Velociraptor (name meaning "Speedy Thief") is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Asia. A highly intelligent, pack-hunting carnivore, Velociraptor is the most famous member of the dromaeosaur family, despite its small size.
Thought to have been extinct for 65 million years, there are still large packs that remain alive on Primeval Island. One particular pack of Velociraptors consists of individuals named Blue, Charlie, Delta, and Echo. Another consists of Bravo, Sierra, Tango, and Zulu.
Facts
Paleoecology
Velociraptor inhabited Mongolia, Asia during the Late Cretaceous period, 80 million years ago, living arid landscape with mostly sand dunes, shrubbery, and only the occasional small streams covering the landscape. Velociraptor coexisted with dinosaurs like Gallimimus, Oviraptor, Protoceratops, and Therizinosaurus, they died out with all other dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous about 65 million years ago.
Paleontology
During an American Museum of Natural History expedition to the Outer Mongolian Gobi Desert on August 11th, 1923, Peter Kaisenrecovered the first Velociraptor fossil known to science: a crushed but complete skull, associated with one of the raptorial second toe-claws. In 1924, museum president Henry Fairfield Osborn designated the skull and claw (which he assumed to come from the hand) as the type specimen of his new genus, Velociraptor. Since their first discovery, Velociraptor has become the most famous member of the Dromaeosaur family and one of the most well-known dinosaurs in the world.
Characteristics
Roughly close to the size of an average human and having a bird-like build, Velociraptor stood around 4 feet (1.2 m) tall at the hips, measured 9 feet (3 m) long, and weighed over 170 lb (77 kg). Although small compared to larger dinosaurs of its environment, it was nevertheless a very lethal predatory dinosaur. It had a small and slender body with a long and stiff tail which was used for balance. It had long arms and legs, around 60 razor-sharp teeth, 3 inch sharp claws used in slicing flesh, had a great sense of smell, and advanced eyesight that was on equal level with modern birds.
Additionally, being small gave it great agility. Like other dromaeosaurs, Velociraptor was an amazingly fast, agile, and lightweight dinosaur, capable of running at speeds as fast as 40 mph (64 km/h), even reaching 50 – 60 mph (80 – 96 km/h) if they were hungry enough and chasing prey in wide open areas, as well as being astonishing jumpers. Like all dromaeosaurids, Velociraptor had sharp claws on its hands and the infamous and distinctive sickle claw on the second toe of each foot. It could use the lethal claws on it toe with devastating effect and can kill even a large male Protoceratops. However, Velociraptor was often at risk of getting killed when attacking larger prey.
Behavior & Traits
As with other members of the dromaeosaur family, Velociraptor was a pack hunter, taking down large prey by hunting in packs. Juveniles raided the nests of other dinosaurs. Female Velociraptors were highly protective of their offspring, willing to kill even a familiar face if need be. Their packs have been known to vary in numbers, although they averagely consist of as many as between three and seven individuals, on rare occasions even more. Like wolves, the pack was lead by an Alpha, whether that individual was male or female. As it was a lethal predator armed to the teeth and talon, being in a group would make Velociraptor a dangerous adversary.
Velociraptor preyed on dinosaurs such as Gallimimus and Protoceratops, though it also preyed on smaller creatures such as the mammals that lived at the time, lizards, and insects. Velociraptor was also highly intelligent, like all dromaeosaurids. With their large brains, they could have planned efficient, coordinated attacks as well as possess the capability to solve problems. When attacking a large animal, a Velociraptor would lunge at with its arms outstretched and puncture an animal's skin with its sickle claw. It would do this several times until its prey was subdued from blood loss, allowing other members of its pack to finish off the wounded animal.
Trivia
- The sound effects of Velociraptor are that of cheetah, cobra, coyote, dog, jaguar, leopard, and wolf as well as the Turok Utahraptor and the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise.