Gecko08’s Collection - MOVED TO A NEW TOPIC

SUSANNE wrote:

What brand is the hadrosaurus ? It is beautyful, I hope it survives the encounter  

The hadrosaur I used in the photo was Battat’s Parasaurolophus

Congrats! The "lego" moose looks fun. :) I'm glad you had fun on your vacation!

Gecko08 wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

What brand is the hadrosaurus ? It is beautyful, I hope it survives the encounter  

The hadrosaur I used in the photo was Battat’s Parasaurolophus

Thankyou
Battat has made some beautyful paintwork on many of their nice models

Lythronax (Collecta)
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Late Cretaceous USA
Length: 24 feet
Scale: 1:40

Lythronax is a Tyrannosaur but there's been a bit of a controversy over where Lythronax fits on the family tree. Some put it near Daspletosaurus, others put it as Tyrannosaurus' closest relative, and some even say it is Tyrannosaurus. Lythronax is the oldest member of Tyrannosauridae, which makes it an important species to study the origins of this family.

As for the figure itself, I’ve always wanted it. I’m very happy with the strange haircuts Collecta gives its feathered dinosaurs. Only one more Tyrannosaurid to go (Safari Albertosaurus) and I’m rather burnt out on large theropods (and I’ll say that and then when they get here I really like them).

Some other feathered tyrannosaurs in my collection. Xiongguanlong (Collecta) and Bistahieversor (Collecta). Xiongguanlong is more basal than either of these, marked by the presence of a third finger (though not really visible in this picture). I’m against the idea of Tyrannosaurus rex itself having feathers because there’s really no proof of it having featheres aside from distant relatives that lived in different climates, and skin impressions from T. rex show scales instead of feathers.
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With some other members of the Wahweap Formation. Diabloceratops (Schleich), Machairoceratops (PNSO). The two are pretty visually similar.
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Borealopelta (Collecta)
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Early Cretaceous Canada
Length: 18
Scale: 1:35

Borealopelta was named in 2017, and it’s only known from one fossil. But what makes it special is that the one specimen was washed out at sea after it died and was beautifully preserved.
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The scientists even found melanosomes in the specimen which allowed them to figure out what color it was. They worked it out to be a reddish tone which is why the figure is red. Borealopelta was a nodosaur, meaning it was related to ankylosaurus, but it lacked a tail club.

Some fellow nodosaurs. Polacanthus (TS Toys), Sauropelta (PNSO)
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June's Full batch. It's not as big as I'd hoped it would be going into June, but that can easily be explained by my being on vacation for the middle part of the month when I usually buy figures. I'm going on another trip starting July 1st so we might see the same thing. And also the fact that I dropped almost $40 on Play Visions figures but it was totally worth it.
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Carboniferous~

Crassigyrinus (Play Visions)

Permian~

Platyhystrix (Play Visions)

Cretaceous~

Borealopelta (Collecta)
Daspletosaurus (Safari Ltd)
Lythronax (Collecta)

Recent~

Leopard Seal (Safari Ltd)

06.25.2022

Those are very nice.

Very nice figures, especially the Platyhystrix .

Nice acquisitions. Big fan of the Safari Daspletosaurus and CollectA Edaphosaurus in particular.

Congrats Haydn! We discussed this somewhere on the PNSO section but your recent Machairoceratops set of jaws looks better to me than the PNSO triceratops. Can the gape get any wider on your model? In that position it looks reasonable, whereas the wide gape possible with the PNSO model I think subconciously turns some people off due to the Thylacine/predatory-esque concept. Anywho, congrats again!

Saarlooswolfhound wrote:

Congrats Haydn! We discussed this somewhere on the PNSO section but your recent Machairoceratops set of jaws looks better to me than the PNSO triceratops. Can the gape get any wider on your model?

The Machairoceratops’ jaws are fixed. They don’t open or close. It would have probably left a distracting seam in its jaws so I’m not complaining.

I just got back from a second trip I took to North Carolina with a youth group and it was very fun. When I got home another package was waiting for me.

