Collecta Mosasaurus Model Review

Website design By BotEap.comCollecta Mosasaurus Model Review

Website design By BotEap.comThis is a revision of the Collecta Mosasaurus replica which was introduced to the Collecta Prehistoric Life range in 2014. Ironically, the first published description of a Mosasaur fossil occurred in 1764 when quarry workers discovered the partial skull of a strange creature near the city of Maastricht. in Holland. So this year marks the 250th anniversary of that discovery.

Website design By BotEap.comMosasaurs are not dinosaurs. They are not even closely related. Mosasaurs are part of the Squamata Order of reptiles, lizards, and snakes. As mentioned above, the earliest fossils of the animals we now know as mosasaurs came from quarries in the Netherlands, located near the Meuse River. The name of this river has its origin in Old French, which in turn has its root in Latin, the word MOSA. Therefore, this group of marine lizards came to be called Mosasaurs, which means “lizards of the Meuse River”.

Website design By BotEap.comThe Collecta model represents Mosasaurus, there are several species of this genus, we suspect that this model is based on Mosasaurus hoffmanni, certainly a large model, but this was one of the largest mosasaurs, perhaps reaching lengths of 13 to 15 meters, rivaling some of the largest mosasaurs known from the Western Interior Seaway of the United States. Unlike the largest of the North American mosasaurs, Mosasaurus hoffmanni it had a more robust appearance with a deeper and wider body. Weight estimates vary, but some paleontologists have suggested that this animal could have weighed more than 2,000 kilograms.

Website design By BotEap.comadvanced member of the family Mosasauridae

Website design By BotEap.comMosasaurus was one of the most advanced of all the Mosasaurs. The strong skull and large teeth, beautifully reproduced in this replica, would have given this marine predator a powerful bite. Many smaller mosasaurs would have swallowed their prey whole, but a fully grown mosasaur would likely have hunted much larger prey, including other marine reptiles such as turtles, smaller mosasaurs, and plesiosaurs. The jaws and skull bones indicate that this animal was capable of biting off its victims. Tears large prey into pieces so they can be more easily swallowed.

Website design By BotEap.comBeautifully painted replica

Website design By BotEap.comThis model is beautifully painted, the smooth skin has been colored battleship gray with a slight rust color around the skull and jaws. The white bands and spots remind us of whale sharks. As far as we know, each model has a slightly different arrangement of spots, which makes each replica unique.

Website design By BotEap.comAlthough not marketed as a scale model, it is a relatively large replica measuring around 11 inches long. Based on an actual size of about 14 meters, we estimate this Collecta model to be 1:50 scale. It is a wonderful model and represents this marine reptile as a powerful streamlined hunter. It represents a very modern interpretation of a prehistoric animal whose fossils were first described 250 years ago. This model is very well made and highly recommended.