Product Reviews

14 10, 2012

New “Knowledge Masters – Dinosaurs” Book Reviewed

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:45:34+01:00October 14th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews, Product Reviews|0 Comments

“Knowledge Masters – Dinosaurs” Book Reviewed

Designed with children from five years old and upwards in mind ,the book entitled “Knowledge Masters – Dinosaurs” is packed full of fascinating facts and snippets of information about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals from the Age of Reptiles. This hardback book has been written in a large font size enabling young people to read it very easily. The information is broken down into bite-size paragraphs and they are laid out in such a way as to encourage young people to go through the book page by page, thus helping to develop their reading skills.

“Knowledge Masters – Dinosaurs”

Knowledge Masters – Dinosaurs Book

Children’s reference book about dinosaurs.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Illustrations and Drawings of Dinosaurs

The thirty-two pages contain a large number of illustrations and drawings of dinosaurs, marine reptiles and flying reptiles (pterosaurs) and each section is written in a question and answer format A question is presented in bold text and immediately below it an answer paragraph has been provided. Running along the top of each page is a mural-like section that provides more information about the animals featured on that specific page.

This book contains questions such as what did dinosaurs eat, are there any fossil birds, did dinosaurs have babies and what colour were the eyes of dinosaurs? These are the sort of questions that children from four years and upwards ask and this book provides them with a ready source of answers .

The demise of the Dinosauria is particularly well covered. In the last part of the book the extinction of the Dinosauria and other animals at the end of the Cretaceous geological period is discussed. A number of possible theories for the mass extinction are put forward and the evidence for an extraterrestrial impact such as an asteroid strike is explained in child-friendly, simple terms. There is even a handy dinosaur and prehistoric animal index presented on the last page, although it would have been helpful to have had a name pronunciation guide provided as well to help young readers tackle the long and often complicated dinosaur names.

Packed full of Questions and Answers about Prehistoric Animals

Lots of Information on prehistoric animals.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Fourteen Chapters

Each of the fourteen chapters in this children’s reference is packed full of questions with their answers and facts and figures about dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures that lived during the Mesozoic Era. This book would make an excellent addition to a school library or a young dinosaur fan’s book collection. It is well written, contains lots of colour illustrations and it is jam-packed full of fascinating facts and details related to dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s wide range of prehistoric animal themed toys and gifts: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

8 10, 2012

The Great Book of Dinosaurs Reviewed

By Mike|2023-02-06T08:33:37+00:00October 8th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews, Product Reviews|3 Comments

A Review of the “Great Book of Dinosaurs”

Young dinosaur fans aged from five years and upwards will enjoy this fact-filled, hardback dinosaur book entitled the “Great Book of Dinosaurs”, which contains over two hundred illustrations. Written in a nice, big font, this colourful dinosaur and prehistoric animal book will help encourage young readers, the 124 pages are well-laid out and the text consists of lots of short, clear paragraphs aimed at encouraging young people with their reading skills.

The Front Cover of the “Great Book of Dinosaurs”

Aimed at young readers.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

“Great Book of Dinosaurs”

The contents are set out in six chapters, the first of which introduces the dinosaurs and explains how these reptiles first evolved. There is also a comprehensive “family tree” that shows the taxonomic relationships between the various different types of creatures that make up the Dinosauria. Despite the book’s title, flying reptiles (pterosaurs) are extensively covered as well as dinosaurs and there is a handy timeline that explains how the main types of pterosaur evolved and when they lived. The second chapter covers the evolution of the sauropods, dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus. Other chapters are entitled “Fearsome Hunters”, “Armoured Plant-eaters” and “Two-Legged Runners”. The pterosaurs are covered in a chapter towards the end of this book in a section called “Monster Fliers”.

More than two hundred well-crafted illustrations really bring the Mesozoic Era to life and there is lots of information about dinosaur discoveries and palaeontology. Diagrams of skeletons highlight the main differences between the major groups of dinosaurs and there is a handy “How do I say that” section which spells the names of these prehistoric creatures phonetically, thus helping with pronunciation. This guide will prove especially helpful to those parents, grandparents and guardians who read this book with their young charges.

