Hand-Painted Quality Prehistoric Animal Models – Schleich

Schleich, the German based model manufacturers first began producing model figures in the 1950s, the company was founded some years before and we believe they originally started making items of merchandise to exploit the growing interest in children’s comic characters.

The company produces a number of ranges, including two dinosaur themed and one prehistoric animal themed product range.  Although, due to cost considerations most of their output is produced overseas, they still retain the sculpting and design work in-house.  This helps to ensure that the quality of the models and their accuracy are maintained.

Most of the models in the ranges that we sell are hand-painted, certainly all of them are hand-finished and the detail on the models is quite remarkable.

Close up of Megalodon Model (Giant Shark)

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The close up of our Carcharodon megalodon shows the fine detail and care that goes into making a Schleich model, the five gill slits of a model shark species are clearly shown and a great deal of care has been taken to paint the model.  When it came to finding a model that would be suitable to represent C. megalodon our specialists looked long and hard and tested several different models from numerous manufacturers.  In the end, it was decided to choose the Great White shark model from the Schleich range to represent the Megalodon type extinct prehistoric shark, after all, this company has made some excellent prehistoric animal models including Schleich dinosaurs.

To view the model of Megalodon and other prehistoric marine animals: Dinosaur, Marine Reptile and Prehistoric Animal Models.

Carcharodon megalodon is believed by scientists to be the largest and most dangerous shark of all time; (Bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas with their frequency of attacks on people would run it close we think).  The name “Megalodon” means huge teeth, apt as some of the teeth of this creature were bigger than a man’s hand.  The jaws were capable of opening to over six feet high and an adult Megalodon could have swallowed a fully grown Great White shark whole.

A large fossil tooth from a Carcharodon megalodon.

Picture credit: Press Everything Dinosaur

Fossilised teeth of this huge prehistoric creature have been found in Europe, Africa, the United States, South America and Australasia.

Note: Since this article was written the taxonomy of this giant, prehistoric shark has been reassessed and most palaeontologist refer to this species as Otodus megalodon.