Source by: Only Dinosaurs
This is the most comprehensive guide to velociraptor facts that we’ve ever created. It’s about everyone’s favorite predator next to the T. rex but seen under a new light. In this article, you’ll get to know the Velociraptor in a fresh new way and take your dino knowledge to the next level.
Fans of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World may get disappointed with the facts about Velociraptor that they’ll unearth in this section. But don’t fret! The truth may hurt but this will also make you love the Velociraptor even more.
So, what are the facts about the Velociraptor? Here’s the straight list of the things you’ll get to know:
- Velociraptor Facts: Naming origin
- Velociraptor Facts: The Late Cretaceous’ Speedy Dinosaur
- Velociraptor facts: From Head to Toe
- Velociraptor facts: Scavenger, predator, or both?
- Velociraptor facts: Lineage
- Summary: A Timeline of Velociraptor Facts
We also thought it would be great to write about this fan-favorite dino because Velociraptor Awareness Day came by last April 18. So we’re covering velociraptor facts that will show you who this famous dino really is. Sounds good? Let’s begin!
1. Velociraptor Facts: Naming origin
what is a velociraptor？ The Velociraptor’s name means “swift seizer“. It’s two Latin words combined. The first one’s “Velox” which means swift. The other one’s “raptor” which means plunderer or robber. That answers the question, “what does Velociraptor mean?” Now here’s how it got its name.
Source by: Mark Witton on Pinterest
This well-known carnivore was first named by Henry Osborn, the American Museum of Natural History’s president in 1924. Fossils of its claw-like toe and small skull were found in the Mongolian desert by Peter Kaisen who brought them back to the museum for studying.
Upon examination, Henry Osborn, concluded it to be a fast-moving dinosaur that was also carnivorous in nature. The appearances of the fossils discovered and the location where they were found (Mongolia) inspired the name he gave the newly discovered dinosaur. Hence the name, Velociraptor mongoliensis.
Source by: Smokeybjb
So, Where did the Velociraptor live? The locations where most of the Velociraptor fossils were discovered give obvious clues about the Velociraptor’s habitat and where they resided.
The fossils were discovered in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert and its surroundings. Mongolia is found in Central Asia and the exact places where the fossils were found were the Djadochta Formation, Barun Goyot Formation, and the Bayan Mandahu Formation. These are all sand-rich dry locations in Asia.
Source by: Richard Mortel
These facts about Velociraptor showed scientists that Velociraptors most likely lived in an arid environment around 75 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period in Mongolia. A few streams of water could have been found around the region that supplied hydration but the rest may have been dry.
This is in contrast to popular belief that Velociraptors lived in humid jungles located in North America. This is what’s often shown in the movies and on TV. But we now know better and understand that these movie stars thrived in the desert. They didn’t live in the jungle considering the locations where their fossils were found.
2．Velociraptor Facts: How fast are velociraptors？
The impression that first comes to mind about Velociraptor speed is that it’s lightning-fast. So fast that prey will be doomed to lunch if it even waits to blink an eye. And that’s no wonder considering the meaning of the name given to the Velociraptor and its possible physical build based on fossil discoveries.
Source by: Mark Twitton on Pinterest
But Dr. David Button, a museum researcher interviewed by Lisa Hendry for the Natural History Museum says otherwise. He expects that the Velociraptor can run as fast as 40 kph only.
The reason for this remark was the size and length of the Velociraptor’s legs. Dr. Button said, “You can get a rough idea of how suited an animal is to run by the relative length of its thigh and shin. A longer shin will increase your stride length, and you’ll be faster.” And on top of thighs and shins, Lisa Hendry also noted from the interview that the Velociraptor’s tail helped the dinosaur maneuver when moving speedily.
Source by: Eden, Janine and Jim
Skeletons that have survived the ages have been discovered in the Mongolian desert since 1924. Discoveries like the ones made by Dr. Mark Norell.
These skeletons gave scientists and researchers like Dr. Button the Velociraptors facts that determine as to how speedy Velociraptors were. And it’s those insights that influenced his remarks about Velociraptor speed in his interview with Lisa Hendry.