Shringasaurus (Safari Ltd)
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Middle Triassic India
Length: 13 feet
Scale: 1:20

I've really been stocking up on Safari models lately and that's due to a combination of things. I've been swamped lately, plus the fact that these are inexpensive, very easy to get, and of excellent quality. Shringasaurus was an archosaur, meaning it is part of the wider group that includes dinosaurs but is still pretty far from being one. It was a herbivore. The use of the horns has been speculated on and some think that they were larger in males than females, but lack of information makes it hard to tell. Shringasaurus was one of the evolutionary dead ends of the Triassic period. Whenever a mass extinction happens a lot of spaces in the ecosystem are cleared out. For a brief period after the extinction, very strange animals evolve to fill those voids. The Triassic is full of those kinds of creatures. Most of them die off and don't have any descendants, but they still make up an interesting chapter of earth's history.

The figure is a perfect representation of the animal. Safari made it 3 years after it was discovered, which is relatively quick for a company to turn findings into figures.

Triassic 1:20-1:25 Shringasaurus (Safari Ltd), Lystrosaurus (Kaiyodo), Tanystropheus (Safari Ltd), Lisowicia (Collecta)
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Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus) (Safari Ltd)
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Recent New Caledonia
Length: 6 inches
Scale: 1:1

I was very excited to hear that Safari was making a figure of an animal that I own. Interestingly, every captive-bred Crested Gecko is a descendant of a small population of geckos since exporting them from the wild was banned early on. They actually have color morphs in the wild (normally color morphs in reptiles are a result of breeding for the pet trade). The morphs are patternless, white-fringed, and tiger. Crested Geckos have the ability to drop their tail, but it doesn't grow back. Crested Geckos were thought to be extinct for over 100 years before they were accidentally rediscovered. This is a result of biologists looking on the wrong island for them. The biggest threat to wild Crested Geckos are fire ants.

Some comparison shots with Niko, my real Crested Gecko.
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07.08.2022

Congrats! I can't wait to get this crestie It looks really well done by Safari

And Niko is so cute! Love the photo of them together

A short post today but it’s better than nothing. I need to deposit some leftover money before I can start buying again. Also, I've been really busy lately and I haven't even started high school yet so I'll try to post whenever I get new figures.

Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
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Recent North America (and Pacific Ocean)
Length: 4.9 feet
Scale: 1:9

TAW identifies the Safari Salmon as the Chinook Salmon, so that's what I'm listing it as. The life cycle of a Salmon always interests me. They are born in freshwater and as they grow, their body and organs adapt to saltwater and they reach the open ocean. Chinook Salmon aren't endangered by their population has been declining. They've also started to reach smaller sizes and spend less time in the open oceans. In Alaska, Chinook Salmon are known as King Salmon because of their size. It is the state fish of both Alaska and Oregon. I try to incorporate as much fish diversity as I can into my collection, as they are an incredibly diverse group of creatures. There are still so many orders I want to get.

The Chinook Salmon is from the order Salmoniformes, which shares a place with Argentiniformes (the Barreleyes) in the superorder Protacanthopterygii (sorry for being really technical but I just wanted to make it clear that they are related). In this case, the Barreleye is the Soleatus Barreleye from AAA.
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For reference, the family tree looks like this. They certainly share some ancestors.
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07.18.2022

My snake hook arrived today (I don’t plan on handling venomous species, but I did read that a snake hook can be helpful when looking for snakes under boards and tin). I scouted out a good area to look and I'm probably going to pay it a visit sometime next week. I hope my posts still get views, but self-promoting my thread on other places feels selfish.

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And some July additions. Only one more batch of models is on the way for this month.  

Prestosuchus (Safari Ltd)
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Middle Triassic Brazil
Length: 23 feet
Scale: 1:30

Prestosuchus was one of the largest Triassic reptiles. There is an argument over whether Prestosuchus should be included with the Rausuchians (like Postosuchus), or if it's a separate but related animal. The Triassic had some really strange animals like Tanystropheus, Shringasaurus, and Hyperodapedon. The figure itself is exquisite, with the usual detail and accuracy from Safari.