An Informative and Enjoyable Read

Packed full of facts and figures.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Unique Fact File Layout

The best-known dinosaurs are given a unique fact file that explains when these animals lived, how big they were and what they ate. For those readers who want to use this as a reference book, there is a clearly laid out index at the back. The pterosaurs are certainly featured and there is plenty of information on different types of flying reptile, creatures such as the spectacular Phobetor, Pteranodon and perhaps the largest pterosaur of all – Quetzalcoatlus.

Key words and phrases are explained very well using simple language and this hardback will prove to be very popular with children. It was pleasing to see that maps had been included which show where the fossils of certain dinosaurs were found. There is even a double page spread that displays a pair of tyrannosaurs feeding – T. rex illustrated in glorious, gory colour.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of dinosaur models and gifts: Everything Dinosaur.

A well-written and cleverly illustrated dinosaur book that helps readers learn about the lives of some of the biggest and fiercest creatures known to science.

5 10, 2012

A Review of the Carnegie Collectibles Saltasaurus

By Mike|2023-02-06T08:08:42+00:00October 5th, 2012|Categories: Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|0 Comments

Saltasaurus Dinosaur Model Reviewed

It is always intriguing to see how model manufacturers interpret fossil evidence of long-necked dinosaurs, especially the titanosaurs as there is considerable debate regarding how these huge herbivores looked. For example, many of these quadrupeds may have been covered in armour, but to what degree is a hot topic amongst palaeontologists. Safari Ltd, the American replica and figure manufacturer have created a number of replicas of long-necked dinosaurs and the titanosaurs are represented by a 1:35 scale model of the South American dinosaur known as Saltasaurus (Saltasaurus loricatus).

Saltasaurus Dinosaur Model

The Carnegie Collectibles Saltasaurus Dinosaur Model

“Reptile from Salta Province”.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Saltasaurus fossils, the name means reptile from Salta Province (Argentina), were first unearthed in the early part of the 20th Century. A number of bony plates and scales were discovered and these were thought to be the armour plating on an ankylosaur-like, armoured dinosaur. However, it is now known that these bony plates, known as scutes were actually from an armoured, long-necked dinosaur. In the late 1970s, six partial skeletons were excavated and it was confirmed that the fossil remains represented a large, long necked dinosaur that had body armour. titanosaurs are regarded as advanced members of the Sauropoda clade of dinosaurs. Titanosaurs such as Saltasaurus are distinguished from the likes of the Jurassic Apatosaurus and Diplodocus by having extensive body armour, a much reduced or no thumb claw and proportionately wider hips.

Described in 1980

Described in 1980 by the Argentinian palaeontologist José Bonaparte and his colleague Jaime Powell, Saltasaurus was a relatively small, plant-eating dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous. It gets its name from a region in north-western Argentina, where fossils of this animal had been found. Measuring around twelve metres in length and weighing something like eight metric tonnes, this dinosaur was not as big as other South American titanosaurs that lived in the Early Cretaceous.

The Carnegie Collectibles Saltasaurus shows the dermal armour that this dinosaur had to good effect. The back and the flanks are covered with large, round bumps that give the impression of body armour, the skin texture has a roughened appearance and individual scales can be made out on the model. This dinosaur is posed with its left front foot and its left hind foot just touching the ground as if this animal is moving relatively quickly. Fossilised dinosaur footprints found in Salta Province which have been ascribed to Saltasaurus, show that this animal may have lived in herds and would have been able to move more quickly than Jurassic diplodocids, although it was still relatively slow, perhaps moving at a maximum speed of eight kilometres per hour.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of Carnegie Collectibles and other dinosaur models: Wild Safari Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

The markings around the eye are quite distinct, a series of black spots under the eye and a grey patch. Scientists believe that these type of dinosaurs may have had brightly coloured heads which were used to display to other members of the herd. There is also a hint of a small throat pouch on the model. The tail is held out behind the animal in a more modern anatomical interpretation of titanosaur posture.

