Triceratops horridus was Among the Last of the Dinosaurs and First of the Dinosaur Toys
The Triceratops horridus (full scientific name) was one of the last of the Dinosaurs who roamed the Earth throughout the Mesozoic Period. He specifically lived at the end of the Cretaceous, 65 million years ago and was a contemporary of, if not best friends with, Tyrannosaurus Rex. This was probably a herd animal and similar in that sense to the Elephant, though at 13 tons and 30 feet in length more than twice the size of the biggest pachyderm living today.
It is known to be an herbivore (vegetarian) and thought to be a herd animal. If it is comparable to the Elephant then a herd would consist of large females, young males and youthful critters. Large males would tend to live isolated lives joining with a herd for mating and then going back to a life of bachelorhood, hanging out in dino-bars and getting into trouble. We just don't really know how they lived but I figure it was pretty much any way they wanted to....
My first experience with toy Triceratopses was in the museum shop of the AMNH (American Museum of Natural History in NYC) where I had a choice of
two SRG T-Tops figures- the large or the small. The large was hollow and the small solid, the large about 6" and the small just over 3". My first choice was the large (because I was small?) but after that I learned that getting the small was better because it cost less and I could get two figures instead of just one. (Sometimes a third.)
I loved my Tri-Ceratopsians but discovered the drawback with metal Dinosaur toys being fragility. These broke quite often and the only survivors were the ones my mother borrowed and inadvertently failed to return. I got them back thirty years later....x
If Triceratops don't float your boat perhaps a different Dinosaur will get your vote. VOTE here!
1955 and MARX Makes the Scene
1955 saw the emergence of (then) toy giant Louis Marx and Company's new Dinosaur series which happily included my beloved T-Tops! Just about perfect at 3.5" long, (relatively) unbreakable plastic and available in bulk, in bins at the neighborhood Woolworths, for 10c a piece.
Since then the Ceratopsian (opens new window) scene has seen a proliferation of different Ceratopsians (horn-heads) and the Marx model is in eclipse everywhere but in my heart.
My current herd of T-Tops gets into all kinds of trouble.
Shall we take a look before we proceed to the company list of all Dinosaurs?
A Day in the Life
Up in the morning and a breakfast of canteloupe rinds starts the day off right. Of course there are always those who have to forage and they can prove to be pesky.
Getting into where they don't belong can prove a problem with T-Tops so the only answer is to make them play outside.
Once outside the herd breaks up into smaller groups and fights can break out with the neighborhood bullies.... (opens new window)
Some (opens new window) just involve a lot of yelling....
Other (opens new window) times they (opens new window) appear to get serious...
So everybody is called back inside
for Nap Time!
We are Ready for our List of all Dinosaurs- Triceratops
By clicking here, you can find Triceratops Toys
on Amazon.
By clicking on the Company Name you will access its page.
Battat (1994)
Bullyland T-tops Museum Line
Bullyland T-tops Small
Carnegie Triceratops (1988-96-07) (1999)
"China" Trademark (whenever)
Invicta Triceratops (1975)
Jurassic Park/Kenner (1993)
MARX (1955) (1959)
MPC (1964)
Papo (2005)
Safari/Field Museum Torosaurus (2004)
Safari (1996) (2007)
Wild Safari Dino-baby (1997)
Schleich (2002)
SRG (1947)
This concludes my list of all Dinosaurs based upon the Triceratops that I own. If you have some others you would like included please contact me.
Have you ever wondered what it might be like if Dinosaurs had survived and were still alive today. They'd have to be pretty special, that's for sure. So special, in fact, that they might form a team of Superheroes. Well, it's not impossible, it's entirely FOSSIBLE!
If you are interested in other Dinosaur toys should check out our Toy Companies page. Or for more information on the Triceratops itself just go here. (Opens new page.)
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