Bullyland’s Scythe Lizard – Therizinosaurus Replica Reviewed

Amongst the many new prehistoric animal model introductions in 2012 comes this replica of a Therizinosaurus (Scythe lizard) from Bullyland of Germany.  This company is well-known for its animal and figure models and for many years they have also produced a model range representing extinct creatures. The Bullyland Therizinosaurus model is an addition to their “Prehistoric World” product line.  It has articulated arms so the giant forelimbs with their huge claws can be moved up and down, permitting the model to be put into a number of different poses.

Therizinosaurs

The therizinosaurs, sometimes known as segnosaurs were a group of strange-looking theropod dinosaurs with long necks, stocky bodies, relatively short hind limbs but with massive forelimbs.  On each of their six fingers (three per hand) they had a huge, blade-like claw.  This claw, some of which measured more than a metre long are the largest claws known in the fossil record.

Scientists believe that although Therizinosaurus was descended from meat-eating dinosaurs, it and other therizinosaurs adapted to a plant-eating habit, becoming almost entirely vegetarian, browsing on leaves like a giant ground sloth.  The enormous claws were probably used to pull down branches so that this animal could slowly wander through its forest habitat pulling down branches so that leaves and fruit could be easily picked off by its slender jaws.

Therizinosaurus was formally named by the Russian palaeontologist Evgeny Aleksandrovich Maleev in 1954.  Although, this animal is still very poorly known due to the lack of fossils found to date, remains of smaller therizinosaur-like animals have been found and the reconstruction of Therizinosaurus in museums and by model makers is based on these remains.   Since other, smaller therizinosaurs may have been covered by downy feathers, scientists have assumed that Therizinosaurus may have sported a shaggy, feathery coat.

Bullyland Therizinosaurus Model

This new Bullyland Therizinosaurus model measures approximately 25 centimetres long, the head stands around 13 cm high.  Since palaeontologists estimate that Therizinosaurus was at least 10 metres long, this makes this model something like 1:40 scale, although the manufacturers normally state 1:30 scale for a model in their museum line range.

Bullyland Therizinosaurus Model

“Scythe Lizard” from Bullyland.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The model has the impression that it is covered in a coat of downy, proto-feathers, with longer quills present at the end of the tail and along the forearms – evidence for this arrangement has been found in the fossil record of other feathered dinosaurs.  They body is painted a dark, sandy brown, with a lighter, mustard yellow under belly.  The model has painted white stripes across the squat back legs and along the arms and shoulders.  Two rows of white markings can also be seen running along the back to the end of the tail.  Such a colouration would help to camouflage this large animal in the dappled sunlight of a forest in the same way that similar markings help to camouflage animals today such as  forest dwelling antelope and the Okapi, a large, herbivore often referred to as the “forest giraffe” due to its close taxonomic relationship to its tall-necked, grassland cousin.

Discreetly on the underside the manufacturer has stamped the Bullyland trademark, and stated the models name – Therizinosaurus as well as confirming their suggested scale size 1:30.  The head shows lots of detail, the large nostrils positioned forward on the snout, typical of a segnosaur.  The beak is prominent and the head is painted white to match the body markings.

The additional of articulated arms enabling dinosaur enthusiasts to position the great arms in a variety of poses gives this Therzinosaurus model extra play value.  A well-crafted replica of a bizarre Cretaceous dinosaur, well done Bullyland, this is another asset in their Museum Line model range.

To view Everything Dinosaurs model range, including Bullyland Museum Line replicas: Bullyland Prehistoric Animal Models and Replicas.