This Saltasaurus model measures twenty-six and a half centimetres in length and based on a size estimate of twelve metres, the scale of the replica is more like 1:45 rather than the stated 1:35. Nevertheless, this is an excellent titanosaur replica and an interesting member of the Carnegie Collectibles dinosaur model range.

1 10, 2012

The Little Book of Dinosaurs Reviewed

By Mike|2023-02-06T07:54:38+00:00October 1st, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews, Dinosaur Fans, Product Reviews|0 Comments

A Review of the Little Book of Dinosaurs

An ideal stocking filler for young dinosaur fans this Christmas is the pocket-sized “Little Book of Dinosaurs”, packed with facts and figures about some of the most fascinating creatures that lived in prehistoric times. Without much of a preamble, this little book launches straight into descriptions with well-crafted illustrations of various dinosaurs.

The Little Book of Dinosaurs

A pocket-sized guide to dinosaurs,

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Aimed at young readers from five years and upwards, this little book contains information on something like sixty different dinosaurs.

The writers have created sixty-four pages which are jammed full of information about the Dinosauria. The contents are split into twenty-nine sections which describe these prehistoric creatures, with the last section, number thirty being dedicated to a quick quiz to see if those young palaeontologists the book is aimed at have absorbed the information the book contains. The quiz answers are provided which will be a big relief to those parents, grandparents and guardians who will be tasked with helping their charges to read through the text.

The Little Book of Dinosaurs has been designed to help young children with their reading. The text is large and there are lots of sections in a bold font to help children develop their reading skills. Most dinosaurs are described on a single page, although some animals are given a double page spread. With short snippets of information with headings such as “Terrible Tyrants”, “Big Brains” and “Dagger Thumbs” there is much to appeal to young fans of these extinct reptiles.

There are colour illustrations throughout, although the lack of pictures of feathered dinosaurs makes some of the interpretations of dinosaurs such as the troodontids and psittacosaurs look a little dated. This book does permit young readers to enter the fascinating world of these Mesozoic animals and there are certainly a great range of the Dinosauria covered, from the turkey-sized Velociraptors up to the mighty tyrannosaurs such as T. rex and Albertosaurus.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s selection of dinosaur themed toys and gifts: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Toys and Gifts.

One particularly informative section deals with the concept of some, small predatory dinosaurs such as the dromaeosaurs living in small packs and adopting a pack hunting behaviour. Using the American dinosaur Deinonychus (D. antirrhopus), as an example, the authors speculate on how this type of predatory dinosaur hunted. Under the heading “Pack Hunters” how this dinosaur may have attacked prey is outlined and this section is illustrated with a series of black and white drawings showing how Deinonychus may have hunted the herbivorous Tenontosaurus.

An Example of the Text and Images

Well-crafted text for young readers.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

With the likes of Parasaurolophus, Centrosaurus, Allosaurus and the big sauropods such as Diplodocus and Apatosaurus included, this pocket-sized guide to dinosaurs makes an ideal Christmas gift for young dinosaur fans.

26 09, 2012

The New Dinosaur Dictionary (Book) Reviewed

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:35:48+01:00September 26th, 2012|Categories: Book Reviews, Product Reviews|0 Comments

A Review of the Dinosaur Dictionary (Book Review)

Many parents and guardians are keen to encourage reading and one way to motivate a child to read more is to provide them with books that they enjoy about subjects they are interested in. Within the United Kingdom many primary schools are moving towards a more creative curriculum and dinosaurs are becoming increasingly popular with teachers and teaching assistants as a term topic. Finding suitable reading materials to encourage young children to learn about science as well as to help develop their reading skills can be difficult. However, with the advent of this child-friendly dinosaur dictionary we think this book is certainly a step in the right direction.