A fearsome predator with a mouthful of teeth
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The figure is lined with osteoderms on its back
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Diplodocus (Collecta)
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Late Jurassic North America
Length: 75 feet
Scale: 1:65

When it was first discovered, Diplodocus was considered to be the longest dinosaur, and Brachiosaurus was considered the heaviest, but now we know that Argentinosaurus was bigger than them both. People used to think Diplodocus was too large to be attacked by predators, but new theories suggest that Allosaurus might have mobbed weaker or sick Diplodocus once they were singled out. Brontosaurus started as a separate species but was later merged with Diplodocus, but now we think that Brontosaurus and Diplodocus were two separate genera. The figure itself is nice, being smaller but just as accurate as the larger Diplodocus figures released over the years. Being smaller means it takes up less shelf space, and I don't have a need for a lot of massive sauropods.

With some other Jurassic sauropods around 1:55-1:60. Giraffatitan (Safari Ltd), Shunosaurus (Safari Ltd)
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The figure looks great from the side, so it's unfortunate what happens when you turn it. The neck is as thin as a sheet of paper.
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I am also doing well in the modern animal department. I recently got the Safari Great Lakes toob. Since the animals in this tube are North American, I’ve actually seen a few of these in real life. Since I have a lot on my plate to talk about I'm gonna do some lightning rounds and cover some species fast.
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Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)
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Pleistocene-Recent North America and Europe
Length: 43 inches
Scale: 1:20

When I was younger, I would visit this nature center that overlooked a massive lake. The nature center was shut down (leading to how I got my pet Ball Python, Lucy) but all the natural features are still there, including a juvenile Alligator that now inhabits the lake. There used to be a lot of Canada Geese there that had originally migrated from the north, but they stayed because it was a great location with very few predators and a lot of food. I haven't seen those geese for a while (possibly because of the alligator), but it provides an interesting lesson on how opportunistic animals are. Give a migrating species free food and little predators, and they will become stationary. After all, if there is no reason to leave, why waste the time and energy migrating?

I saw these geese daily during my North Carolina trip.
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Hine's Emerald (Somatochlora hineana)
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Recent United States and Canada
Wingspan: 3.5 inches
Scale: 1:2

I wasn't going to write about the dragonfly in this set because it wasn't identified. I read the ATB review and apparently, it's a Hine's Emerald. This species used to be endangered but the most recent evaluation is Least Concern. It used to be endangered due to habitat loss, but it's now a legally protected species in both the US and Canada.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
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Pleistocene-Recent North America, Central America, and the Caribbean
Height: 54 inches
Scale: 1:30

From what I know the only problem with this figure is that the legs are too thick (compare with the living one below). But there are no other figures of this amazing bird and this one gets everything else right.

I'm no stranger to seeing these around the beach.
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American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)
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Recent North America and parts of Asia
Length: 26 inches
Scale: 1:12

Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus)
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Recent North America
Wingspan: 10 inches
Scale: 1:3

The Little Brown Bat's biggest threat is a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome.

Bats are so weird. I like the little details like the mouth and ears.
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Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis)
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Recent Canada
Height: 22 inches
Scale: 1:30

Lake Erie Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum)
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Recent Canada
Length: 3 feet
Scale: 1:12

Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus)
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Paleogene-Recent USA
Length: 1 foot
Scale: 1:4

Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens)
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Recent North America
Length: 10 inches
Scale: 1:3

Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
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Pleistocene-Recent North America
Length: 7 feet
Scale: 1:25

07.25.2022

Lots of interesting information, as always. I am amazed that the diplodocus's head is almost as small as a human's. Very useful to show size comparisons with humans. I suppose it doesn't need a thick neck for such a small head.

The American herring gull looks very similar to the European one. Apparently, nowadays they are just considered subspecies.

