Review and images by EpicRaptorMan; edited by bmathison1972
Imagine a white fuzzy seal with big black eyes crying out for food. Now imagine a massive predator with enormous jaws and an appetite to match; this is Hydrurga leptonyx a.k.a. the leopard seal.
Today I chose to review the leopard seal by Papo (56042) and if you couldn’t tell by the intro, the leopard seal is not to be trifled with. They are the second largest species of seal in Antarctica, second to only the southern elephant seal, ranging from 8 – 12 feet (2.4 – 3.6 m) and can weigh in at 400 to over 1,300 lbs. (200 – 600 kg)! Leading the way of this massive body is a reptilian-like skull filled with sharp teeth in front and locking molars in back. Leopard seals feed on fish, krill, birds, squids, and even other pinnipeds. Being such powerful predators they do pose a real risk to humans and although attacks are rare there is one recorded fatality. On July 22, 2003, the marine biologist Kirsty Brown was killed while snorkeling in Antarctica. The leopard seal had dragged her 70 meters into the depths where she drowned and had inflicted forty-five separate lacerations and other injuries across her body. Her crew managed to retrieve her quite quickly, but could not revive her.
Papo’s model depicts an individual with jaws agape and all teeth visible to decent detail. The neck and body are muscular and Papo did fine work on the countershading for the seal’s silver underbelly and blending with the darker gray on top. The figure also possesses a grainy texture that can be felt and is visible when light reflects off of it. The model is a tad small, however, at 4.75 inches (12 cm) in total length and 1.6 inches (4 cm) in height.
As far as complaints go, the eyes are brown with black pupils when they should be big, black, and beady. The spots, as the “leopard” name suggests, are black and white specks sprinkled about dorsally and ventrally when they should not be present dorsally not to mention all the spots are too large. Lastly, the quality control regarding the lower jaw could use work as a very distinctive seam is present.
All-in-all I still enjoy the Papo leopard seal and chose it for its more dynamic posture when compared to Safari Ltd.’s and more robust body than CollectA’s attempt, although Papo’s is admittedly less detailed.
Some new evidence that I did not include in the article show that New Zealand Leopard seals can and will feed on sharks!