Velociraptors: Fact vs. Fiction

by Max Moreno, age 10

The velociraptor was known as an apex predator that lived during the late Cretaceous Period. It was one of the more intelligent dinosaurs.

Raptors hunted in packs and could run 25 miles per hour. They also had other advantages when hunting. For example, their sharp claws helped them pierce the ribs of thier prey and then kill them.

A statue replica of a velociraptor made for the movie Jurassic Park went on display in the American Museum in New York city in may 1997. However, the movie Jurassic Park was not completely accurate on the raptor. It depicted raptors as adult human sized creatures with a wider skull and a flexible tail. It also showed that velociraptors can run up to 40-60 mph. In the movie Jurassic Park, raptors were even able to open doors. In reality however, raptors would be too small to be able to reach a door handle and they were actually only a bit smarter than dogs.

Without the movie Jurassic Park the world might not even have an idea on what a velociraptor might of looked like, but it is important to recognize that the reality of the velociraptor was different than its illustration in film.

[Source: A Guide To Dinosaurs Book]