Congrats for these newcomers!

rogerpgvg wrote:

I am amazed that the diplodocus's head is almost as small as a human's.

It is strange how such a massive animal has such a small head. Unfortunately, many sauropod skulls get destroyed over time since they are so small.

The final batch of July with an overview today.

Anzu (Safari Ltd)
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Late Cretaceous North America
Length: 11 feet
Scale: 1:25

Anzu was bigger than most Oviraptorosaurs. Anzu was closely related to Gigantoraptor. Anzu lived in the Hell Creek Formation, meaning it lived with famous dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops. It was another victim of the Cretaceous mass extinction. Anzu was either herbivorous or omnivorous since its beak wasn't as heavily built as its predatory relatives from Asia like Oviraptor and Citipati.

Anzu also lived with Pachycephalosaurus.
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A trio of Oviraptorosaurs from Safari. Citipati, Oviraptor, and Anzu, all with slightly different head crests.
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A diagram I’ve posted on this topic before. Anzu (discovered after this diagram was drawn) and Citipati are both known from complete skulls, while Oviraptor is not. Instead, most Oviraptor models are based on skull D, which hasn’t been named.
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Megacerops (Safari Ltd)
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Middle Paleogene North America
Length: 16 feet
Scale: 1:30

Megacerops was built like a Rhino, but it rivaled Elephants in size, but it was actually related to horses. A lot of large Megacerops specimens have healed rib injuries, meaning they probably fought with their horns. This figure is bigger than my other prehistoric mammals from Safari, beaten out in size only by the American Mastodon. I like the grey coloration, as it mimics the large mammals today like the rhino and elephant. I would prefer something more colorful for a dinosaur, as their closest modern relatives are birds, which can see more colors than we can imagine and are vibrant even to our eyes.

Megacerops and Uintatherium lived in the same place and time so they likely interacted.
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Razorback Sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) (Safari Ltd)
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Recent Southwest US
Length: 3 feet
Scale: 1:6

The Razorback Sucker is critically endangered due to fishing, damming, and habitat loss. Conservation efforts seem to be working since they were spotted in the wild outside of their previous range. It is a member of Cypriniformes, making it closely related to carp and minnows. In 2009 this figure along with 5 others was commissioned by Marsh & Associates to educate people about endangered fish. I got this incredibly rare model off eBay for $2.50. I saw the link first on the ATB and decided I didn't want it since I didn't think it looked good. Unfortunately, the photos on the listing didn't capture the true quality of the model. When some of the STS members commented saying that they were looking for this figure for ages I realized how much of a steal this lot was and I bought it with about 5 left.

Another side profile of the figure. I'm so happy to have gotten this figure for such a low price. As I’m typing this I believe there is still one more left.
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All of my July additions together. July was almost exclusively Safari models, but they are all great so no complaints from me. This has probably been one of the most productive months for my collection, and I'm surprised I could pull it off despite being on a trip and meeting with friends several times a week. I start high school next month so I'm curious to see what will happen in my collection then.
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Triassic~

Prestosuchus (Safari Ltd)
Shringasaurus (Safari Ltd)

Jurassic~

Diplodocus (Collecta)

Cretaceous~

Anzu (Safari Ltd)

Paleogene~

Megacerops (Safari Ltd)

Recent~

Canada Goose (Safari Ltd)
Canada Lynx (Safari Ltd)
Chinook Salmon (Safari Ltd)
Crested Gecko (Safari Ltd)
Great Blue Heron (Safari Ltd)
Herring Gull (Safari Ltd)
Hine's Emerald (Safari Ltd)
Lake Erie Water Snake (Safari Ltd)
Lake Sturgeon (Safari Ltd)
Little Brown Bat (Safari Ltd)
Mudpuppy (Safari Ltd)
Razorback Sucker (Safari Ltd)
Yellow Perch (Safari Ltd)

07.27.2022

The razorback sucker is a great catch. I like the Megacerops too because it looks so similar to a rhino. You are going to High School, but when I read your posts, I get the impression that you have a doctorate in palaeontology!

rogerpgvg wrote:

The razorback sucker is a great catch. I like the Megacerops too because it looks so similar to a rhino. You are going to High School, but when I read your posts, I get the impression that you have a doctorate in palaeontology!