Source by: I, ArthurWeasley
The museum researcher also shared that the fastest dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous era weren’t the Velociraptors. It was the ornithomimosaurs who were the fastest.
Ornithomosaurs were a group of dinosaurs who had longer legs than the Velociraptor and who look like today’s ostrich. So we see that the Velociraptor actually lives up to its name, just not as fast as we thought it was.
3．Velociraptor facts: From Head to Toe
what did velociraptors look like? Is it a bird, or is it a plane? No! It’s a Velociraptor that doesn’t look like the one from the movies at all. Sorry, Jurassic World fans. The Velociraptor in real life looks more like an oversized bird than Jurassic World Velociraptor Blue. Here are facts about a Velociraptor that will show you why.
Physical Built of Velociraptor
If you’re wondering, “how big is a velociraptor?” and “how tall are velociraptors?” you’ve now got the real picture.
Source by: Matt Martyniuk
According to the Natural History Museum, the Velociraptor grew as long as 1.8 meters only, reached only 0.5 meters in height, and weighed as heavy as 7 kilograms only. That’s just 1/3 of the average human or just the size of a toddler.
The dinosaur that the movies were inspired by was actually the Deinonychus. It’s another type of dinosaur within the same family but still completely different from the Velociraptor.
Skull of Velociraptor
Let’s check out facts about a Velociraptor from Peter Kaisen’s fossil discovery now that we’re talking about size and appearance. We’ll also look into the significance of this discovery and how it relates to evolution.
One of the fossils Dr. Kaisen discovered was a Velociraptor’s skull. The skull was measured by Dr. Henry Osborn to be 176 mm in length overall. This gave a picture of the Velociraptor having lived with a slender facial appearance.
Source by: Henry Fairfield Osborn
Additionally, their small skulls also show that Velociraptors had brains only as large as the skulls that enclosed them. The Natural History Museum shares that the Velociraptor’s brain size compared to its body was quite high compared to other animals. This is called the encephalization quotient which helps give an idea about an animal’s intelligence by comparing brain size to body.
So were Velociraptors smart? Velociraptors facts about the proportions of their brains to their bodies show that they were smarter than the average dinosaur. But they weren’t more intelligent than humans as portrayed in the movies. Their intelligence is only at par with the average cat or dog.
Source by: Only Dinosaurs
The movie Jurassic World agrees with that. In the upcoming Jurassic World Reign, the smart Jurassic World Velociraptor Blue is also about to have her little baby called Beta. Do you also want to have a baby Blue? Check out the baby Velociraptor puppet in the picture above created by the Only Dinosaurs’ team.
It will be a great companion for your storytelling, keeping your kids curious about every fact about Velociraptor. You can even interact with your little ones through its cute movements.
Teeth of Velociraptor
How many teeth does a velociraptor have? According to the scientists who shared handy Velociraptors facts, Drs. Barsbold and Osmolska, Velociraptors have 13 to 15 pieces of teeth. The dinosaur has around 13 in its upper jaw and 14 in its lower jaw with a max of up to 15 teeth each.
The specimen described by Dr. Osborn in 1924 also had the same number of teeth. The Velociraptor mongoliensis he described had 13 to 14 pieces of teeth that were sharply curved inwards. What makes it intimidating is not just the number, but also how strongly serrated its teeth were.
Source by: Eduard Solà Vázquez
Velociraptor’s teeth, as described by Dr. Osborn, had sharp edges on the individual tooth themselves. The intensity of the serration in the Velociraptor’s teeth increased from front to back. And that sharpness helped the Velociraptor seize its prey and keep it in its grip.
So it’s unsurprising that Velociraptors are also perceived as predatorial because they’re equipped with the right teeth to make it happen.
Feathers of Velociraptor
Another question that’s probably popped into your mind is, “Did velociraptor have feathers?” And according to world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Mark Norell, the answer is yes.
In 2007, Dr. Norell and his team discovered a fossil of a Velociraptor’s forearm that had quill knobs. Quill knobs are raised bumps that show which bones in the body where feathers are anchored. And in this case, it was the Velociraptor’s forearm.
Source by: Fred Wierum
The paleontologist and his team concluded that the quill knobs were proof that Velociraptors had feathers. The team ended their study by suggesting that these feathers weren’t for flight but were most like for other purposes.
