A velociraptor was a big predator, hunting on its own. It would use the Raptor Prey Restraint Technique to pounce on its prey. He would pin it to the floor and attempt to tear the prey’s major arteries. A deinonychus, on the other hand, was a solitary hunter who was not as specialized and opportunistic.
It may have shared prey or even attacked the same animal. It would also use pinning techniques to pounce on its prey with the help of its grasping feet.
They were both feathered animals. According to the scientists’ findings, they’ve evolved into birds.
This article is all about differentiating the Velociraptor and Deinonychus apart, so stick around and keep reading. Let’s dive into it.
Facts About Velociraptor
The word “Velociraptor” means “swift thief.” It was a fast-running dinosaur that had sharp claws on its feet and could run up to 40 miles per hour. Despite its short stature, Velociraptor was incredibly intelligent for its time, possessing a large brain.
The first known Velociraptor fossil was discovered in Mongolia in 1923. The fossil was associated with a raptorial second toe claw.
The museum’s president, Henry Fairfield Osborn, named the fossil Ovoraptor djadochtari, but it was not published in a scientific journal and was not accompanied by a formal description. Therefore, the name Velociraptor still holds priority over Osborn’s discovery.
Characteristics
The Velociraptor was probably a scavenger, but it is possible that it was a predator as well. It preferred to feed on the remains of other animals, primarily those killed by other dinosaurs.
This predator also hunted large animals. Despite its small size, it was a highly aggressive predator, often encircling and killing its prey as a group.
Things You Might Want to Know About Deinonychus
If you’re not familiar with these creatures, they are closely related to Velociraptor and Oviraptor, a pair of famous dinosaurs. Like their larger cousins, they were aggressive predators.
Despite all the similarities, Deinonychus and Velociraptor wouldn’t coexist without fighting each other. They would attack smaller as well as larger creatures that were close to their nesting sites.
Characteristics
Deinonychus fossils have been found in Wyoming, Utah, and Montana. Its skull measured 410 mm (16.1 inches), and its hips were 0.87 meters tall. Its weight ranged from about seventy kilograms (161 pounds) to as much as one hundred kilograms (220 pounds).
Deinonychus has several names. Some of them are Velociraptor, Deinonychus, and Velociraptor antirrhopus. Some of these names have changed, but these dinosaurs are still commonly known as Deinonychus.
Check out my other article to learn about the differences between Diplodocus and Brachiosaurus.
Velociraptors vs. Deinonychus
| Characteristics | Velociraptors | Deinonychus |
| Size | Velociraptors are estimated to be roughly 5-6.8 feet tall | While Deinonychus are around 4-5 feet tall |
| Diet | Both species of dinosaurs primarily eat small mammals and reptiles, but Velociraptors may also feed on birds as well | Deinonychus snacked on the same food as Velociraptor |
| Genus | The genus of Velociraptor is dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur | Deinonychus also belongs to the same genus. |
| Climate they lived in | Velociraptors tend to live in a desert-like climate | While Deinonychus loved in swamplike, or tropical forest |
Preying Style
Velociraptors are more likely to ambush predators as they are smaller and faster than Deinonychus, but both dinosaurs share the same hunting style of leaping onto their prey with claws outstretched to catch them quickly and efficiently.
Both species also have a long evolutionary history of hunting together in packs for larger prey such as larger mammals or even other dinosaurs. Although velociraptors may hunt in packs, it is unknown if Deinonychus do so as well since their fossils have been found alone quite often.
How Big Was a Velociraptor?
The Velociraptor was a mid-sized theropod that lived about 65 million years ago. The creature was smaller than other theropods, and its feathered coat made it look more like an aggressive turkey than a dinosaur.
It was about two meters long, about half a meter high, and weighed approximately fifteen kilograms.
Its body was very similar to that of a turkey, with hollow bones and feathers. Its body was large, but its legs were small, and it could not fly.
Its skeleton was large enough to reach its prey. It had claws on its hind feet that were about three inches long. It used these claws to stab its prey in the stomach. It then retreated to a safe distance and let the prey bleed to death. Its diet consisted primarily of pterosaurs.
What Were the Different Types of Dinosaurs?
There were many different types of dinosaurs besides velociraptors and deinonychus, and they all had distinct physical features. Some had a complex and intricate structure, while others were smaller and less complex.
Some of these dinosaurs were carnivores, while others were herbivores. In addition, some types of dinosaurs had multiple bodies, including a pygmy-like crocodile called an ornithopod.
Let’s discuss a few of those in detail here:
Ornithopods
Ornithopods, also known as duck-billed dinosaurs, were bipedal and had heavy tails and long jaws. They also had huge thumb spikes for stabbing their attackers.
Triceratops
Other types of dinosaurs included triceratops and pachycephalosauria, which lived in the Late Cretaceous.
Theropods
Theropods were the largest terrestrial carnivores and are most commonly associated with the dinosaurs of prehistoric times.
Although theropods are now extinct, they have descendants today, including birds. Most theropods had sharp recurred teeth and claws on their fingers and toes.
Conclusion
- The difference between the Velociraptor and the Deinonychus is largely a matter of size.
- Although both were known to have long legs and were capable of running, the latter had stress-relieving features that allowed them to walk more quickly.
- Richard Kool studied dinosaur footprints in Canada and estimated their walking speed. The Irenichnites gracilis specimen may be a Deinonychus.
- A Deinonychus had a long body and a short torso, but its tail was extremely long and stiff. It also had long bones in its wing. It also had feathers that looked very similar to birds.