Thank you

I think a lot of it is due to the internet, just the fact that so much information is available with just a simple search makes this a lot easier.

What is the human figure in the gull and snake photos?

The figure is Dr Nick Cutter from a British TV series called Primeval.

It’s been 5 months since I last made a post on the forum and I’ve decided to return.  My bank account is currently overdrawn, but we are working to fix it as I type. I have a lot of unspent money from my birthday in October and Christmas is coming up so the next few weeks should be fun. I've been considerably naughtier this year so we will see how Christmas turns out. I have only gotten one new figure addition which I believe was in September.

Basilosaurus (Collecta)
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Middle Paleogene North America and Africa
Length: +49 feet
Scale: 1:40

I've wanted a Basilosaurus figure since I saw it at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science. It is such an early point in whales' evolution, and ancient whales are rarely made into models. You can even see the vestigial legs on the figure.
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Basilosaurus was a top predator in the open ocean. It had an eel-like body and a relatively small brain compared to its later relatives. Basilosaurus is the state fossil of both Mississippi and Alabama, which makes it an even more essential figure for my collection. Basilosaurus was the earliest large whale known in the fossil record. It still lived at the same time as many smaller early whales, and evidence has shown that Basilosaurus frequently hunted them. Preserved gut contents have also shown that Basilosaurus ate a large amount of fish, which is expectable for any large marine predator. The teeth of Basilosaurus resemble those of modern toothed whales.

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With some Paleogene pals in the 1:30-1:40 scale range. Megacerops (Safari Ltd), Uintatherium (Safari Ltd), Boverisuchus (Safari Ltd)
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My next addition is a fossil Orthoceras that I got in December. Orthoceras fossils are some of the most common fossils available so there's no reason not to buy one to accompany my model Orthoceras.
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With my figure Orthoceras from Collecta. Some people I know have tried to tell me that I am too old for model dinosaurs or animals, but I'm the type of person who does whatever he wants anyway. Dinosaurs and figures will always be a part of my life, I don't care how old I am.
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My wishlist of figures on the market has gotten considerably smaller and that means I will probably complete it in the next few months if I don't go missing in action again.
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I'm probably going to follow through with my original December plan of taking family group shots of my figures since it's about time I take a good look at my collection anyway.

12.19.2022

It is nice to see your collection growing. I love the fact it has vestigial legs.
If someone tells you that you're too old to get dinosaur toys, that person is acting in a very childish way.
I have a question from one of your previous additions. Is the Megacerops figure acceptable for 1:35 scale or is it too big since it is marketed at 1:30 scale? Do you think it could work nicely together with the Eofauna 1:35 mammals?

Roger wrote:

It is nice to see your collection growing. I love the fact it has vestigial legs.
If someone tells you that you're too old to get dinosaur toys, that person is acting in a very childish way.
I have a question from one of your previous additions. Is the Megacerops figure acceptable for 1:35 scale or is it too big since it is marketed at 1:30 scale? Do you think it could work nicely together with the Eofauna 1:35 mammals?

The Megacerops is 1:30, but if you were trying to get an accurate sense of size comparison by placing it next to a 1:35 figure, it would do just fine. Usually, a scale difference of 5 doesn't mean much (for ex. 1:40 and 1:35). In order to demonstrate that, I took a picture of a 1:30 model with a 1:35 model (I don't have any Eofauna mammals).

In this case, I'm using Safari's 1:30 Ankylosaurus and Safari's 1:35 T. rex.
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This diagram shows that the size comparison by the figures is pretty accurate even though one is 1:30 and the other is 1:35. The Ankylosaurus could be a pinch smaller but the pose also has some effect on it.
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Thank you for asking this question it was fun setting up the figures.

12.19.2022