veloci raptor

Common Name: Velociraptor
Scientific Name: Velociraptor mongoliensis

Time Period: Late Cretaceous
Lived: ~75–71 million years ago

Location: Central Asia (modern-day Mongolia, China)

Environment: Desert / Plains

Diet: Carnivore

Length: ~2 meters (6.5 feet)
Height: ~0.5 meters (1.6 feet) at the hips
Estimated Weight: ~15–20 kilograms (33–44 lbs)

Locomotion: Bipedal
Average Speed: ~40 km/h (25 mph), estimated

Distinguishing Features:

• Long, stiff tail for balance
• Large sickle-shaped claw on each foot
• Lightweight, agile body
• Feathers (based on fossil evidence)
• Sharp, curved teeth

Behavior: Likely Pack (debated)
Reproduction: Egg-laying

Fossil Evidence: Substantial

First Described: 1924, Henry Fairfield Osborn