Back to dinosaur directory
Oviraptor

Dinosaur profile

Oviraptor

CarnivoreLate CretaceousSmall Theropod

Pronunciation

Oh-vee-rap-tor

Meaning

Egg thief

Type

Small Theropod

Length

1.6 meters long

Period

Late Cretaceous

Years

85-75 million years ago

Location

Mongolia

Diet

Carnivore

About Oviraptor

Oviraptor is a genus of small, bird-like dinosaurs that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, around 75-71 million years ago. It was first discovered in 1922 in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, and the name Oviraptor means 'egg thief' in Latin. This name was given to the genus because the first specimen was found near a nest of eggs that were thought to belong to the Protoceratops, a herbivorous dinosaur that lived in the same region. However, subsequent research has shown that the eggs actually belong to Oviraptor itself, and that it was likely a herbivore or omnivore rather than an egg thief. Oviraptor was a small dinosaur, with a length of around 2-3 meters (7-10 feet) and a weight of around 50-100 kg (110-220 lbs). It had a distinctive crest on its head, a long neck, and long, thin legs. It is thought to have been an agile runner and may have had feathers, although this is still debated among paleontologists.

Wikipedia image gallery

Extra reference images from Wikimedia projects. These are loaded live in your browser.

More Late Cretaceous profiles

Explore related dinosaurs with similar diet, type, period, or fossil location to Oviraptor.

Browse all dinosaurs