Dinosaur Dictionary

The Dinosaur Dictionary is aimed at children from four years and upwards and provides young palaeontologists with a handy dinosaur A-Z! It is a colourful, child’s dictionary complete with a well thought out pronunciation guide to help children (and their parents), to pronounce the many complicated and lengthy prehistoric animal names contained in the sixty four pages of this book.

Dinosaur Dictionary – A Child-Friendly Dinosauria A-Z

*Suitable for children aged 4 and over.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

There are over one hundred prehistoric animals and dinosaurs featured in the book, the vast majority from the Mesozoic Epoch, which is generally regarded as the “Age of Reptiles”.

The dictionary starts with the Late Cretaceous titanosaur known as Alamosaurus. This long-necked dinosaur that lived at the same time as Tyrannosaurus rex could well turn out to be one of the largest land living animals of all time, if recent fossil finds prove conclusive regarding this huge, herbivore’s size. The dictionary provides a brief description of this dinosaur, and in common with all the other entries there is a colourful illustration of the creature and a black and white scale drawing showing size. Each entry has plenty of facts about the particular animal being discussed and all the famous dinosaurs as well as some of the more unusual reptiles that shared their prehistoric world are included.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of dinosaur themed toys and gifts: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Toys and Gifts.

Zephyrosaurus

The last dinosaur listed is Zephyrosaurus (hypsilophodontid dinosaur), one of the lesser known dinosaurs from the North American Cretaceous. The book also includes a handy glossary and an short chapter introducing the Dinosauria, outlining when they lived and how they evolved. The text is large and has been carefully compiled to enable young children to read the facts and figures about these prehistoric creatures with ease, there might be the odd scientific errata but the text and design of this book is aimed at delighting young dinosaur fans and helping them with their reading and it is likely that this publication will achieve these aims.

This young persons book is an excellent prehistoric animal A-Z! A colourful dinosaur dictionary, complete with pronunciation guide, making sixty-four pages From Alamosaurus to Zephyrosaurus. In summary, a handy, well-illustrated guide to over one hundred dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.

One of the Horned Dinosaurs Illustrated in this Dinosaur Book

*Encouraging young people with their reading.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A typical entry from the Dinosaur Dictionary is shown above, the text is large and encourages reading in young people, there are lots of facts and each prehistoric animal featured is illustrated.

Fun Fact!

There are more prehistoric animals represented under the letter “C” than under any other letter in the Dinosaur Dictionary.

22 09, 2012

New Dinosaur Head with Dinosaur Models Play Sets Reviewed

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:37:37+01:00September 22nd, 2012|Categories: Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases, Product Reviews|0 Comments

Dinosaur Play Sets Reviewed

Novel dinosaur play sets are quite difficult to source these days. There are a number of dinosaur themed play sets available, but one that has proved particularly popular with young dinosaur fans is the dinosaur head which has a screw-lid in the base that once undone reveals a set of twelve prehistoric animal models inside. There are two dinosaur head play sets available, one featuring a T. rex and the other the head of a plant-eating dinosaur a Triceratops.

Dinosaur Models

Dinosaur Heads with Models

Dinosaur play sets and dinosaur models.

Dinosaur Play Sets

The plastic heads stand about twenty centimetres high and feature a dinosaur roaring, inside there are twelve different prehistoric animal models to discover. The T. rex head and the Triceratops both feature the same assortment of prehistoric animals. In the sets we examined, we found that each set of models included a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops dinosaur model. The other ten models consisted of two long-necked, sauropod dinosaurs, a Brachiosaurus and a diplodocid dinosaur. It is rare to find long-necked dinosaurs in a model set, manufacturers seem to shy away from making small models of these types of dinosaurs, but in this set the models are well-crafted and bound to please young dinosaur fans.

