The Triceratops "Coulda Been a Contender" in the Jurassic Park Dinosaur Battles

The animated Jurassic Park Dinosaur battles in the 1993 movie opened up an entire new vista in Dinosaur toys. The movie truly brought Dinosaurs into the (then) 20th Century and the toys that were marketed from it are of a size that dwarf other Dinosaur toys. The Triceratops, for example, measures nineteen inches (19"- 48.5 cm) in length making it approximately 1/19 scale. Jurassic park and Kenner introduced 'action toys' to the realm of the Dinosaur toys.

This very large Triceratops weighs in at one pound one and three-quarters ounces (1' & 1.75"- 500gms) and came in an open-faced box, with a "movie collector card" and the cover for the "bite wound" taped to the underside of the base. The "wound" in the Triceratops' right side simulated damage from its participation in Jurassic Park Dinosaur battles. The wound


cover pieces tend to be easily lost and present a real choking hazard for small children. My solution to the former problem is to use rubber cement or "Shoe Goo" to glue them in place. The latter problem is solved by not allowing a "teether" to play with one, or alternatively, take the piece out. There are other solutions as well.

It is nicely detailed as can be seen in the head, frill and horns. The body
of the Jurassic Park (Dinosaur battles!) Triceratops is covered in a soft rubber ("Realistic Dinosaur Skin!") with (all new!) Polyester filling. It so happens that I have nine of these and each is slightly different from each of the others. Most are a basic green, with slightly darker striping, others

range more into brownish shades. The detail of the "skin" is 'pebbled' with "scutes" (hard bony growths creating a chainmail type protection on the back and sides) sculpted across the Dinosaur toys vulnerable back and sides. The texture of the skin is soft, which probably isn't all that realistic after all. The three horns are a bit harder (but not dangerously so) and the head is solid piece, unlike the body which is polyester filled.

The Triceratops has big Horns to Particiapte in Jurassic Park Dinosaur Battles

Each of the JP Dinosaur toys had an action feature and the Triceratops' has what Kenner (the manufacturer) called "Head Ramming Attack." (Making it particularly dangerous in its Jurassic Park Dinosaur battles). This 'ramming' manifests in the head raising through about thirty degrees (30*) when you squeeze the Triceratops sides. Here is the Triceratops in action....
Squeezing feels a lot like you are pressing in on a rib cage of a real animal. Pretty cool. One of the things I really like about this figure is that it does so little on its own. I have never actually seen an (accidentally) broken one. I must say that storage has bent the front legs on a number of these inward and there is some tearing of the material at the (underbelly) joint of the front legs. This is easily repaired with the "Shoe Goo."

Given its size it really needs a lot to eat and I have found that a herd of these can denude my pantry in pretty near to nothing flat. They will eat any kind of fruit or veggie and when they are through they just wander about the living room. Feeling territorial.

When a T-Rex tries to take its little one into the living room for some R&R (Rex & Rex??) the Triceratops are ready and willing to engage in some heated Jurassic Park Dinosaur battles. They can get pretty aggressive for herbivores.

"HEY...HEY"...This kind of behavior really gets me angry- "NO fighting in the house" is our rule, and they have to take it outside.

Outside is where things can get nasty and the true Jurassic Park Dinosaur battles take place....

and teeth and claws may prove more dangerous than horns...

The Jurassic Park Triceratops by Kenner came out in 1993 and was in production for only a short time. They are found readily on eBay but all too often without the 'wound piece.' My suggestion is don't pay more than $10-$20.00 for a loose one and be sure it has the wound piece with it. Getting one with the box really adds to the value and $20.00 and up is reasonable and certainly to be expected. These are terrific toys and certainly complement the Tyrannosaurus Rex for the creation of Jurassic Park Dinosaur battles out in the yard. (NO fighting in the house!!

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