Mike Hoffmann Questions on Utahraptor

[Thom Holmes <70621.2234@compuserve.com>]

I saw your questions about Utahraptor. We featured this beast as our January 
Dinosaur of the Month in Dino Times and Jim Kirkland helped with the 
particulars. Here are the stats we published:


Name:Utahraptor ostrommaysi
Name Means: "Utah thief," after its locality. "ostrommaysorum" in honor of Dr.
John Ostrom and Chris Mays.
How to Say it: YOO-tah-RAP-tor
Time: Early Cretaceous (125 million years ago)
Localities: Utah (United States)

Head Height: 8 to 9 feet (2.5 to 3 meters) estimated
Hip Height: 5.5 feet (1.8 meters) estimated
Length: 20 feet (6 meters) estimated
Weight: 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) estimated

Eating Habits: Carnivore (meat eater)
Favorite Foods: Large, plant-eating dinosaurs.

Weapons: Retractable 12-inch claw (measured on the curve) on the second toe of
each foot was used to slash victims, perhaps while rising up on one foot or 
jumping at the prey. Large 10-inch hand claws were also used to tear the 
victim. While hunting in packs, could possibly have killed sauropod dinosaurs 
up to 60 feet long.

Dinosaur Neighbors: Several other types of dinosaurs, yet unnamed, have been 
found in the same vicinity as Utahraptor, including camarasaur-like sauropods,
sail-backed iguanodonts, and polacanthid-like armored dinosaurs.

--Thom Holmes,Publications Editor
The Dinosaur Society