The possible purposes for the feathers as suggested by Dr. Norell and his team were:
- Used as a display for other dinosaurs to see (possibly for mating)
- Used as protective nests to manage temperature (possibly when the weather’s too cold for their eggs)
- Used as a means to produce a negative lift (movement in the opposite direction) while running uphill
Source by: Matt Martyniuk
The facts about Velociraptor are seen in Dr. Norell and his team’s discovery of quill knobs on Velociraptors also add value in another way. Their discovery can be proof of the link between dinosaurs evolving into modern-day birds. He explores that hypothesis in his study published in Science.
Current evidence powerfully convinces talks about the past that dinosaurs lived with feathers. But the future has yet to be proven that they did indeed evolve into our modern-day birds.
Hand and feet of Velociraptor
Additionally, its position showed that the claw was elevated off the ground like it was pulled back. These facts about Velociraptor show us that it walked with the sickle claw lifted and probably helped it quickly attack enemies. This is another eye-opener as it’s commonly perceived that Velociraptors had all their toes on the ground.
In the same study, the scientists discovered that the Velociraptor had hands with three sharp long claws. They aren’t as deadly-looking as the claw on its foot, but not to be underestimated either.
Source by: Jens Lallensack
Additionally, its position showed that the claw was elevated off the ground like it was pulled back. These facts about Velociraptor show us that it walked with the sickle claw lifted and probably helped it quickly attack enemies. This is another eye-opener as it’s commonly perceived that Velociraptors had all their toes on the ground.
In the same study, the scientists discovered that the Velociraptor had hands with three sharp long claws. They aren’t as deadly-looking as the claw on its foot, but not to be underestimated either.
Disemboweling Sickle Claw or Stabbing Weapon?
The Famous Dinosaurs also shed light on common inaccurate beliefs about Velociraptor facts. It’s commonly believed that Velociraptor’s sickle claws on its foot were used to disembowel other dinosaurs. But its place in the fossil shows otherwise.
A 2001 study by scientist Kenneth Carpenter suggested that the Velociraptor’s deadly claw was most likely a stabbing weapon rather than a disemboweling one. He supported this because of the position in which the Velociraptor’s foot claw was in The Fighting Dinosaurs.
Source by: Mr. Jack on Pinterest
From that observation, the scientist suggested what he believed were more accurate facts about Velociraptor. He suggested that the claw was probably at the Protoceratop’s throat because the Velociraptor wanted to pierce a major vein, an artery, or the trachea. If its natural instinct was to disembowel, it would most likely have been in the abdomen rather than the throat.
Here’s something more convincing. BBC produced a documentary in 2005 called “The Truth About Killer Dinosaurs” which tested the hypothesis that a Velociraptor’s foot claw could disembowel prey.
Their simulation used an artificially-made Velociraptor leg and pork belly to stand in as prey. The documentary showed that the foot claw penetrated the abdominal wall of the pork’s belly. But the claw failed to open the belly up. This disproves the notion that a Velociraptor’s claw was able to disembowel prey.
Source by: Discover Magazine on Pinterest
Dr. David Button, mentioned earlier, also shares the same view. He tells Lisa Hendry in his interview for the Natural History Museum:
“‘If you look at the claw it looks just like the talon of an eagle, which is used to grip prey and pin it down. Velociraptor probably used its sickle-shaped talon, in the same way, to injure, subdue and grip its prey, before dispatching it with its jaws.’”
This leads us to the conclusion of more plausible Velociraptor facts about how they used their deadly foot claws. They were really for stabbing and holding prey down rather than disemboweling.
Source by: Esther van Hulsen on Pinterest
Another notable study that supports this view is by Dr. Philip Manning. He suggests that the claws weren’t used to slash flesh but were for gripping prey instead.
They also aren’t able to tap their toes unlike in Jurassic Park. Dr. Button debunks this myth and says there is no scientific evidence available yet to prove otherwise.
4. Velociraptor facts: scavenger, predator, or both?
The desert Velociraptors called home also provided the food available for them to eat. So here we ask the next obvious question, “What did Velociraptors eat? And how?”
