Dinosaur: Velociraptor

Velociraptor 01
Velociraptor Illustration by Gabriel Ugueto

Introduction:

Velociraptor. The infamous dinosaur that terrorizes the human characters in any dinosaur films and wildly popularized by the film series, Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. The dinosaur was excellently utilized by the director, Steven Spielberg in the first 2 films and has been in every single Jurassic media as a ruthless, human-sized carnivore, hunting down with its high-speed running and tearing through anything with its sharp sickle claw and razor sharp teeth. Does it need any more of an introduction for this dinosaur? I think its popularity speaks volumes if I do say so myself but I cannot help but make a little introduction for this little dinosaur with a big presence.

The Velociraptor, meaning ‘Swift Thief‘, is a dromaeosauridae dinosaur which includes the ‘raptor‘ species of dinosaurs. Velociraptor is probably one of the most well-studied, understood and researched dinosaur in the world and why not, the fossil finds are excellent and full skeletons were found as well. It lived around 75 to 71 million years ago and sorry to say but it did not live with Tyrannosaurus or even in the same place as the two Velociraptor species, mongoliensis and osmolskae, were found in Mongolia and China of the Asia continent, not the USA.

The ‘Velociraptor’ you might be thinking about which was found in USA are a whole different species and there are more dromaeosauridae in USA which I will explore more in later dedicated posts. Now that you know slightly more about this dinosaur, let’s dig deeper into the sands of time to learn more about this fellow.

Discovery:

Most would think Velociraptor was found in USA due to the scene in Jurassic Park where a skeleton of a supposed ‘Velociraptor‘ is dug up in Montana but that is completely wrong. To make it clear, the skeleton was of a Deinonychus antirrhopus and the novel writer for Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton, liked the name ‘Velociraptor‘ more because it sounded a lot cooler and coincidentally creating a new, fictional Velociraptor named Velociraptor antirrhopus.

I do believe this should make it clear that the real Velociraptor and the film Velociraptor are not the same. It is quite hard to distinguish this difference in the minds of people as most of the time, the film version is showcased most of the time in many entertainment media but I hope to make this clear among the audiences.

Velociraptor 02 Infographic
Jurassic Series Velociraptor Vs. Real Velociraptor and Deinonychus by Grecovia
Flaming Cliffs
Flaming Cliffs

Velociraptor was first discovered in the Flaming Cliffs of the Djadochta Formation of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia on 11 August 1923 by Peter Kaisen in an expedition led by the American Museum of Natural History. The fossil was a crushed yet complete skull and one sickle claw. The first find was incredible with the discovery of a complete skull is very rare but makes the work for paleontologists much easier.

After that, American paleontologists were not able to enter communist Mongolia during the Cold War but expeditions by Soviet and Polish paleontologists found one of the most important, complete and extraordinary fossil which was a full skeleton of a Velociraptor fighting against a Protoceratops. Finding 2 amazingly preserved skeletons of dinosaurs dating back so many millions of years while also showcasing a daily life action among the dinosaurs is beyond extraordinary. These are the kinds of fossils paleontologists dream about. This fossil is a national treasure of Mongolia was given as a loan to AMNH for temporary exhibition and research.

Velociraptor 03 Fighting Dinosaurs
Fighting Dinosaur Fossil

Since then, many collaborative expeditions found more finds of Velociraptor as well as discovering more new species of ‘raptors’ in Mongolia and Northern China. They had also found what was thought to be a regular Velociraptor but turned out to be a new species called Shri devi in 2021.

Biology:

Velociraptor 04 Size Comparison
Velociraptor Size Comparison

The biology of Velociraptor is very different than the entertainment media showcasing it. It is not quite big either, more of a Shiba Inu size but a lot longer though. The adult Velociraptor measure up to 1.5 – 2.07 m (4.9 – 6.8 ft) long, approximately 0.5 m (1.6 ft) high at the hips, and weighing about 14.1–19.7 kg (31 – 43 lb). The snout is slim and narrow with sharp teeth for grabbing any unfortunate grubs or lizards.

The hand bones showed evidences of quill knobs even though not many fossils showed feather impressions but similar ‘raptor’ dinosaurs shows feather impression so it makes logical sense for Velociraptors to have feathers. Then they got the thin legs with the sickle claws for hunting a big prey like a Protoceratops even though it may not look big but it was to Velociraptors. And finally, a long stiff tail that could help in stabilizing the body movements with a fan of feathers at the end.

One more thing, the hands of the Velociraptors and all other two-legged dinosaurs, they are always in a clapping position and not in any other positions because that would break their wrists. This is how science works, theories once thought truth turned out to be dated with the help of more research.

Velociraptor 05 Prehistoric Planet
Velociraptor Pack

Velociraptors would live in a desert environment and this is where the feathers would come in handy as during the hot days, it would reflect the heat and keep them cool while at chilly nights, the feathers would keep them warm by not letting the heat escape from the body. They would also scavenge as well as hunt when needed. They were the most opportunistic, small-sized hunter in the Cretaceous Gobi Desert.

