Deinonychus

## Physiology

### Attributes

Long grasping arms; quick speed; pack hunter; intelligent; a large claw on the second toe of each foot

## Biography

### Time

125 to 100 MYA

***Deinonychus*** (name meaning "*Terrible Claw*") is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur that originated during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now North America. Measuring 4 meters long and weighing almost 70 kilos, it was one of the largest and best-known dromaeosaur dinosaurs that ever existed.

In the episode "*Brothers in Claws*", a pack of *Deinonychus* chased the herbivores throughout a region of North America of 120 million years ago. The pack, including its leader Terri, was eventually lived in normal own lifes.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Deinonychus* lived during the Early to Middle Cretaceous period, around 125 – 100 million years ago. Perhaps one of the top predators of its environment, it shared its environment with dinosaurs and other creatures like *Iguanodon* as well as *Polacanthus*, *Ornithocheirus*, *Pteranodon*, and the mighty *Utahraptor*.

The very first remains of *Deinonychus* were discovered in 1931 in southern Montana near the town of Billings. Since then, fossils have been recovered from the U.S. states of Montana, Wyoming, and Oklahoma, in rocks of the Cloverly Formation and Antlers Formation, though teeth that may belong to *Deinonychus* have been found much farther east in Maryland. *Deinonychus* has also become one of the best-known dinosaurs.

### Physical Attributes

Though not much larger than a human and while not as large compared to other dromeosaurs, such as *Utahraptor* and *Dakotaraptor*, *Deinonychus* was nevertheless relatively large for a dromeosaur, standing approximately 5 – 6 feet (1.6 – 2 m) tall, measuring 8 – 13 feet (2.5 – 4 m) long, and weighing more than 150 pounds.

Like all raptors, *Deinonychus* was a very fast, agile, quick, and swift moving predatory animals, capable of running at incredible speeds and being able to leap over 10 feet (3 m.) into the air, which it did in order to attack larger prey, such as *Iguanodon*. As a species of raptor, *Deinonychus* possessed the infamous killing claw on its foot, which it used to attack and bring down its prey.

They possess thin but strong body frame, black and off-white skin patterns, and a coat of protofeathers along its neck, spine, shoulder regions and tail (which would stand up and bristle when *Deinonychus* was agitated, showing aggression or about to attack). It was also known to produce complex avian vocalizations varying from hisses and screeches to clucking. They began life as infants about the size of small cats. Much like *Ornithomimus*, male *Deinonychus* had blue coloring on their body while the females were gray in color.

## Gallery

3x10raptors1.jpg*Deinonychus* pack4x1 RaptorInvestigatesAbby'sBag.png2x1 Raptor 4.jpg*Deinonychus* eye2x1 Raptor 120.jpg3x10 Raptor 41.jpgCOTDDeinonychus.jpg
## Trivia

* The sound effects of *Deinonychus* are that of cobra, crocodile, hawk, leopard, altered pig, and tiger sound effects.
* *Deinonychus* was the first as well as the third-largest dromaeosaur brought to the mesuem.
* *Deinonychus* is now known to have feathers