Rock N Roll Reptiles

10/21/2025

I’ve been looking for a replica Thylacoleo skull for well over a decade. It’s one of my favorite carnivores and it is the part of the roster for my popular Prehistoric Predators class. Who doesn’t a murder marsupial with boltcutters for teeth, eh? However, despite rigorous searching over the years I was unable to find any replicas on the commercial market. The few I saw were all in museum or research collections. Back in August while poking about in eBay I cane across the page for a company called Primal Replicas and lo and behold, there was Thylacoleo. It was basically a “Shut up and take my money” moment. I’ve been waiting for over two months for it to ship from Australia and while it arrived a week late, I’m am so happy to finally have my bucket list skull.

09/23/2025

Man on the menu.

A new study may be about to rewrite a part of our early human history. It has long been thought that Homo habilis, often considered the first true human species, was the one to turn the tables on the predator–prey relationship. However, a recent analysis of previous archaeological finds suggests t...

08/21/2025

So many giraffes, so little time.

"Our genetic analyses show that the differences between giraffe species are as distinct as those between brown and polar bears.”

08/15/2025

This gargatuan talon belongs to the extinct Haast’s eagle, one of the biggest and most powerful raptors to ever exist. In life, this huge bird stood a yard high, tipped the scales at over 30 pounds, and boasted a wingspan of 8.5 to 10 feet. New Zealand’s former apex predator, Haast’s eagle preyed on moas weighing nearly a quarter-ton. Māori myths of the man-eating monster bird Pouakai are believed to be based off real-life encounters with this huge eagle. Honestly, I can’t get over the sheer scale of this talon. It dwarfs not only my harpy eagle talon (and I have the whole leg for that one) but my emu foot, and the fact that it can so easily engulf a human skull is both awe-inspiring and pants-sh*ttingly terrifying. Looking at this replica gives me anxiety and makes me question my level in the food chain, lol.

07/20/2025

This is one of the scariest animal attacks I've heard about. I've read about crowned eagles attacking children but to go after an adult seemingly unprovoked? If that isn't potential nightmare fuel, I don't know what is. The harpy eagle is considered by many to be the world's most powerful raptor, although it it is not the largest eagle by weight or wingspan; armed with talons the size of a grizzly's claws, they regularly take such impressive prey as large monkeys and sloths. This bird overpowered a woman SIX TIMES its weight with seemingly little effort, a feat of predatory strength one might expect from a big cat. I cannot imagine the primeval terror she must've felt having her skull clutched in the talons of a modern-day dinosaur. Had her partner not intervened, she probably would've been killed. Is it any wonder cultures the world over tell tales of flying dragons and other winged monstrosities?

The first documented case of a Harpy Eagle attacking an adult human in the Amazon rainforest has been recorded. The incident involved a 29-year-old tourist walking a remote trail in an undisturbed area of the Amazon in French Guiana. The attack, which occurred without provocation and far from any kn...