Saurornitholestes Characteristics

Saurornitholestes was a small, bipedal dinosaur who measured 6 feet (2 metres) in length and weighed 12 kilograms (30 pounds). Like other theropods in the family Dromaeosauridae, Saurornitholestes had a long, curved, blade-like claw on the second toe. It was similar to the Velociraptor as it had large sharp, fang-like teeth in the front of its jaws. Saurornitholestes was lightly built and had long legs and a beak. Some believe that Saurornitholestes may have been covered in feathers. This dinosaur had a relatively large brain.

Saurornitholestes was a carnivore and was perhaps a scavenger who fed up on carrion and small animals and reptiles such as lizards, frogs and early birds. It would have competed with much larger dinosaurs for food, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, who was around at the same time and who would have been 100 times larger. A tooth of Saurornitholestes has been found embedded in the wing bone of a large pterosaur called Quetzalcoatlus. It is unknown whether Saurornitholestes could have killed the pterosaur or whether it had already been dead.

Several partial skeletons, dozens of isolated bones and scores of teeth are known from the badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta.

Saurornitholestes was named by paleontologist Sues in 1978.