also reviewed for the blog. The two models look similar and display fantastically together.

All the hallmarks of Pachycephalosauria are there; the bipedal posture, five-fingered hands, wide hips, expanded gut, short neck, thick tail base, etc. It excels in the accuracy department, which usually goes without saying for Safari models and Watson’s meticulously researched sculpts.

The model is sculpted in an almost tripod stance but still stands firmly on its two feet with the tail tip lifted off the ground. The left leg is stepping forward with the head tilting slightly towards the left. In this position the model is quite sturdy.

I absolutely love the color choices and patterns applied to this figure. Most of the body is painted in a rusty color. The underside is gray as are the back, portions of the torso, neck, and dome of the head. Rows of large osteoderms run down the neck, back, and flanks and these are bordered by black coloration that really makes them pop. The knobs around the dome are also highlighted with black paint. The osteoderms on this figure are speculative but a fantastic design choice.

The detail work is top notch as well with the entire figure covered in small pebbly scales and larger scales sculpted onto the toes. Other details that stand out, in addition to the osteoderms, and knobs on the head, include the well defined musculature on the legs and folds of skin down the neck.

There is also a cranial lesion sculpted onto the dome, a detail included on the basis of fossil evidence. Although it seems unlikely that these animals butted their heads quite like bighorn sheep as was once thought it is clear that they were using their heads for something more than just visual display. Multiple fossil Pachycephalosaurus specimens exhibit these lesions; this along with other lines of evidence supports the hypothesis that these animals were engaging in antagonistic behaviors involving their heads. I personally love that fossilized evidence for behavior is now being applied to these figures and I hope that the trend continues.

I have no hesitation in declaring that this is the best Pachycephalosaurus figure ever mass produced by any company. It makes all the rest pale in comparison. It has everything you could want by any measure. Currently it’s going for $19.99 on Safari’s web site and while I personally feel like that price is a bit steep I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by this one.