Say hello to one of the most iconic dinosaurs of all time—Velociraptor! This clever Cretaceous carnivore lived about 75 million years ago in what is now Mongolia. While Hollywood made it a towering terror, the real Velociraptor was closer in size to a turkey, but no less fierce. With a long, stiff tail for balance, razor-sharp teeth, and a sickle-shaped claw on each foot, this dino was built for speed, agility, and deadly precision.

Fossils show that Velociraptor was covered in feathers, making it a key link between dinosaurs and modern birds. One incredible fossil even captures a Velociraptor locked in combat with a Protoceratops—a prehistoric snapshot of just how bold and ferocious this little predator could be. Whether it was darting through the desert or outsmarting its prey, Velociraptor earned every bit of its legendary status.