Did they feast on plants or other animals? If they did feast on other animals, how did they hunt for food?
What did Velociraptors eat?
Source by: Durbed
Three important discoveries give us quick answers. They provide evidence that Velociraptors ate Protoceratops and Pterosaurs :
The 2010 Velociraptor and Protoceratops Discovery
Let’s start with their big win in Velociraptor facts back in 2010. In that year, Dr. Hone’s team found Velociraptor teeth in Mongolia together with a Protoceratop’s bones that bore bite marks. The bite marks on the Protoceratops perfectly matched the Velociraptor teeth they discovered and provided strong evidence that Velociraptors ate Protoceratops.
But this doesn’t mean that the Velociraptor was proactive in preying on Protoceratops. Dr. Hone says that such an event is unlikely considering that the Protoceratops is way bigger than a Velociraptor. Its size would have made it difficult for the Velociraptor to bring down.
Source by: Dr. David Hone on his website
Another set of facts about Velociraptors they made was the age of the Protoceratops bones vs the age of the bite marks. The bites left on the Protoceratops bones were observed to have been made when the Protoceratops was already dead. This means it died of another cause and the Velociraptor was just one lucky scavenger who came upon its remains.
Dr. Hone shares further insight about this discovery on his personal website,
“The conclusion we offer is that this is the result of scavenging. It’s unlikely a dromaeosaur could bring down such a big Protoceratops…this really looks like a dromaeosaur came across a corpse and scraped off it what it could (a meal is a meal) losing a couple of teeth and making some scrapes on the bones in the process.”
Source by: Lufke
And from Dr. Hone’s official scientific paper, he and his team share these thoughts:
“…the tooth marks on the Bayan Mandahu material are inferred to have been produced during late-stage carcass consumption either during scavenging or following a group kill. Feeding by Velociraptor upon Protoceratops was probably a relatively common occurrence.”
The take-aways Dr. Hone and his team suggest from their 2010 discovery are two things you’ll find out below. These Velociraptor facts also answer our questions about what Velociraptors ate and how they hunted for food:
Velociraptors relied on scavenging when it comes to food. Protoceratops were most likely part of a Velociraptor diet. This helps establish that Velociraptors were carnivorous by nature and ate meat-bearing animals like the Protoceratops.
The 2012 Velociraptor and Pterosaur Study
Now let’s take a look at the second discovery Dr. David Hone and his colleagues made. In 2012, they studied a Velociraptor fossil with a Pterosaur’s bone in its gut. The bones were found in 1994 and were yet to be described at the time the study was made. These Velociraptor facts they discovered were strong evidence that Velociraptors ate Pterosaurs.
And from what they observed, Dr. Hone remarked that the Velociraptor was most likely a scavenger of the azhdarchid Pterosaur instead of an active predator. The main reason being, again, size.
Velociraptors were small compared to Pterosaurs. The former grew only as big as a modern-day turkey and the latter grew as tall as a giraffe with wingspans as wide as 23 feet.
Source by: Mark P. Witton and Darren Naish
- The dinosaurs scavenged on were ill or elderly.
- The dinosaurs died from a group kill made by another species.
What can we learn about the Velociraptor’s diet from their findings, then? Dr. Hone and his colleagues share these two highlights that give a clearer picture of what Velociraptors ate and their means of hunting for food:
- Velociraptors were indeed scavengers more than active predators.
- Velociraptors were really carnivores whose diet also included Pterosaurs aside from Protoceratops.
The Fighting Dinosaurs fossil found in 1974.
The Velociraptor facts coming from Dr. Hone’s 2010 discovery and the 2012 study also gave scientists a better understanding of The Fighting Dinosaurs. The Fighting Dinosaurs fossils are a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops caught in mid-battle before simultaneous death. These are fossils discovered by a team of Polish and Mongolian scientists in 1971 in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.
According to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), they probably died because of an unexpected sand flow that buried them. The fossils were found in sandstone cliffs whose location support this possible cause of death.
The Velociraptor was posed lying on the ground with its famous sickle claw in the Protoceratop’s neck. The Protoceratops was found in an offensive standing position with its mouth biting the Velociraptor’s right arm. It’s an action-packed fossil that gives insight into prehistoric life back in the Late Cretaceous times.
