Safari Ltd. Velociraptor (1993)

Name: Velociraptor mongoliensis Species: Velociraptor mongoliensis First release: 1993 Retired: 2009 Model number: 2500-29 (figure); 4503-23 (display) Size: 32 cm Advertised scale: 1:6 (on box), 1:5 (in catalog) Actual scale: 1:6 Sculptor: Greg Wenzel Hot on the heels of Jurassic Park, someone at Safari realized they needed to market an authentic Velociraptor model, and fast. Clearly, the 1:40 scale Carnegie line would be a poor fit. Safari contracted with paleoartist Greg Wenzel to create a larger-scale Velociraptor in a dynamic running posture that was essentially tripodal, with its horizontal body supported in the front by a hand touching the ground. The tail, known to have been fairly rigid, was produced in a highly flexed posture (probably close to or exceeding anatomical limits), in order to fit in the box. As with Ely Kish and the Dinosaurs of China, this Velociraptor is instantly recognizable as Wenzel's style, with lots of detail texture in the hornlets and ...