Scale Explorer

Prehistoric

How big is a Velociraptor?

Velociraptor · Estimated adult size · Velociraptor mongoliensis

Length (estimated)
≈ 1.8 m 5 ft 11 in approx.
Mass (estimated)
≈ 7 kg 15 lb approx.
Mass (AMNH estimate)
≈ 18 kg 40 lb approx.
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A4 sheet of paper, House cat, Human, Velociraptor drawn to the same scaleA4 sheet of paper: height (long side) 297 mm. House cat: length (average adult) ≈ 76.2 cm. Human: height 1.61–1.75 m. Velociraptor: length (estimated) ≈ 1.8 m.A4 sheet of paper: 297 mmHouse cat: ≈ 76.2 cmHuman: 1.61–1.75 mVelociraptor: ≈ 1.8 mHuman1.61–1.75 mVelociraptor≈ 1.8 mHouse cat≈ 76.2 cmA4 sheet of paper297 mm
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Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
Length (estimated) ≈ 1.8 m ≈ 5 ft 11 in Estimated nose-to-tail length; the NHM, AMNH (1.8 meters, 6 feet) and Britannica all give 1.8 m. Approximate [1] [2] [3]
Mass (estimated) ≈ 7 kg ≈ 15 lb Estimated body weight from the Natural History Museum, London. Approximate [1]
Mass (AMNH estimate) ≈ 18 kg ≈ 40 lb Estimated weight; AMNH gives 18 kilograms (40 pounds). Approximate [2]

About the Velociraptor

Velociraptor was a small, feathered, meat-eating dinosaur that lived in Mongolia and China in the Late Cretaceous, roughly 74 to 70 million years ago. It walked on two legs and had a large sickle-shaped claw on each foot. Museum estimates put it at about 1.8 metres long, far smaller than the animals shown in the Jurassic Park films.

  • The Jurassic Park films showed Velociraptor at about twice its real size, modelled closely on its larger relative Deinonychus. [1]
  • Velociraptor is now thought to have had a fine covering of feather-like structures. [1]
  • Velociraptor mongoliensis was named by Osborn in 1924. [1]
  • Stiffened tendons in its tail helped it keep its balance while striking at prey with one foot raised. [3]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 2.4 × House cat · length (average adult) lined up end to end match the Velociraptor · length (estimated)
  • ≈ 1.3–1.7 × House cat · adult mass on the scales weigh as much as Velociraptor · mass (estimated)

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

  • 2.4× A Velociraptor is about 2.4 times as long as a house cat. See side by side
  • 3.1× A Velociraptor is about 3.1 times as long as a Labrador Retriever is tall at the shoulder. See side by side
  • 1.1× A Velociraptor is about as long as an average adult is tall. See side by side
  • 1/1 A Velociraptor is about as long as a gorilla is tall. See side by side
  • 1/1.2–1.5 An ostrich is about 1.2–1.5 times as tall as a Velociraptor is long. See side by side
  • 1.1× A Velociraptor is about as long as a horse is tall at the shoulder. See side by side

Factors compare the length (estimated) of a Velociraptor with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

  • All sizes are estimates from fossils.
  • Mass estimates vary a lot: 7 kg (Natural History Museum), 18 kg (AMNH), and 'perhaps no more than 45 kg' (Britannica). The NHM figure is used as the main mass.
  • The AMNH gives the age as about 80 million years ago; the Natural History Museum gives 74-70 million years ago.

Sources

  1. Natural History Museum, London, Velociraptor (Dino Directory). Accessed 25 September 2026.
  2. American Museum of Natural History, Velociraptor mongoliensis (OLogy card 018). Accessed 25 September 2026.
  3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Velociraptor. Accessed 25 September 2026.

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