Battat dinosaurs
Here are some of my Battat dinosaurs. All are originals, obtained in the '90s. None are reissues.
At left is Edmontonia, a formidable defender in life. Besides armor plates, the beast had lateral spikes. Above it is Tyrannosaurus with its gaping jaws and camouflage pattern. To the right of Edmontonia is the prickly Euoplocephaplus. Note the caudal spikes and tail club. Stegosaurus appears farthest right while the Diplodocus, "the finest dinosaur toy ever made," towers over the others.
Battat replicas were the first scientifically accurate (as far as current knowledge permits) dinosaur toys. Sculpted by the late Dan LaRusso, they far surpassed the dinosaurs put out by the British Museum of Natural History. I was always impressed by the Edmontonia, mimicking a well preserved specimen. Likewise, the Euoplocephalus remains, to this day, one of the most accurate ankylosaur figures. The Diplodocus is renowned for its excellent detail, notably folds of skin and a visible scapula. For many years it has been one of the most sought-after toys, sometimes fetching prices up to $500-600.
I ordered three each of the Edmontonia, Tyrannosaurus and Euoplocephalus. I didn't get the Triceratops, Ouranosaurus or Utahraptor. The collection includes only two Diplodocus--I regret not getting ten or twenty...Back in the mid '90s, a Diplodocus cost only about $20....
I also have a pair of Battat Gallimimus, a pair of Pachycephalosaurus, an Amargasaurus, an Acrocanthosaurus and a Parasaurolophus.
Nowadays, even large collections often lack these excellent toys. I did, however, see one Asian man's Battat collection, which has many more dinosaurs than mine, including three Diplodocus.
posted by starman at 3:18 AM
14 Comments:
Battat dinosaurs are among the elite of dinosaur toys. Your collection of dinosaurs is remarkable. I like the colors on those Battat dinosaurs in your set.
Yes, the accuracy of Battat toys impresses even to this day. In recent years, however, Schleich, Papo and others have offered great replicas.
March 1, 2019
Great dinosaurs!Do other companies make them?
Besides the ones mentioned above, there's also CollectA and others I haven't done business with.
By the way, Neal, we just got hit by a big snowstorm. It's disappointing to see this much snow this late in the season. Spring is only about two weeks away.
March 4, 2019
As we know, snowstorms are not fun to experience. We have had two snows here in Arkansas this winter, but neither has been extremely severe. In both cases, the snow melted after one day. I'm sure that you've been having to shovel snow from your driveway because of that snowstorm that just hit Connecticut. It is not snowing here in Arkansas, but the temperature is cold. I am definitely looking forward to spring.
Shoveling deep snow is anything but fun but it didn't take too long and the storm is over. I had an epal from Finland who says she likes snow and shoveling. She can have it....
March 4, 2019
When did Edmontonia live?
Edmontonia is known from the late Campanian c 76 Ma to about the Campanian-Maastrichtian boundary c 72 Ma. In that interval, two species occur: E. rugosidens and E. longiceps. But Edmontonia may have persisted to late Maastrichtian time, as material named Denversaurus by Bakker in 1988 my in fact be Edmontonia.
March 5, 2019
It would not surprise me if more species of Edmontonia were to be discovered in the future. I think it's very likely that Edmontonia survived into the Late Maastrichtian.
Dodson once wrote that "few dinosaurs spanned more than one stage." But there were exceptions. Edmontosaurus regalis was of late Campanian age while E. copei was late Maastrichtian. Edmontonia may have been another Campanian holdout near the end of the K.
March 8, 2019
Edmontosaurus must have had a substantial population. There were formidable predators, but I don't think that they could have annihilated Edmontosaurus.
Yes, the Edmontosaurus population was large especially in Wyoming, late in Maastrichtian time. An Edmontosaurus bonebed is known.
No doubt Edmontosaurus, like other herbivores, was adapted to contemporary predators. But, lacking weapons, the hadrosaur fled rather than fought. There is clear evidence that tyrannosaurs pursued Edmontosaurus. At least one specimen has a bitten tail while a T. rex tooth is imbedded in the caudal centrum of another. As a big, well muscled hadrosaur, Edmontosaurus often broke free of the smaller, lighter pack members who caught up to it, and struck. They were attempting to slow or stop the quarry, enabling bigger pursuers to finish it off. But, aided by keen senses and powerfully muscled legs, the hadrosaur often escaped.
March 8, 2019
Edmontonia obviously lived in an environment where there were many predators. It stood a fairly good chance of escaping unless it was cornered. Staying in open spaces would have been advantageous, since barriers (such as hills, canyon walls, etc.) would have obstructed its escape if the carnivores were pursuing Edmontosaurus.
In the near-coastal lowlands, where Edmontosaurus was common, the main barriers were forests. Large dinosaurs seldom entered forests but tended to forage along their edges. Tree trunks tended to impede movement. Hadrosaurs therefore probably fled in open country. Tyrannosaurs were almost certainly the only predators which chased them.
Btw today is the first fill day of spring. :) Always glad to see winter end.
March 21, 2019
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