Hi there, future paleontologist! Let me tell you about the velociraptor—one of the coolest dinosaurs ever. Here are 5 amazing facts about them that will blow your mind:
- Velociraptors had feathers!
That’s right—just like birds you see today. Even though they might look scaly in movies, real velociraptors were covered in feathers. They didn’t fly, but they might’ve looked a little like a very scary, turkey-sized bird. - They were the size of a big turkey.
Velociraptors weren’t as huge as the ones you see in movies like Jurassic Park. They were about 3 feet tall, 6 feet long (with their tail), and weighed about 30 pounds—about the same as a big dog! - They had a killer claw!
Velociraptors had a curved claw on each foot that was as sharp as a steak knife. They used it to hunt and grab their prey, kind of like a super sharp hook. - They were super smart for a dinosaur.
Velociraptors had a bigger brain compared to some other dinos, which means they might’ve been clever hunters. Scientists think they may have hunted in packs, like wolves, to catch bigger prey. - They lived in the desert!
Velociraptors didn’t roam in jungles like the movies show. They lived in dry, sandy places that are now part of Mongolia and China, about 75 million years ago.
Pretty amazing, right? Dinosaurs like velociraptors teach us a lot about how animals lived a long, long time ago. If you could meet a velociraptor, what would you want to ask it? 🦖✨
