Dinosaur
Velociraptor
Small, feathered and unmistakably a raptor
The real Velociraptor was a lightly built feathered dinosaur with a long tail and a curved claw on each foot.
Three stages. One companion.
Game artwork
AI-generated, stylized game illustrations. These designs and growth stages are imaginative, not scientific reconstructions.
Velociraptor at a glance
- Diet
- Meat eater
- Interpreted as a consumer of other animals. Hunting and scavenging are compatible ways to obtain food.
- When it lived
- Late Cretaceous
- Geological period represented by its fossil record. Dates and assignments can be refined through further study.
- Group
- Dromaeosauridae
- Dromaeosaurids
- Fossil locations
- Mongolia, China
- Places where fossils have been found
Beyond the game
The real Velociraptor
Velociraptor was much smaller than its famous movie counterparts: approximately two meters long and under twenty kilograms. Much of that length was its tail. Length from nose to tail is very different from the height or body volume of a similarly long human.
It had feathers, clawed hands and a large sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of each foot. These features place it among the dromaeosaurids, one branch of theropod dinosaurs. Its fossils come from Asia, including Mongolia and China.
Comparisons with related dinosaurs help researchers interpret the body as a whole. The combination of a small size, feathers and specialized feet makes the actual animal interesting without enlarging it into a fictional giant.
A family of theropods with a specialized curved claw on the second toe. Feather evidence is known in the group.
Get to know Velociraptor
Questions, answered.
Was Velociraptor really human-sized?
Its body was much smaller than the movie predator: roughly turkey-sized, with a long tail adding to its total length. Small size did not make it harmless; it still carried sharp teeth and an enlarged claw on each foot. [1]
Did Velociraptor have feathers and fly?
Attachment bumps on an arm bone provide direct evidence for substantial arm feathers. Velociraptor was nevertheless flightless. Feathers could have helped with insulation or display without functioning as wings for flight. [1]
Did Velociraptor hunt in packs?
Coordinated pack hunting has not been demonstrated for Velociraptor. Fossils can show animals in the same place or even in combat, but that is not enough to establish the organised hunting behaviour familiar from films. [1]
Research sources · reviewed
Fossil discoveries
Selected fossil records · present-day map
Map references
Map: Natural Earth, public domain. Fossil records: linked collections and publications.A note on the science
Feathers are part of the scientific reconstruction. The game illustrations are stylized artwork, not a guide to exact appearance.
Sources & text credits
Explore the references behind this profile.
- Velociraptor
Wikipedia contributors · Spanish source
Adapted and translated from Velociraptor by Wikipedia contributors. See the linked revision for the source text and contributor history.
- Velociraptor
Wikipedia contributors · English source
Adapted and translated from Velociraptor by Wikipedia contributors. See the linked revision for the source text and contributor history.
- Dromaeosauridae
Wikipedia contributors · English source
Group information adapted from Wikipedia contributors.
Educational text adapted in English from the existing Wikipedia-backed Dinosgacha catalogue and the linked Wikipedia articles by Wikipedia contributors.
Translated, shortened and edited for this encyclopedia; uncertain interpretations are identified. Selected museum and research references supplement verification.
The adapted educational text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0. This text license does not apply to the game illustrations.