New Oviraptor Model from Papo of France – A Naked Dinosaur

A new Papo Oviraptor dinosaur model is to be introduced into the “Les Dinosaures” range.

Papo of France has emerged over the last two or three years as a major player in the museum quality, scale model market.  Whilst other manufacturers have been scaling down (no pun intended), their prehistoric animal model ranges, Papo have been adding to their product lines.

This year, the company intends to add three new models and one new colour variation to their award winning prehistoric animal line up.  A new interpretation of Velociraptor, plus two new models, an Oviraptor and a Pachyrhinosaurus are being launched in the early spring with a new model of a Plesiosaurus to follow in the Summer.

Papo Oviraptor Dinosaur Model

Interestingly, Papo bucks the current trend for depicting Velociraptor and Oviraptor as feathered, their interpretations of these members of the Maniraptora are naked, not a single feather can be seen.

The New Oviraptor Model from Papo

Papo Oviraptor dinosaur model.

The Papo Oviraptor dinosaur model.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Papo

To view Papo prehistoric animal models: Papo Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

Like all the models and cavemen in the Papo prehistoric animals range, this Oviraptor is beautifully painted, the brown and tan markings would have given this small theropod dinosaur excellent camouflage in its dry, arid habitat.  The peculiar crest on the head has been carefully recreated indicating that the species represented by this 1:12 scale model is O. philoceratops.

The Oviraptor Genus

There are a number of species ascribed to the Oviraptor genus, they are distinguished mainly by differences in the shape of the hollow crest on the top of the head.  The large orbits (eye sockets) in the skull indicate that these animals had big eyes, the Papo model shows this feature well and the open-mouthed pose illustrates the peculiar snout and muzzle of this dinosaur particularly effectively.  Although the name Oviraptor means “egg thief”, scientists are unsure as to the actual diet of these dinosaurs.

The powerful beak and  jaws are toothless, except for two teeth on the palate.  It has been suggested that this small dinosaur was an omnivore, or it may have eaten shell fish.  The finding of the original fossil material close to a nest of dinosaur eggs, led to the naming of Oviraptor, certainly the dentition could indicate that it specialised in eating other dinosaur’s eggs.  The Papo model is depicted holding the egg of a dinosaur, perhaps it has just stolen it and it is running off with its booty.