Velociraptor Facts for Kids – 5 Valuable Facts about Velociraptor

What is the last dinosaur lived on Earth? Paleontologists still studying but what we know that the Velociraptor was one of the last dinosaurs who lived on Earth. Let’s discover five valuable facts about Velociraptor.

Velociraptor Facts for Kids Fact number 1: Velociraptor Was Discovered by Peter Kaisen

In 1932, Peter Kraisen discovered the first ever velociraptor fossil during an American Museum of Natural History expedition. The Velociraptor was originally named by the then president of the American Museum of Natural History, Henry Fairfield Osborn.

Osborn combined two Latin words, ‘velox’ meaning “swift” and ‘raptor’, meaning “robber or plunderer”. Velociraptors were one of the very last dinosaur species to live on Earth.

They lived at the end of the Cretaceous period, which was roughly 85 to 70 million years ago. Velociraptor is pronounced as “veh-loss-ih-RAP-tor”. Sometimes a velociraptor dinosaur is known simply as a “Raptor”.

Velociraptor Facts for Kids Fact number 2: The Velociraptor Was about The Size of a Large Turkey

The Velociraptor grew up to 2 metres in length and was roughly half a metre in height. It is thought that the Velociraptor may have possessed feathers. 

A specimen found recently in Monongalia appeared to have quill knobs. These are points on a body in which feathers are attached. However, although a Velociraptor had feathers, it could not fly as the length of its arms were too short. Although they were small, they were very fast and agile.

Velociraptor Facts for Kids Fact number 3: Velociraptors Lived in Hot, Desert-like Regions

The Velociraptors preferred a desert-like climate to live and hunt. Fossil remains have been found in Mongolia, China, and Russia.

The first velociraptor fossil was found in the Outer Mongolian Gobi Desert. The Velociraptor belongs to the Dromaeosauridae family. This group includes a number of other small, birdlike dinosaur species.

Velociraptor Facts for Kids Fact number 4: Velociraptor Was a Carnivore

It was likely that the Velociraptor would  have used a combination of hunting and scavenging to hunt for food. The Velociraptor ate a variety of small reptiles, insects and mammals.

The Velociraptor would have been fast and could attack its prey quickly. The Velociraptor also had around a set of 50 razor sharp teeth for eating meat and four claws on each foot which allowed the Velociraptor to hunt.

There is fossil evidence that Velociraptor attacked the much larger herbivore, Protoceratops. The most famous Velociraptor fossil is called the “Fighting Dinosaurs” fossil because it’s the fossilised remains of a Velociraptor and Protoceratops engaged in battle.

Velociraptor Facts for Kids Fact Number 5: The Velociraptor Was Intelligent

Compared to other dinosaurs, Velociraptor had a large brain for its size. It is thought, due to the size of its brain, that the Velociraptor had a superior intelligence, and they may have been able to come up with ways to hunt for prey. The Velociraptor also hunted in packs, allowing them to take down larger prey.

We hope you enjoyed learning more things about Velociraptor as much as we loved teaching you about them. Now that you know how majestic this dinosaur is, you can move on to learn about other dinosaurs, animals and birds like: Albertosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops, Compsognathus, Spinosaurus, Archaeopteryx, Herbivorous Dinosaurs, Fossils facts, Swimming Dinosaurs, Carnivorous Dinosaurs, Flying Dinosaurs, Extinct Animal, Dinosaurs, Jurassic Park, Dinosaurs Facts, Fossils, Mammoth, Octopuses, Seals, Weasels, Dolphins, Kangaroos, Reindeer, Leopards and Jaguars, Rabbits, Turtles, Nocturnal Animals and Flamingos. 

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