Stegosaurus (Haolonggood)

I’ve been in the dinosaur collecting hobby for about 14 years now and this hobby has evolved rapidly within that time. In 2010 most collectors were content to just get good models of their favorite genera. Nowadays, a figure of a genus isn’t enough, collectors want dinosaurs identifiable at the species level. They don’t want Triceratops, they want T. prorsus. They don’t want Edmontosaurus, they want E. annectens. I’m not trying to throw shade here, it’s great that the standard of quality in this hobby has risen to this level. And I’m occasionally one of those people myself (we tend to be a nerdy bunch). When multiple species within a genus are so visually distinct from each other that the species can be identified, I think a demand for them is justifiable. Take for example Stegosaurus. Stegosaurus stenops and S. ungulatus are visually distinct enough from each other that most Stegosaurus toys can be identified as S. stenops, the type species for the genus. With so many S. stenops figures available it makes sense to want S. ungulatus offered for a change, and that’s just what we got from Haolonggood.

Stegosaurus ungulatus differs from S. stenops in having proportionally longer hindlimbs and proportionally smaller plates. The plates are also shaped differently. While S. stenops has large broad plates, with more rounded tips, S. ungulatus has plates with broad bases and more pointed and narrow tips. Up until now the only other S. ungulatus toy available was the one by Battat. Given its age, and the 8 tail spikes, it is obsolete to those who want accurate figures with a modern aesthetic. Personally, my desire for an S. ungulatus is mostly tied to its posture. With its longer hindlimbs, S. ungulatus retains the high-hipped stance that has long been associated with Stegosaurus but has fallen out of favor with S. stenops thanks to the Sophie specimen.

The Haolonggood Stegosaurus measures about 10” (25.4 cm) long and stands 5” (12.7 cm) at its highest point. S. ungulatus is estimated to have measured 23’ (7 meters) long, which makes it slightly larger than S. stenops. This puts the figure at 1/28 in scale, but it’s advertised as being 1/35. To get a scale of 1/35 we would have to assume S. ungulatus reached a length of about 29’, which I don’t think is unrealistic. Like nearly all Haolonggood dinosaurs, this toy is in a forward-facing walking pose. The head is looking slightly leftward, and the tail is swaying slightly to the right.

The head is appropriately small and narrow, triangular shaped, tipped with a beak, and reconstructed without cheeks. The presence of cheeks is still debated but the cheek-less look has long been in favor with Asian companies and seems to be gaining popularity in the hobby. The throat and neck are covered with a cluster of small osteoderms, a known feature in Stegosaurus.

The body is robust and wide but some of the underlying anatomy is still visible, including the shoulders, ribs, and hips. The limbs are somewhat dainty but still muscular. Skin folds are evident along the limb joints while sagging skin can be seen along the underside of the neck and torso. More wrinkling is sculpted on the left side, where the limbs are positioned closer together. Conversely, the skin is somewhat taught on the right side where the limbs are stretched apart. The inside surface of the hands are angled slightly inwards and have two clawed digits on each, which is accurate for Stegosaurus. Three clawed digits are present on the hindlimbs.

Small pebbly scales cover the entire figure and larger feature scales are scattered throughout. Larger scales are also clustered around the bases of the plates. The plates are incredibly rigid and pointed. This is not a figure for young children, it’s more a weapon than a toy! There are 19 plates, which is within the known range for Stegosaurus. The plates are detailed with vertical grooves and scales along the lower surfaces.

The type specimen of S. ungulatus apparently possesses flat, spike-like plates on the tail. These plates are virtually identical to each other, and it is thought that they may have been arranged in pairs rather than staggered, like we see here. We don’t have as many preserved plates for S. ungulatus as we do S. stenops, so their arrangement is still unknown, but Haolonggood appears to get the shape right. The tail possesses four spikes which are horizontally orientated and angled back. It was once thought that S. ungulatus had 8 tail spikes, which is why Battat’s had them.

This figure comes with three different paintjobs. One of them is the classic green with red and yellow plates that we’ve all seen before. While attractive, it was too conventional for me. Then there is the blue version, which also has red and yellow plates. That one has white squiggles on the plates and body that I don’t particularly like. The one I went with was the definite standout of the three. Listings label it as “red” but in the community it’s known as the Tuti-Fruity or Froot-Loops Stegosaurus. The front half is turquoise, which includes the neck, forelimbs, torso, and back. But the hindlimbs and flanks of the tail transition to “red”, which is more pink and purple than it is red. The underside is tan with a pink wash and the plates are red at the base and transition to blue.

People seem to love or hate this colorway. Production pictures show is as garishly vibrant but in reality, it is far more subdued than what’s advertised. Some people seem relieved by this, but I still like the vibrancy of the production images. In my own collection I have Rebor’s plain variant of their Stegosaurus, so countering that naturalistic paintjob with something more vibrant had appeal to me. I’m not disappointed that its less vibrant though, I still think I made the right choice.

Of course, the paintjob is far more complex than what I describe. The beak and face have a pinkish wash over them and the pink coloration creates a chain-like pattern over the turquoise portions of the body. Where the turquoise and pink meet there are some green tones, and little variations in tones throughout the figure. The tail spikes are pink at the base and transition to cream colored at their tips. The eyes are black and shiny, and the toenails are also black.

The Haolonggood Stegosaurus has been met with great fanfare within our community, and rightfully so. It is basically the sole representative of its species, which means no matter how many Stegosaurus figures you have you’ll still want to get it. That it comes in three colors also means you’re bound to find one that fits your personal tastes. In terms of detail and accuracy this also ranks among Haolonggood’s very best. There might be a few small details I would tweak, like the black eyes, but there’s nothing worth complaining about. This figure in unarguably one of the greatest figures of 2024 and one of the finest Stegosaurus figures ever made. The Haolonggood Stegosaurus is currently in production and retails for about $30.