The choice is not gratuitous, as Bullyland sometimes produces animals found specifically in Germany (good for them!); that is the case of the type species, C. goldfussi, discovered almost two hundred years ago (although it's been found in other parts of Europe and Asia). Despite its strange yet charming appearance, the now extinct family of the Chalicotheriidae (that lived from the Eocene all the way to the Late Pliocene) has remained almost unknown in popular culture, so the genus itself is quite obscure. Its description matches that of a chimaera: the gentle head of a horse, the body of a gorilla, a short stubb-like tail, a pair of extremely large forelimbs and big claws. Chalicotheriidae were odd-toed ungulates (that means that the hooves are irregular, in this case, they had 3 toes) and they probably had to walk on all fours (due to the masiveness of the arms) and to support their weight on their knuckles (no wonder it's always portrayed like that).

The colouring is not something you would call amazing (in my opinion that's not what Bullyland does best) it's kind of pale bony yellow with some dark highlights (I'd have added some different paint on the claws and the ears). The sculpt is very respectable, simple pose but great detail (I particularly liked the fur, the long fingers on the forelimbs and the barely visible ribcage). The head is finely sculpted, although the ears seem roundish (classic Bullyland feature); the expression is calm, as if it were about to chew something (I mean, just look at that slightly crooked mouth! He's sure up to something!) It's not very big (barely 14cm from head to tail) but it belongs to that unusual kind of figures that we love around here.

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Both versions represent the same species of Pteranodon, Pteranodon sternbegi. The crest of P. sternbergi has a distinct convex forward facing margin and is more greatly expanded, which distinguishing it from the other species of Pteranodon. P. longiceps, for example, is typically produced by toy companies, the crest in this species is a more simple 'spike', so it is good to se Bullyland breaking the mold in this regard too (Bullyland also has a P. longiceps of course). The shape of the beak is also different, it apparently curves upwards in P. sternbergi.

The Version 2 Pteranodon sternbergi is nicely detailed, it occupies a quadrupedal posture with the hands supporting the front part of the body, the wing-supporting fingers pointing backwards, and the feet firmly on the ground. The partially folded wings show creases and wrinckles and the body has a fine sculpture of hair; there is even a pteroid bone sculpted in the wing, a fine detail often overlooked or deemed unimportant by toy comapnies. The stubby legs splay out slightly but the feet and hands are both accurate, considering the small size of these elements, Bullyland has done an excellent job. The head and neck lurch forwards, in this standing position it becomes apparent just how large the head of Pteranodon is in relation to the body.

The colour scheme is identical in both versions, although version one also has a fish in the jaws. The wings are red, the body grey, and the beak is yellow, but all of these shades merge naturally into each other, and there are blue highlights on the head: the colour scheme is therefore very impressive. The striking beady yellow eye in the darkened socket adds the finishing touch to this super-cool collectors item. The figure is about 13 cm long.

Available here (€)
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Available here