Review by Mihnea Nicolae (aka Wildheart). Edited by Plesiosauria.
Psittacosaurus (parrot lizard) was a small ceratopsian that lived during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now Eastern Asia. A number of species have been recognised so far based on the shape of their skulls and the area in which they were discovered. In contrast, many other dinosaur genera are monospecific, containing only a single known species.
Introduced in 2009, the CollectA Psittacosaurus was a great addition to the already interesting lineup. The figurine is 11 centimeters long and 5 centimeters high, making it perfect for those that have space issues. It is also a great piece for us collectors because of the anatomical flawlessnes and realistic look: There are only four fingers present on each hand, which is the correct number. The tail has the right length, and the recently discovered integument is also present. The rest of the body is covered in scales. The head suggests that the species is Psittacosaurus mongoliensis.
The colour scheme isn’t one of the greatest, but it tends to look realistic on this figurine.
Psittacosaurus species lived in semi-aquatic enverionments, so a light brown body covered with black and dark brown stripes goes well. The tip of the parrot-like snout is grey and the eyes are brown with black pupils. The tongue is pink, as usual.
All in all, this tiny ceratopsian is one of my favourite dinosaur toys. The price tag is undeniably small for such a great toy. It is available at any decent shop carrying the CollectA lineup for nothing more than a few bucks.
Available fromeBay here
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[…] seen on this Styracosaurus‘ rump, they are known on its older, more primitive relative Psittacosaurus, and they do not detract from this figure at all. And with the recent reordering of the clades […]
[…] version of the dinosaur, sculpted by Forest Rogers. A smaller, more bird-like version was issued by CollectA. As one of the most well-known and studied dinosaurs, the market seemed ripe for a more accurate […]
The hands of Psittacosaurus mongoliensis and Psittacosaurus neimongoliensis couldn’t be pronated or used to generate propulsive force, implying they were totally bipedal. It’s likely the same applies to all the other species of Psittacosaurus.
Yeah, Luis Rey was severely ripped off there.
A lot of love for the ‘Dino Discoveries’ Oviraptor here I see (among the Spanish speakers!) – but they might’ve talked to Luis Rey before they made it! 😉
As for this Psittacosaurus, it’s decent for a cheap figure. I’m tempted to get one. It does seem to be lacking the characteristic flared jugals. I know they varied from species to species, but surely they were more pronounced than this in all of them?
Este es uno de mis dinosaurios favoritos,aunque es raro de encontrar en las réplicas.Carnegie hizo una versión bastante superior a ésta,pero la retiró del mercado por ser inexacta paleontológicamente hablando (no tenía las cerdas en la cola),lo cual dice mucho de la honestidad de ésta marca.He de reconocer que ésta versión de Collecta no está mal,aunque el acabado es un poco “suave”.Manuel,coincido contigo en lo del Oviraptor,las 2 versiones de Carnegie/Safari son fantásticas.
Pues yo si que concuerdo contigo, Manuel, respecto al Oviraptor. Yo no lo llamaría el culmen de la perfección anatómica, realmente ignoro si es en verdad tan anatómicamente exacto pero si que me parece una obrita de arte.
En cuanto al Psittacosaurus, yo la tengo y es una figurita súper barata y que merece muchisimo la pena.
Es un bichito realmente adorable.
El precio es asequible aunque la posición de las plumas esté desafortunada. Aunque mucha gente no esté de acuerdo conmigo me gusta como cúlmen de la perfección en cuanto a dinosaurios con plumas al Oviraptor con nido de Safari (Dino Discoveries) parece una verdadera figura de resina. A pesar de todo es una miniatura este psitacosaurus que no deja de perder su encanto
Thanks! 🙂
Great review Mihnea!