Source by: Raul Martin
- Their two studies help establish the carnivorous nature of the Velociraptor because this fossil shows it in battle with a Protoceratops.
- Their 2010 study also help establish how the Proceratops was one of the Velociraptor’s regular sources of food
- The past 2 studies help clarify the Velociraptor’s carnivorous nature and the reason why it ate.
On the other hand, the fossils also show tell-tale Velociraptor facts that these dinosaurs weren’t just scavengers but were also active predators. The poses the Velociraptor and Protoceratops were caught in the show that the Protoceratops was very much alive. It wasn’t dead and being scavenged on.
Source by: Yuya Tamai from Gifu, Japan
Did Velociraptors hunt in packs?
We now have facts about Velociraptors that show they were carnivores, scavengers, and active predators too. We’ll then take a look at how they hunted prey. Did they hunt in packs like in Jurassic Park or did they hunt alone?
Source by: japa2 on Pinterest
A 2020 study led by paleontologist Joseph Frederickson from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh shows that they most probably didn’t hunt in packs. Dr. Frederickson and his colleagues analyzed the composition of teeth from baby and adult Deinonychus, a relative of the Velociraptor.
They hypothesized that similarities in diet, or the lack of it, will prove if Velociraptors and their relatives hunted in packs. The results showed that there were differences in composition from the smallest tooth to the largest one. Those differences reflected a change in diet as the animals grew.
So, what’s the bottom line? The scientists suggest that there is a big possibility that Velociraptors didn’t hunt in packs. Because if they did, their diets would have been the same.
Source by: Only Dinosaurs
Although those Velociraptor facts do not match the description in Jurassic World Velociraptor Blue, Knowing who they really gave you a better appreciation of the dinosaur, doesn’t it?
Now you’ll never look at Velociraptors the same way again. You might also be telling a different tale about this famous dinosaur when you don that Jurassic World Blue raptor costume at parties. It will make you the most talked about person at the party.
5. Velociraptor facts: lineage
Facts About Velociraptor from Megalosauridae to Eudromaeosauria
Dr. Osborn notes that even though the skull was small, its appearance is typical of the Megalosauridae family. He suggests that the Velociraptor facts about the skull are evidence of a family relationship.
He suggests that this can be thought that the Velociraptor was part of the Megalosauridae family. It’s the group that included dinosaur species like Megalosaurus.
Source by: Fred Wierum
But this correlation has been refined by scientists like Philip Currie and Nicholas Longrich through the years. Velociraptor was then classified under Eudromaeosauria.
This was because Velociraptors were seen to have a closer relationship with Eudromaeosauria compared to Megalosauridae. The significance of this shows the evolution of Velociraptors through prehistoric times which can help us understand from which species modern animals evolved.
Velociraptor & Deinonychus: Same Family, Different Species
The Jurassic Park movies modeled their Velociraptors more closely to the Deinonychus as mentioned earlier. But considering the scientific discoveries about family lineage that we just covered, we get a more accurate picture of who Velociraptors really were.
So yes, Velociraptors and Deinonychus have similarities and even belong to the same family. But they existed 30 million years apart from each other. And more importantly, they had different facial features.
Source by: Jens Lallensack
Dr. Rinchen Barsbold and Halszka Osmolska share handy Velociraptor facts about its skull that help distinguish it from Deinonychus. The insights are from their 1999 scientific paper published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.
- Velociraptor skulls are similar to Deinonychus but still have differences
- They have a sideward and rounded shape
- They’re characterized by flat noses and long snouts
Velociraptor Facts on Two Identified Species
Facts about Velociraptor include its species that have been officially identified and described. There are two known ones to date:
- Velociraptor mongoliensis
This is the first Velociraptor species discovered. As mentioned earlier, this was found by Dr. Peter Kaisen at the Djadochta Formation in Mongolia. It was officially described by Dr. Henry Osborn in 1924.
Velociraptor mongoliensis has been described by scientists as carnivorous, predatory, and scavenging by nature. It is most known for its razor-sharp sickle claw.
