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Wikipedia has a more detailed and comprehensive article on Velociraptor |
The Velociraptors were a group of Dromaeosaurids that lived in what is now the Gobi Desert. The Velociraptors were about seven-feet tall and five-feet long (contrary to their 2 foot tall, 6 foot long real life counterparts) and, according to Dr. Hodge, apparently all were male. Unlike their real-life counterparts, they had larger hands and were a lot faster.
Carnosaur 2[]
They first appeared in Carnosaur 2, replacing their close cousin Deinonychus since all of the Deinonychus eggs were destroyed in an explosion. Several eggs were found in the desert, and were transferred to the Yucca Mountain Mining Facility, keeping them a secret to most of the staff. The eggs were originally kept frozen, but due to a radiation leak, the raptors hatched and caused havoc in the lower floors by tearing through the wires. When Waller heads down to check on the problem, he's attacked by a raptor. Later, a Velociraptor heads up to the surface and goes near the facility's diner, causing a ruckus outside. Zeb heads outside thinking it was a coyote, but then hears a strange sound. When he does, he turns around to see the dinosaur and is frozen dead in his tracks before being dragged off-screen. Soon, Zeb is thrown through a window. Several seconds later, Jesse's uncle notices the dinosaur and, scared out of his wits, opens the front door. Then, the Dromaeosaurid leaps inside and slashes him across the chest, killing the man instantly. It then attacks the other workers and a waitresses. In a matter of minutes, multiple Velociraptors invade the entire facility, killing all of the workers and staff inside. Later, McQuade asks for help from Kahane's troops and head into the facility. After an maintenance crew stumble upon a blood-soaked dinning room and finding the facility's security system trashed, plus the discovery of a giant tooth, they become suspicious on what's really going on. Soon, they hear a terrifying roar. Kahane is attacked by one of the raptors and is killed. Later, Moses and Galloway are both killed by Velociraptors. In order to stop the raptors from getting to the surface, the crew plants dynamite all around the facility in order keep the monsters from coming to the computer room. When the raptors tinker with everything in the facility, they cause a meltdown and everyone had to evacuate. When they head to the elevator, a Raptor attacks Rawlins and lifts her up outside the elevator, and then rips her arm off before finally killing her by ripping most of the woman's stomach from her body. In the end, several Raptors chase the crew up to the surface and Monk is injured by a small explosion. Helpless to move, McQuade tries to save Monk but is too late as the raptors closely pursed them. In the end McQuade and Monk sacrifice themselves with dynamite, taking out most of the raptors with them.
Carnosaur 3[]
In Carnosaur 3 the last of the carnosaurs, a T. rex and two raptors, are being transported on the back of a massive truck. When a group of terrorists hijack the convoy, believing that each truck was carrying vast amounts of uranium, they accidentally release the raptors, which quickly kill them off. After a special-ops team come in to investigate, they soon discover that every new generation of carnosaur becomes more deadlier than the last, which means the raptors are now very intelligent. They also discover that these raptors are practically indestructible. For example, when Polcheck killed one of the raptors, he and his team took it back to their makeshift lab only for it awaken from near-death before attacking them. Eventually, the entire team realizes that the remaining raptors and T. rex are hiding below a cargo ship. Two of the raptors attack, killing Proudfoot before being shot to death. During these events, one of the terrorists is in the back of a police car where he awakens to find a raptor next to him, which devours the man.
Raptor[]
Velociraptor stock footage was recycled from Carnosaur 2 and 3.
Intelligence[]
Through the Carnosaur franchise the raptors have a high level of intelligence, which is what makes them extremely deadly, combined with their speed. Intelligence among the raptors had played a major role in Carnosaur 3: Primal Species, as their range of intellect had been proven when the raptors were highly aware the special-ops plan to capture them. The Velociraptor's intelligence was a result of mixing Human DNA with their genetic code, resulting in the equivalence of them having a wide range feats such as setting traps, strategies, and solving obstacles more advanced compared to humans. Other feats that they're capable of is silent hunting, immense strength, and opening/closing doors.
Hunting[]
Scientist have suggested that many dromaeosaur dinosaurs were well developed pack-hunters, often ranging in large numbers, but evidently ranging in a pair of 2 or 3 (maybe even an occasional four). The most well known evidence of this is of the fossilized evidence of a group of Deinonychus eating an adult Tenontosaurus. This evidence was soon showing out the fields of dromaeosaurs and other theropod dinosaurs hunting in groups to sustain their prey (despite sociability or family relation). In the film Jurassic Park, the main character Dr. Alan Grant theorized that if you were to stand still in front of a Raptor, the Raptor would just look back, as if in a standoff. This adaption of the character's theory was shown in Corman's Raptors, as they will just stare at their prey for an exceptional second or even a minute before attacking. The Raptors typically charge straight forward towards their prey and generally will pin them down to ground and slash and bite them (rather use their retractable claw on their middle toe), they sometimes will eventually jump on their prey or will hold them and either go their sides or the head. The average distant an adult Raptor could run is about 80 mph at full sprint and could outrun most dinosaurs. In the real world, they could run at no more than 45-50 mph.