As well as the long-necked dinosaurs and the T. rex, Triceratops combination the models inside the heads that we looked at were an Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Pachycephalosaurus, Styracosaurus and a Velociraptor-like dinosaur, perhaps a fearsome Utahraptor. The other two models in this colourful series were not dinosaurs. In common with other prehistoric animal model sets, there was a model of a flying reptile, a pterosaur (Pteranodon flying reptile). This flying reptile model,showed the creature with its wings outstretched and it had an orange head crest painted on it. Although the standing position of this pterosaur model is not anatomically accurate (pterosaurs could, most likely not stand fully upright ), the model is well made and would be good for creative, imaginative play.

Colourful Dinosaur Models

The last of the twelve models is a bright orange model of a pelycosaur, most probably a Dimetrodon. As with the pterosaur model it is quite common to see a “dinosaur model set” featuring a mammal-like reptile. All the models contained within the heads are colourful and skilfully crafted. This dinosaur head play set would make an ideal gift for a young dinosaur fan from about three years and upwards. The screw lid that makes up the base of the head even has a little carry handle built in to it, so this play set can be carried around.

Dinosaur Models (Twelve Well-crafted Dinosaur Models)

Dinosaur Models Play Set.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A cleverly designed dinosaur play set, the actual heads themselves may not reflect quite the appearance of the dinosaur they represent. For example, Triceratops did not have teeth quite as depicted on this model, but the figures inside are great for creative, dinosaur themed play.

To view the Everything Dinosaur range of dinosaur models and toys: Dinosaur Toys and Gifts.

19 09, 2012

New “Spot the Difference” Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzle Reviewed

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:38:18+01:00September 19th, 2012|Categories: Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|0 Comments

A Novel Twist on the Traditional Jigsaw

Dinosaur obsessed children aged six and over can have their observation skills tested with this novel, dinosaur jigsaw puzzle. As well as putting together the colourful puzzle, young palaeontologists then have to spot the differences in their puzzle when compared to the puzzle picture on the box. The puzzle is exactly the same as the picture, except there are twelve subtle differences. Complete the jigsaw and then try to find the differences.

Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzle

This one hundred piece jigsaw has been well made, the individual puzzle pieces measure approximately three centimetres in diameter, making them easy to handle for you young children. The lugs on each piece are robust and the pieces fit together well, helpful when you have to spot small differences in the puzzle that the child has put together when compared to the picture displayed on the front of the box.

The Colourful “Dino Park” Jigsaw Puzzle

A dinosaur jigsaw with a twist.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Jigsaws can help children develop hand-eye co-ordination as well as motor skills. The puzzle pieces are very tactile and the colourful, cartoon style picture with its twelve differences to spot aids in a child’s development of their observation skills. The theme of the jigsaw is a visit to an imaginary dinosaur theme park, a sort of cartoon dinosaur land. Eleven dinosaurs are featured, there is even a blue and yellow Dimetrodon (a pelycosaur) lurking in the background. This colourful puzzle also features a number of flying reptiles. One thing to note is that there is a pterosaur nest hidden in the picture, can your child spot it?

Everything Dinosaur’s range of educational products for children: Learning with Everything Dinosaur.

All the popular and best known dinosaurs feature somewhere on the puzzle. There is Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops and the duck-billed dinosaur Parasaurolophus with its huge head crest amongst the herbivores in the dinosaur theme park. There are even two armour plated Ankylosaurus battling with each other in one corner of the jigsaw. As for the meat-eaters, there is of course, the obligatory Tyrannosaurus rex and by the looks of things this large, Late Cretaceous predator is about to make a meal of some of the visitors to the Park’s restaurant. There is certainly a lot going on in the completed puzzle, it took a six year old more than thirty minutes to complete the jigsaw and then another fifteen minutes or so to find all the differences. It was pleasing to note that the young girl thoroughly enjoyed making her dinosaur theme park and as each dinosaur was completed she insisted on telling us a little bit about it.

The Artwork in the Dinosaur Themed Jigsaw Puzzle

A busy Dinosaur Theme Park!

