Stomatosuchus (Jurassic World Survival, Wild Roar by Mattel)

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 known from a single specimen discovered in Egypt’s Bahariya Formation that was collected in 1911 and described in 1925 by Erst Stomer, the same man that gave us Spinosaurus. Like Spinosaurus, the remains of Stomatosuchus were destroyed during WWII when the Munich Museum was bombed. The remains consisted of a partial skull and two caudal vertebrae and now only exist as photographs. A similar genus, Langanosuchus, was described in 2009 and together the two genera make up the stomatosuchid clade.

Stomatosuchus reached an estimated length of 33’ (10 meters) and possessed a 6.6’ (2 meter) skull that was long, flattened, and U-shaped, and would have had a weak bite. It is thought that the mandible may have been toothless and may have had a pelican-like throat pouch. With these bizarre adaptations it’s unknown how Stomatosuchus fed but it’s thought that it was a filter feeder, gulping large mouthfuls of prey-filled water and using its throat to push the water out of its mouth and strain out the prey.

Mattel’s toy measures about 14” (35.56 cm) when including the curves in the tail and using that length puts it at 1/28 in scale. The proportions are definitely off on this one though, with the head and tail both being too short. If we use just the length of the 3.25” (8.3 cm) head, we get a scale of 1/24.

The Mattel Stomatosuchus has a button over the hips that when pressed opens the mouth and thanks to a mid-torso joint, lifts the front half of the body up. Like a lunging crocodile. Pushing the button also causes it to roar and gurgle and green lights within the throat and torso to flicker and pulsate. A lot of toys in the Survival line have these lights and they’re admittedly pretty cool. In order to see the lights the skin is also semi-transparent in places, which also looks neat. The Survival line also emphasizes bodily embellishments and bizarre features, which is partly why I’ve mostly avoided it, but this toy was spared from too much exaggeration. The scutes on the tail are tall and oversized, but they work to the toy’s benefit. The forelimbs are articulated with ball/hinge joints and the hindlimbs can rotate around.

When the mouth is closed the teeth are entirely concealed, which is how Stomatosuchus is typically depicted. The teeth inside are exceptionally small and numerous. The tongue has a fine, bumpy texture and the roof of the mouth is smooth with some faint ridges. The head is roughly textured with rugose scales, and the throat is expanded and deep, which I like.

 Crocodilian scutes run down the back, along the tail, and then down along the underside of the tail. Round, keeled osteoderms run down the back and tail, along either side of the scutes. The rest of the body is covered in scales and wrinkles and the underside has smooth, crocodilian belly scales. Clusters of spiky protrusions are sculpted on the back of the wrists and ankles, and the feet are all webbed with short, sharp, curved claws. Overall, the toy is definitely badass looking, with an abundance of fine details and fun textures that make it enjoyable to study and hold.

The toy is dark, hunter green with yellowish green patterning along the flanks and some creamy, light green airbrushing over the tail tip. It is a reasonably complete looking paintjob for a Mattel toy and makes the figure look like it would be quite at home in a deep, dark, swampy environment, even though Stomatosuchus was likely dwelling in marshy lowlands. The teeth are cream colored inserts, the inside of the mouth is pink and glossy, and the eyes are lime green. The pupils are not painted and are the same dark green as the body. The claws are not painted but is that even worth pointing out anymore?

The Mattel Stomatosuchus is a gnarly looking, fun toy, with a neat action feature, that possesses just the right amount of creative license. It’s awesome-bro in all the right ways. Naturally, I hope we get a more scientifically informed figure of Stomatosuchus from someone like Haolonggood, PNSO, Safari, or CollectA but while they’re all sleeping on these bizarre and obscure crocodilians, Mattel is embracing them, and I love them for it. The Stomatosuchus is just now hitting the shelves and should be easy to find.