Velociraptor also has a subfamily named ‘Velociraptorinae‘ which includes the genus like the list.

  • Adasaurus
  • Linheraptor
  • Tsaagan
  • Deinonychus
  • Balaur
  • Shri
  • Kuru
  • Velociraptor

FAQ:

Is a Velociraptor a smart dinosaur?

Well, there is no proven way to measure a dinosaur’s intelligence but Velociraptor could have been smart. Considering how smart Crows and Ravens are, there is no doubt but unfortunately, we cannot learn much from only their bones. We cannot learn any of their behavior or interactions with other members of their own species or how they problem solve any problems and that is a tragedy that we cannot learn more definitively but reasonable speculation can be made. Just do not expect them to open doors like in the movies and also, I think they could make super nice pets considering their size, just make sure to feed them well.

Could a human survive Velociraptor?

Hmm…I am not quite sure what this question is about but I am probably guessing this is to deal with a Velociraptor attack and I would say, they probably have a good chance of surviving but will be gravely injured though, if it is a straight up, no question, attack and if it is a pack attack, then you would have to be super lucky to survive. This is all under the pretense of it being a real-Velociraptor attack, not the movie Velociraptors. But if it is the movie version, you are good as dead if you do not have plot armor with you. There is a reason why carnivores are dangerous because they are built for killing and hunting and for us, we are in the middle ground of being prey and being a hunter. If we have weapons, sure we can survive but it maybe hard if it is just one on one with only simple weapons but without weapons, then absolutely no way for humans to survive a carnivore attack.

How big were Velociraptors in real life?

You already know by now but a Velociraptor would have been, say it with me now, a size of a turkey. Yes, it may have been a size of a turkey but it was a far lengthier and built for an active movement, the head itself would have been larger than a turkey already and do not forget the sickle claws on its foot. It may have been the size of a turkey, but it would have been menace like an emu or cassowary. If only you could train them and keep them at peace, then probably could have been super calm, after all, animals in captivity are far calmer than the ones in the wild. I would love to have a Velociraptor as a pet but I would need a backyard for it to run around and probably make an obstacle course for it to have some fun.

Why did velociraptors go extinct?

Good question, because if you think about Velociraptor is a prime candidate for surviving the KPG Extinction Event or maybe even some other Dromaeosaurs did survive for a while after the event but animals do go extinct for many reasons. It could have been due to the environment or food supply or even ecosystem imbalance because Velociraptors went extinct way earlier than the Asteroid impact. So, the asteroid impact cannot be the reason for its’ extinction. It could have also been rising competition from newer and better evolved dinosaurs which have yet to be discovered. Fossil record is super spotty and there are gaps like a sourdough bread which is why we never have a clear picture and why there are so many discoveries happening today.

Why did Jurassic Park make velociraptors so big?

It is a very good question and the answer to it is super simple, to have a cool dinosaur on screen. The name itself, Velociraptor, sounds so cool and the name rolls off the tongue so easily. Try saying ‘Deinonychus’ as fast as ‘Velociraptor’! You can say the name faster and it has the meaning that matches, quick thief. Even then, Deinonychus is not as big as the Jurassic Park Velociraptor, and Utahraptor was only discovered during the filming of Jurassic Park. Utahraptor is also bigger than the Jurassic Park which does not match either with the movie counterpart. But having a dinosaur the same size of human is actually quite menacing, think of dinosaur that can literally be anywhere where a human can fit and hunt you down. Also, a plot reason could be that they genetically engineered to be menacing as possible for the park. Overall, they just wanted to make a cool and iconic dinosaur with a cool name and they did and this is where we are at!

Merchandise:

Now, there are a lot of merchandise for Velociraptor but the problem is that most of them suffer from the same trope of using the film version of Velociraptor and not the real Velociraptor which is why I would like to let you know that even though some of the merch are not the real Velociraptor, they are still a fictional Velociraptor and it just goes to show your love of Velociraptor to others and that is what is most important.

This is why I am sharing an indie action figure creator, David Silva’s Beast of Mesozoic Raptor Series. He has the best looking dinosaur action figures you can ever imagine. Not only are the figures articulated and have wonderful coloration but they are designed in a scientifically accurate way and that is why I would be grateful if you can help out in his venture and show that there are a lot of people who loves his works.