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The answers to the spot the difference part of the puzzle are contained on an answer sheet provided in the jigsaw puzzle box. This is very helpful, although we would recommend that the answer sheet be folded up to prevent the child seeing the answers prematurely.

This puzzle with its spot the difference element, being themed around the story of a dinosaur park we think would be especially popular with young boys who have a fascination with dinosaurs. The puzzle is robust, colourful and we loved the additional element of finding the differences between our puzzle and the one featured on the box.

14 09, 2012

Schleich World of History Allosaurus Model Reviewed

By Mike|2023-02-04T18:00:55+00:00September 14th, 2012|Categories: Everything Dinosaur videos, Product Reviews|0 Comments

“Different Lizard” in the Spotlight

As part of Everything Dinosaur’s commitment to inform collectors and dinosaur fans about model releases our team members have just finished their latest video review. In this brief, (four minute) video, we review the Schleich “World of History” Allosaurus dinosaur model. The name Allosaurus means “different lizard”.

Allosaurus Model Reviewed

Everything Dinosaur Reviews the Schleich Allosaurus dinosaur model.

Video Credit: Everything Dinosaur

Allosaurus Dinosaur Model

In this short video we focus on this new Schleich replica and compare it to the larger Schleich model of an Allosaurus currently available in the “Saurus” range of prehistoric animal figures.

To view the models available from Everything Dinosaur: Schleich Allosaurus Models and Other Prehistoric Animal Figures.

With its articulated jaw and finely detailed skin tones, this replica is already proving popular with dinosaur enthusiasts and professional collectors.

A spokesperson from the award-winning, UK-based company (Everything Dinosaur) stated that it was great to see another figure of an Allosaurus introduced into a model range.

12 09, 2012

A Review of the Bullyland Prehistoric Life Woolly Rhinoceros Model

By Mike|2023-02-04T17:01:01+00:00September 12th, 2012|Categories: Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|0 Comments

Bullyland Woolly Rhino Model Reviewed

Prehistoric animal and dinosaur model collectors and enthusiasts can now add a Woolly Rhino replica to their prehistoric animal model collections. Bullyland of Germany, the highly respected figure and model manufacturer, have re-introduced, for a limited period only, a number of long-retired, prehistoric animal models from their “Prehistoric World” series.

The “Prehistoric Life” Woolly Rhinoceros Model

Model code 58350 – Woolly Rhino.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Woolly Rhino Replica

This series contained a number of models and figures including a range of early humans. The majority of the series consisted of scale replicas of Ice Age mammals and other prehistoric animals that lived after the dinosaurs became extinct. The Woolly Rhino was one of the larger models in the series, measuring sixteen centimetres from its broad muzzle down to the tip of its stubby, short tail. The model stands over six centimetres high, it measures a little over six centimetres at the shoulder. The range was originally stated as being in 1:24 scale, however, with size estimates of Woolly Rhinos, based on fossilised bones ranging up to five metres in length, this particular figure is more like a 1:30 scale replica depending on the species represented.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of Bullyland Models: Bullyland Models and Prehistoric Animal Figures.

Tip: scroll through the dinosaurs to get to the rare prehistoric animal models.

Woolly Rhino genera were extremely widespread during the Pleistocene Epoch. The earliest fossils of this type of rhinoceros have been found in the mountainous country of Tibet. From its Asian base the Woolly Rhino spread westwards and fossils of this type of prehistoric mammal have been found all over Europe, although no fossils have yet to be found in Ireland. The last Woolly Rhinos lived in Siberia, they survived up to around 10,000 years ago, when like a lot of other mega fauna, cave lions, mammoths and so on they finally became extinct. It is likely that these large animals were unable to adapt quickly enough to the rapidly changing climate at the end of the last Ice Age.

The Bullyland Replica

The Bullyland replica represents a Woolly Rhino with two horns (Coelodonta antiquitatis), a species that thrived in western Europe during the last Ice Age. The horn over the snout is much larger than the horn which was located over the eyes. The model shows this larger horn slightly curved, this reflects scientific evidence that suggests that this horn was used by the animal to brush and clear away snow so that it could reach the sedges and grasses upon which it fed.

