Amebelodon Magic: A Custom-made Herd of Bizarre Extinct Animals

We make custom animals!

(Even ones as strange as Amebelodon)

Some might call it an Amebelodon nightmare, but we think it's pretty darn cool. This herd of small resin Amebelodons created by wildlife artist Sergio Sandoval is part of a project we put together for The Prairie Museum of Art and History in Colby, Kansas. They needed replicas to sell in their store when their Amebelodon fossil jaw bone went on display. The bad news was that they couldn't find any. The good news was that we could make them.

Amebelodons were very weird looking extinct members of the elephant family. They were proboscideans called gomphotheres. You can see why they earned the nickname "shovel-tuskers." 

Even from the back, these animals look pretty unreal. So, how did Sergio make them?

He started by researching online. It seems there are quite a few ways these creatures have been portrayed (check out the image page on Google), and actually, who knows what the fleshy parts such as the end of the trunk really looked like?

So Sergio began to study the anatomy by making drawings . . .

. . . and clay models . . .

. . . and comparing the extinct animals with modern elephants . . .

. . . and probably dreaming about them as well.

The proportions kept getting better . . .

. . . until a miniature Amebelodon sculpture stood in his studio.

Next, the model had to be baked and several hundred pieces had to be cast.

As the paint went on, they started to look real.

Final colors were chosen. Amebelodons are often depicted in their North American Miocene settings standing on dry grass. You would have to time-travel about 9 million years back in prehistory to see one, so we are thrilled to have been able to bring some of that reality to museum visitors.

But the work was not over. Painting the entire herd would still be a long process!

Soon you will be able to find this delightful four-inch Amabelodon sculpture in our store. Meanwhile, enjoy the amazing animal replicas we have for you every day, and if you need an animal made to order, please call Sheryl at (503) 338-8646 or e-mail oregontapir@yahoo.com.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Amebelodon

You should see the size of his toothbrush!

Our Plastic Amebelodon

Made of solid plastic by Safari, Ltd., one of the best names in plastic toy animals, this amebelodon's superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector of plastic animals. It measures 5 3/4 inches from the short trunk to the tail and stands 3 inches tall. It comes with an informational tag in French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English. This sturdy, durable prehistoric mammal is also excellent for school projects, novelties, party favors or even as a children's toy. You can make a splendid Ice Age shoebox diorama using this and other plastic creatures from our gift shop. Be sure to look over our other mammoth and mastodon toys and gifts.

About Amebelodon

Amebelodon first appeared in North America around 8-9 million years ago. After migrating across the Bering land bridge, this species of primitive proboscideans went extinct about 5 million years ago. Individual amebelodon varied a great deal in size, but the largest (Amebelodon britti) was 8-10 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed about 10 metric tons...larger than the biggest living elephant today.

The spade-like lower tusks of this species of mastodon earned them the nickname "Shovel Tuskers." These long, flat tusks were perfect for "shoveling up" plants, especially from the bottoms of ponds, and could also be used to scrape the bark off trees. The upper tusks were most likely used to defend against predators. Fossil remains of amebelodons have been found world wide, including in eastern Oregon in the 1930s.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.

Plastic Amebelodon

Dumbo had big ears...this guy had big teeth!

Our Plastic Amebelodon

Made of solid plastic by Safari, Ltd., one of the best names in plastic toy animals, this amebelodon's superior design and details make it a museum-quality replica or collector's item, and yet the price puts it in range for the average collector of plastic animals. It measures 5 3/4 inches from the short trunk to the tail and stands 3 inches tall. It comes with an informational tag in French, Italian, Spanish, German, and English. This sturdy, durable prehistoric mammal is also excellent for school projects, novelties, party favors or even as a children's toy. You can make a splendid Ice Age shoebox diorama using this and other plastic creatures from our gift shop. Be sure to look over our other mammoth and mastodon toys and gifts.

About Amebelodon

Amebelodon first appeared in North America around 8-9 million years ago. After migrating across the Bering land bridge, this species of primitive proboscideans went extinct about 5 million years ago. Individual amebelodon varied a great deal in size, but the largest (Amebelodon britti) was 8-10 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed about 10 metric tons...larger than the biggest living elephant today.

The spade-like lower tusks of this species of mastodon earned them the nickname "Shovel Tuskers." These long, flat tusks were perfect for "shoveling up" plants, especially from the bottoms of ponds, and could also be used to scrape the bark off trees. The upper tusks were most likely used to defend against predators. Fossil remains of amebelodons have been found world wide, including in eastern Oregon in the 1930s.

This blog is sponsored by Tapir and Friends Animal Store.