Didn’t your mother tell you to never pull a dinosaur’s tail? If there’s one thing that’s likely to antagonize a T-Rex, it’s yanking on his derriere. Don’t worry, though. All it takes is a little tender loving care from a thoughtful trainer to transform Zoomer Dino from predator-a-pique to playful pet.

Hot on the heels – or rather the wheels – of Zoomer, the playful robotic puppy that was a big hit in 2013, comes a new breed of cute robotic critter that is a quirky combination of prehistoric and futuristic creature all in one.

Pint-size paleontologists with a passion for all things prehistoric will fall in love with this dinky dino, with its nifty movements and mannerisms that bring a touch of Jurassic Park into your home. He may be unpredictable at first: the fun is trying to tame your teeny T-Rex and teach him tricks!

Zoomer Dino is instantly appealing with his quirky gait. Although we don’t have any experience of real-life dinosaurs, his physique appears realistic and lifelike (well, compared to what we’ve seen on Walking With Dinosaurs) with a jointed neck and tail that gives a sense of fluidity and flexibility to his movements. He’s also super agile on his rolling feet, and can cleverly balance on his own – and even pick himself up if he topples over using the ingenious ‘True Balance Technology’.

Zoomer Dino has two modes of play. When Zoomer Dino is charged (via the supplied USB cable), he will just roam freely in random directions, or you can direct proceedings with your hand movements. Alternatively, use the battery-operated remote control to mastermind his wanderings; the interactive control pad also has a handy ‘angry’ button to ignite his fury when you can’t get close enough to pull his tail.

There’s some pretty sophisticated technology going on with Zoomer Dino, and advances from the original Zoomer puppy allow players greater control via the remote (though admittedly this takes some mastering). You can train your dino to do all sorts of playful antics, from dancing a dinosaur stomp to roaring, chattering or chomping. He will also tilt his head in an affectionate, playful way and utter happy dino sounds when tickled under his chin, which is very endearing and encourages children to engage with him on an emotional level.

Your child can also learn to interpret Zoomer’s emotions – by the colour of his eyes. When his eyes are shining like emeralds, Dino is happy; when his eyes are blue, he’s in curious mode and ready to learn. Purple eyes? That means he’s ready to play, and when they’re red, he’s about to blow his top. Rrrrr-a-a-a-gh!

Other useful colour codes are yellow, which indicates remote control mode is activated, and orange, which means Zoomer is running low on power and needs to be recharged.

As well as the classic green Zoomer Dino Boomer, there are also several exclusive Dino breeds, including Onyx, Snaptail and a limited edition Metallic Gold Finish.