CretaceousCarnivoreTiny
Velociraptor
veh-LOSS-ih-RAP-tor
"Swift thief"
Overview
Velociraptor was a small, agile dromaeosaurid theropod covered in feathers. Far smaller than its Hollywood depiction, it was a nimble predator with a distinctive sickle claw on each foot, likely used to pin and subdue prey.
Vital Statistics
Length
2 m
Height
0.5 m
Weight
15 kg
Est. Speed
40 km/h
Discovered
1924
Named by
Henry Fairfield Osborn
Countries Discovered
MongoliaChina
Fossil Locations
Leaflet © OpenStreetMap
📍 Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Interesting Facts
Velociraptor was about the size of a turkey, roughly 2 meters long and under 15 kg.
The famous 'Fighting Dinosaurs' fossil shows a Velociraptor locked in combat with a Protoceratops, preserved mid-battle by a sandstorm.
Quill knobs on forearm bones confirm it had large pennaceous feathers.
It likely hunted alone or in small groups, using its claws and intelligence.
Closest Relatives
DeinonychusUtahraptorDromaeosaurusMicroraptor