Utahraptor: Dinosaur Quick Facts

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Utahraptor was a large, scary mid-Cretaceous predator with 9-15 inch long middle-toe claws. It was a lightly built, fast-moving, agile, bipedal, bird-like dinosaur. It had a curved, flexible neck and a big head. Sharp, serrated teeth for tearing into the meat it ate and a very powerful jaw. Each of its three fingers on each arm had large, sharp, curved claw for catching and then holding onto prey.

The Name Utahraptor

Meaning – Utahraptor means “Robber from Utah”
Named By – James I. Kirkland, Robert Gaston, and Donald Burge
When Named – 1993

What did the Utahraptor Eat?

The Utahraptor was a carnivor meaning it ate meat.

How Big Was the Utahraptor?

Length – 16-23 feet long
Height – About 6 ft tall at the hips
Weight – Close to 1 ton

When Did the Utahraptor Live?

Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago

Where Did the Utahraptor Live?

Fossils have been found in the Cedar Mountain Formation of central Utah, USA, North America.

Where Have Fossils from the Utahraptor Been Found?

A fragmentary skeleton was found, including sharp hand and foot claws.

What Was the Classification of the Utahraptor?

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Archosauria
Order Saurischia
Suborder Theropoda
Tetanura
Infraorder Coelurosauria
Family Deinonychosauria/Dromaeosauridae
Genus Utahraptor
Species U. ostrummaysorum

Interesting Facts about Utahraptor

Utahraptor’s second toe had a 9-15 inch retractible, sickle-shaped claw; the other toes had smaller sharp claws. Utahraptor was twice as large as Deinonychus.

Resource by F.Rosseti

I am a teacher in Michigan. I grew up in Florida and have lived here in MI for close to 15 years. I enjoy writing and skiing in my spare time.

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