HOME | DD

Atlantis536 — Velocisaurus (MZP)

#carnivore #dinosaur #prehistoric #velocisaurus #zoo
Published: 2024-05-01 07:08:46 +0000 UTC; Views: 1642; Favourites: 17; Downloads: 0
Redirect to original
Description Scientific name: Velocisaurus unicus
Diet: fish, small animals, plants (at the Zoo they are fed fish and rabbit)
Projected natural lifespan: 5 years
Length: 1.5 meters (~5 feet)
Weight: unknown
Locality: Neuquen, Argentina (Bajo de la Carpa Formation), 85 Ma (Late Cretaceous Santonian)
Exhibit: Carnivore Country

About:
From its name alone, Velocisaurus sounds like a cheap ripoff of the more famous Velociraptor. However, apart from size, the two are completely different; the latter was a feathered, bird-like creature, while the former was a more primitive, scaly theropod.

Description and behavior:
Ironically, Velocisaurus looks more like the popular conception of Velociraptor than the real Velociraptor, being small, scaly, and having a boxy skull filled with sharp teeth. It was no taller than a person, making it not too deadly, but it was still vicious in the eyes of its prey. It was one of the swiftest and most agile dinosaurs, capable of catching up with and striking prey when it least expected. They mostly ate small animals such as reptiles and mammals, but it could also steal kills from larger predators, sneaking up on them and only fleeing when they are spotted. In the wet seasons they might also go after fish, and when there's little or no meat at all, they switch to eating plants.

At the Zoo:
The Carnivore Country exhibit houses a pack of twenty-two Velocisaurus.

---

The behavior is inspired by birds of prey.

The skeletal I used belongs to DrScottHartman . (Masiakasaurus)
Related content
Comments: 0