Source by: Antonov
- Velociraptor osmolskae
This is the second Velociraptor species discovered in fossil-rich Bayan Mandahu, Mongolia. This new species was found in 1999 by Polish paleontologist, Halszka Osmolska.
The scientist who officially described and identified the new dinosaur was paleontologist Pascal Godefroit. Together with his team, who also included Philip Currie, they analyzed fossils which were upper jaw bones and parts of the eye socket.
The scientists classified V. osmolskae as separate from V. mongoliensis because of distinct differences in fossil features. These differences were having no ridge in its neurovascular foramina and their teeth have weaker serrations.
With these facts about Velociraptors in hand, you can tell your children what velociraptors really were and what it was like in prehistoric times.
6. Summary: A Timeline of Velociraptor Facts
There have many important discoveries in facts about Velociraptors through the years. These discoveries all connect to each other and serve as individual pieces of one big puzzle about the Velociraptor.
So here’s a timeline of the most important discoveries from the first one to the latest. This will help us see the big picture from a bird’s eye view. This will also be a quick summary of all that we’ve just shared.
Source by: Annie Brightstar
1923 – the first Velociraptor fossil was discovered by Peter Kaisen in Djadochta Formation, Omnogovi, Mongolia. The discovery was made in August 1923 during an American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) expedition to the site.
1924 – AMNH President Dr. Henry Osborn described the fossils Dr. Kaisen brought back and gave its official name: Velociraptor mongoliensis.
1971 – the discovery of The Fighting Dinosaurs fossils in Mongolia Djadochta Formation. The fossils were a Velociraptor mongoliensis and Protoceratops andrewsi caught in a deadly battle.
1988 to 1990 – a team composed of Chinese and Canadian scientists discovered plenty of well-preserved Velociraptor skeletons in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. Their discoveries made the scientists understand the Velociraptor’s habitat in Mongolia even better.
1997 – Dr. Mark Norell and his team of scientists discovered a dromaeosaur skeleton. Their study gave new insight into the way dromaeosaurs’ bodies worked which also included Velociraptor.
1999 – Dr. Mark Norell and Dr. Peter Makovicky studied a 1991 Velociraptor skeleton. Their research shed light on common misconceptions on Velociraptor facts like its sickle claw and inaccurate scientific terminology.
1999 – Paleontologists Halzska Osmolska and Rinchen Barsbold discovered a dromaeosaur skeleton in Mongolia which was identified in 2008 as a new Velociraptor species.
Source by: Thomas Vandenberghe from Leuven, Belgium
2001 – Scientist Kenneth Carpenter and Dr. Philip Manning made separate studies on the Velociraptor claw. Kenneth Carpenter suggested that it was a stabbing weapon and not a disemboweling tool. Philip Manning suggested that it wasn’t used for slashing flesh but as a means to grip prey.
2007 – Dr. Mark Norell and his team discovered quill knobs on a Velociraptor’s forearm.
2008 – Dr. Pascal Godefroit and his colleagues officially named the dromaeosaur discovered by Halzska Osmolska as Velociraptor osmolskae.
2010 – Dr. David Hone and his team discovered Velociraptor teeth with Protoceratops bones that had matching bite marks.. Their study was strong evidence about what Velociraptors ate.
2012 – Dr. David Hone and his colleagues discovered that Velociraptors ate Pterosaurs from a fossil discovery made in 1994. Another set of convincing Velociraptor facts that show what Velociraptors ate.
2021 – Dr. Mark Norell and his colleagues describe a new dromaeosaur species, named Shri Devi, from the skeleton discoveries in 1988-1990. The scientists previously thought this was a V. mongoliensis but realized it was entirely different after further study.
It’s unfortunate that many of the raptor facts may change from what you learned in Jurassic World.
However, Only Dinosaurs will rekindle your feelings for Jurassic World Velociraptor Blue, the film’s raptor. We introduced them to the real world. Puppet enthusiasts will like the baby Blue puppet in the picture below and use it to create a vibrant performance.
Source by: Only Dinosaurs
What do you think about the Velociraptor facts you just enjoyed? We hope it gave you a better understanding of who the Velociraptor was and helped debunked some myths you’ve been pondering on.
