Deinonychus had a large talon on the second toe of each foot. Like other Raptors, Deinonychus walked on large back legs and had smaller forearms. Deinonychus was fast and could run up to 25 mph!
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Some Quick Facts About the Deinonychus
| Name | Deinonychus antirrhopus (meaning “Terrible Claw”) |
| Type of dinosaur | Dromaeosauridae Theropod dinosaur |
| Territory | Forested plains of western North America |
| Size | Small sized, 11 feet long, 3-4 feet tall |
| Color | Light brown or olive-gray |
| Interesting Characteristics | Sharp talons on the second toe of each hind foot, Sharp claws on forelimbs |
| Diet | Carnivore and scavenger |
| Major Threats | Climate change and larger dinos |
Deinonychus is a small Theropod dinosaur about the size of a pony. This raptor was the inspiration for the vicious Velociraptors in Jurassic Park. Because of the many Deinonychus discoveries, paleontologists know more about dinos than before.
Did the Deinonychus have feathers?
Deinonychus was one of the feathered dinos. Proof of feathers wasn’t discovered until the early 2000s. Because of this, early reconstructions show Deinonychus and other raptors with scaled skin instead of feathers. In 2016 the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History released a new image that showed Deinonychus in all its feathered glory!
How powerful was the Deinonychus?
Deinonychus wasn’t super strong, but he was a master hunter. Deino would ambush its prey, using its sharp talons to rip through their flesh. Once a dino or other animal was wounded, Deinonychus would wait for it to bleed out before eating.
Deinonychus also used its hind foot talons to climb trees. Deino hid in the trees and pounced on unsuspecting dinos from above. It could also climb trees to escape large predators.
Is Deinonychus Related to Velociraptor?
Deinonychus and Velociraptor were related to each other. Both these Cretaceous period raptors were Dromaeosaurids. The Deinonychus fossils looked so similar to Velociraptor that Deinonychus was originally named Velociraptor antirrhopus by paleontologist John Ostrom in 1969. Later that same year, the name was changed to Deinonychus antirrhopus.
Deinonychus was also the inspiration for Velociraptor in the Jurassic Park movies. The author of the books, Michael Crichton, was fascinated by Deinonychus. But he didn’t think Deinonychus sounded cool, so he used Velociraptor instead.
Deinonychus was also related to other Dromaeosaurs like Achillobator, Utahraptor, and Dromaeosaurus. There were over a dozen Dromaeosaurid species, each very similar to Deinonychus. Dinos from the Dromaeosaurid family lived until the end of the Late Cretaceous, when dinos went extinct.
What Dinos did Deinonychus Eat?
Deinonychus skeletons have resurfaced in several places near a dino called Tenontosaurus. Based on the injuries on the Tenontosaurus, paleontologists believe several Deinonychuses attacked it.
With Tenontosaurus being much bigger and heavier than Deinonychus, hunting and ambushing Tenontosaurus in a group was the only way to bring this larger dino down.
This discovery led paleontologists to the possibility that raptors and other smaller carnivores hunted in packs. Large dinos surrounded by several Deinonychus fossils without obvious injuries also proved that Deino sometimes scavenged already dead dinos. Both these discoveries were incredibly important finds.
What Dinos Did Deinonychus Live With?
Deinonychus lived in the Early Cretaceous period in Montana, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming. Between 115-108 mya (million years ago), when Deinonychus was around, North America was full of cool dinos! Some of our favorite Early Cretaceous period dinos include:
- Acrocanthosaurus
- Nodosaurus
- Silvisaurus
- Tenontosaurus
- Utahraptor
- Zephyrosaurus
Is the Deinonychus connected to modern birds?
Birds are descendants of Theropod dinosaurs, including raptors like Deinonychus. Many birds have claws similar to Deino’s talon. But the most surprising thing about the connection between birds and Theropods is that many dinos had feathers!
Modern birds would look completely different without raptors like Deinonychus, Velociraptor, and possibly even the four-winged Microraptor. Even Tyrannosaurus is related to birds!
The first Deinonychus egg was also identified around 2000, but there was an adult Deinonychus skeleton near the egg. Paleontologists are not sure if Deino raised juveniles as birds do, but it is possible. We know that some dinos laid their eggs and left, while others hatched and nurtured their young like birds do!