The Woolly Rhino model is well painted, the details on the long, shaggy coat are picked out and the ears are pricked forwards as if this beast is listening for the approach of a potential predator. The model gives this rhinoceros a stocky appearance, due to its short legs, it has small ears and a dumpy, short tail, all evolutionary adaptations for life in a harsh, cold climate.

A Close up of the Bullyland Woolly Rhino

Ice Age Rhinoceros.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

This model will be a popular addition to the prehistoric mammal models collected by dinosaur enthusiasts and model collectors.

29 07, 2012

A Review of the CollectA Achelousaurus Dinosaur Model

By Mike|2023-03-09T11:07:36+00:00July 29th, 2012|Categories: Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|6 Comments

CollectA Achelousaurus Reviewed

CollectA, the toy and replica company are earning a well-deserved reputation for their excellent models of horned dinosaurs. Over the past couple of years, this company has introduced a number of horned dinosaurs into their dinosaur model range, there is of course a Triceratops (several in fact); but in addition Styracosaurus, Torosaurus, Koreaceratops, Utahceratops and Chasmosaurus have been included. Today, we review a relatively recent edition, the CollectA Achelousaurus model.

CollectA Achelousaurus model

All these models are very well designed and accurately depict the prehistoric animals they represent, this review concerns one horned dinosaur (ceratopsian) – Achelousaurus and what a very good model it is too.

Achelousaurus Dinosaur Model from CollectA

Horned dinosaur model – the CollectA Achelousaurus model.

The Achelousaurus model measures fifteen centimetres in length, although this is not supposed to be a scale model, as palaeontologists estimate Achelousaurus to have grown to about six metres, this makes the model approximately 1:40 scale. This Cretaceous herbivore was named Achelous’s Lizard after the Greek horned river God Achelous. The name is pronounced Ak-ee-low-saw-us.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s dinosaur models including CollectA horned dinosaur figures: CollectA Dinosaur Models and Figures (Prehistoric Life).

Achelousaurus is known from several partial skulls and a single fragmentary skeleton discovered in the upper layers of the famous Two Medicine Formation of Montana (United States). Achelousaurus is a medium-sized horned dinosaur related to Pachyrhinosaurus and Centrosaurus.

Named by the Canadian palaeontologist Scott Sampson in the mid 1990s, the species name “horneri” honours the American palaeontologist John “Jack” Horner who was born in Montana and has worked extensively on dinosaur fossils found in that American State. As several fossil elements from the type species (Achelousaurus horneri) and other individuals were found in close proximity, palaeontologists believe that this plant-eating dinosaur lived in herds.

A Close up of the Head of the CollectA Dinosaur Model showing the Fine Crest

Brightly coloured features on this horned dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture above shows the fine details on this Achelousaurus dinosaur replica, even the dinosaur’s pink tongue can be clearly seen.

A Model of a Late Cretaceous Ceratopsian

The model is very well made and depicts a sturdy, Late Cretaceous ceratopsian, a member of the centrosaurine group of horned dinosaurs, known for their relatively short neck frills and the presence of a horn or large bump on top of the naris bone. The model is painted a sandy, brown colour with subtle bands of black colouration running from the back of the neck along the body and down to the stumpy tail. The substantial and prominent bump on the nose is painted a vivid red. There are also red paint markings on the front of the neck crest.

Scientists believe that visual communication was very important to dinosaurs, a brightly coloured frill with a distinctive nose horn may have acted as a signalling device between herd members or perhaps for visual display to permit disputes to be settled. The eyes are particularly well painted as are the large nostrils of this heavy-set dinosaur.

This replica of one of the more unusual of the horned dinosaurs will make an excellent addition to a dinosaur model collector’s collection, it is also likely to prove to be a firm favourite amongst dinosaur fans.