Velociraptor

Pronunciation:
vel-OSS-ee-rap-tor
Name meaning:
'quick plunderer'
Type of dinosaur:
small theropod
Length:
1.8m
Weight:
7kg
Diet:
carnivorous
Teeth:
lots of sharp, pointed teeth
Food:
other animals
How it moved:
on 2 legs
When it lived:
Late Cretaceous, 74-70 million years ago
Found in:
Mongolia

As portrayed in the Jurassic Park movies, Velociraptor was recreated at twice its actual size and closely modelled on Deinonychus. Though this was seen as unscientific at the time, soon after the first film was released, a dinosaur of the same type, Utahraptor, was discovered, even larger than the virtual Velociraptors.

Velociraptor is now thought to have had a fine feather-like covering.

Discover more about Velociraptor >

Taxonomic details

Taxonomy:
Dinosauria, Saurischia, Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae
Named by:
Osborn (1924)
Type species:
mongoliensis