Beasts of the Mesozoic Raptor Series
Beasts of the Mesozoic Raptor Series

But if you do not want these and still want some other Velociraptor merch, I have got your back and check out some of the links below:

LEGO Jurassic Park 76957 Velociraptor Escape
LEGO Jurassic Park 76957 Velociraptor Escape
LEGO Jurassic World 76946 Blue and Beta Velociraptor Capture
LEGO Jurassic World 76946 Blue and Beta Velociraptor Capture
Jurassic World Dominion Velociraptor Blue Dinosaur Mask
Jurassic World: Dominion Velociraptor ‘Blue’ Dinosaur Mask
Mattel 2022 Jurassic World: Dominion Ferocious Pack Velociraptor 'Blue'
Jurassic World: Dominion Ferocious Pack Velociraptor ‘Blue’
Mattel 2021 Jurassic World Dino Escape Fierce Force Velociraptor
Jurassic World Dino Escape Fierce Force Velociraptor
Mattel 2022 Jurassic World: Dominion Capture N' Crush Truck Set
Jurassic World: Dominion Capture N’ Crush Truck Set
Mattel 2024 Jurassic World Epic Evolution Hammond Collection Velociraptor 'Delta'
Jurassic World Epic Evolution Hammond Collection Jurassic World Velociraptor ‘Delta’
Mattel 2024 Jurassic World Epic Evolution Hammond Collection Velociraptor 'Blue'
Jurassic World Epic Evolution Hammond Collection Jurassic World Velociraptor ‘Blue’
Mattel 2023 Jurassic World Dino Trackers Hammond Collection Dr. Alan Grant & Velociraptor Pack
Jurassic World Dino Trackers Hammond Collection Jurassic Park III Dr. Alan Grant & Velociraptor Pack
Mattel 2023 Jurassic World Dino Trackers Hammond Collection Velociraptor
Jurassic World Dino Trackers Hammond Collection Jurassic Park III Velociraptor
The Noble Collection Jurassic Park Velociraptor
The Noble Collection Jurassic Park Velociraptor
Safari LTD. Velociraptor
Safari LTD. Velociraptor
Papo Feathered Velociraptor
Papo Feathered Velociraptor

Media

There are a lot of Velociraptors in media and I mean a lot. The appearances of Velociraptor ranges from Comic Books to Mangas, Animes, Cartoons, Films and Documentaries and so much more. I could possibly not find all the media appearances of Velociraptor and I will list only the worthwhile media for you to indulge in but if there is a certain appearance that I have missed and should be on the list do let me know in the comments below.

But to start off with the latest and best representation would be Prehistoric Planet documentary series on Apple TV+. There is absolutely no reason why you should not watch this. It is an excellent documentary with the finest representation of the showcased species and best of all, no cutaways to paleontologists talking about dinosaurs, unlike most documentaries trying to save some of the budget.

Velociraptor 06 Prehistoric Planet
Prehistoric Planet Velociraptor

Then for films, of course we have the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World series where the ‘Velociraptors’ are an integral part of the dinosaur roster. There has not been a single full-feature length film without one Velociraptor. I personally like the portrayal of Jurassic Park III Velociraptors because they had nice coloration even for different genders, also sported quills and they were not mindless monsters because in the film, they were only protecting their territory and their eggs. Jurassic World raptors are okay and the only surviving member of the raptor pack, Blue and Beta, are okay but they act like superhero characters in place of actual animals.

Velociraptor 07 Jurassic Park III
Jurassic Park III Velociraptor
Velociraptor 08 Jurassic World
Jurassic World Velociraptor Squad

The Velociraptors did appear in a lot of Jurassic Park comic books but unfortunately, the books might not be available in regular markets but this is where Japan comes in with their latest manga series, called Dinosaur Sanctuary. Dinosaur Sanctuary is a story that takes place in a world where dinosaurs are created in a similar way as Jurassic Park but now there are dinosaur zoos all over the world and it has become a common thing and story goes over a rookie dinosaur handler getting hired at a struggling dinosaur zoo in Enoshima, Japan and she does her best to bring the zoo back on their feet. I cannot emphasize how important and how awesome this manga is.

This is THE MANGA for all dinosaur fans, its got calm moments, mysterious moments and thrilling moments and it does not showcase dinosaurs as some bloody monsters and shows them like actual living animals, with stress, happiness, boredom, love, hunger and terrified. I beg everyone to read this manga at least once. I have listed down the links to get all the manga volumes that are currently out. I hope you have fun.

Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 01
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 01
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 02
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 02
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 03
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 03
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 04
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 04
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 05
Dinosaur Sanctuary Vol. 05

Fooo!!! I have written a lot for this little dinosaur and it goes to show how popular it is. When I first realized what a real Velociraptor would be like, I did not take it too kindly like most people and I used to argue how science ruined monster dinosaurs but slowly, my belief changed and it is because of science this dinosaur is in our collective mind.

I slowly realized how important this little Velociraptor would have been in the ecosystem and if you look at it positively, you can have it as a pet. It is not too big and it looks so cute from certain angles. Just gotta make sure we treat the guys right and de-claw them for safety. Well, I hope you learned a lot from this and I hope you come back for more dinosaur blogs!!!

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