Despite this the raptors are sometimes depicted as isolated hunters and if in a group rarely attack the same target, proving that there is probably some anti-social behavior between the species (although is no signs of conflict). When in a family (with the exception of some species), Raptors are highly cooperative and aggressive when it comes to protecting their brood or matriarch. As shown in Canosaur 3, the raptors attempt to play with human emotions. This was shown when one of the raptors captured Proudfoot in order to stall the main characters and allow an opportunity for it's partner to attack. Another reference of an advanced attack method appears in Primal Species, when a lone male raptor pressured in trailing the humans without them knowing, stood in silence and hid behind a door waiting for Col. Higgens' men to go into the other room before trapping them in order to attack Higgens.
Vocalizations[]
Corman's raptors were given a widespread of vocal roars and especially screeches in their debut appearance and Primal Species. The movie creators picked a wide array of animal calls to represent what these dinosaurs would've sounded like. Probably one of the most recognizable sounds was the clicking sound of these raptors, which used sounds from chorus frogs (which was presumably suppose to resemble the sounds of their Jurassic Park counterparts). This sound effect was mostly used when notifying their appearance or while hunting. Badger hisses and growls were also used for the raptors. The high-pitched screech of a dolphin was used when the dinosaurs started their attack, and a goose's rasp was used to for one of its attack sounds. In Primal Species, the vocalization for the raptors changed slightly. Instead of having their croak-like sound to notify their appearance, the raptors were given tiger and jaguar growls which portrayed them as being more terrifying in this film. When seriously injured, they let out a number of screeches and a bugle-like sound which was used from the sound of an Elk or possibly the sounds of the Jurassic Park raptors.
Legacy[]
Although they aren't as famous as Spielberg's Velociraptors, the Carnosaur raptors have been introduced to media in many shows and references (though not seen personally).
- In many cartoons or movies, a high pitched croaking sound of the Velociraptor (recorded sounds of chorus frogs) can be heard in the background.
- In a second issue of the Jurassic Park comic series simply labled Raptor, a group of raptors kill the pilot of a plane. This sequence maybe reference to the scene where a raptor stowaways in a helicopter and kills the pilot.
- The fluttering call of the Velociraptors is used in other movies such as Bartok the Magnificent where the sounds were used for the roar of Ludmilla in her dragon form, and T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous used it for the cries of a baby Tyrannosaurus.
- In the flim adaption of Land of the Lost, a group of Velociraptors in the movie surprisingly resembles the raptors in Carnosaur.
- In the Discovery Channel documentary When Dinosaurs Roamed America, one of the Velociraptor's sounds are used for an Allosaurus.
Trivia[]
- Velociraptor is the only dinosaur in the film series to not appear in John Brosnan's novel Carnosaur.
- Despite their appearance of a typical carnosaurian dinosaur, Velociraptor is actually a type of coelurosaur classified in the Maniraptorian group. However, when it was first discovered, it was described with the name Megalosaurus (a most common name that was used for naming many theropod dinosaurs) which is accurately a carnosaur.
- Despite their size and ferocity, an average Velociraptor was actually smaller measuring around 2.07 meters (6.8 feet) while standing about 0.6 meters (1.6 feet) at the hip. Also, they weren't ravenous monsters as depicted in Carnosaur 2. In reality, fossil records have shown Velociraptor to have feathers. Their height ratio is inaccurately based off of the Utahraptor in reference to Jurassic Park
- After the success of their blockbuster counterpart, the genus gained worldwide popularity among cinematic culture. This is possibly the reason why the Deinonychus had never reappeared in the other two sequels and for the Velociraptor to take it's place. Another explanation is that because Corman Studios used their Deinonychus suit in creating the Velociraptor suit, they didn't have enough in their budget to make another costume.
- In the Carnosaur franchise, the second toe which sports the famous claw on a Velociraptor is inverted in a different position when in reality they both face towards each other.
- The Velociraptors have much larger foreclaws (hands) than real-life raptors.
- In order to make their Velociraptor suit, Corman's studio recycled the molds for the Deinonychus suit used in the first film, altering its head make them more streamlined and distinctly "raptor-like".
- In the Carnosaur films, the Velociraptor is portrayed in an outdated assumption of how dinosaurs carried their tails, dragging them on the ground in a tripod posture. However, Velociraptor likely carried its tail rigidly with its back horizontal, to aid it in balance.
Gallery[]
