Fun Ozraptor Facts For Kids

The Ozraptor is also known as Ozraptor subotaii and pronounced as 'Oz-rap-tore'. The Ozraptor fossil was discovered in Colalura sandstone in Australia. It is known to have existed in the middle Jurassic (Bajocian) time period around 175 million years ago. Little is known about the habitat of this Theropod, but it is believed that it inhabited the woodlands of Australia.

The Australian Ozraptor, just like other dinosaurs, reproduced sexually. In this process, males used to deposit sperm inside the bodies of females, and females used to lay eggs that were fertilized. It is difficult to determine the appearance of this dinosaur from its remains and thus, Ozraptor pictures are created and illustrated based on whatever is known about this Theropod. It is known from the remains of its one partial leg bone. Its size is considered to be not so long. After the evaluation of the bone, certain features that are known include that the ascending astragalus had a straight upper end and a rectangular shape. There was a vertical median ridge on the astragalar groove and the dinosaur also had a weakly developed medial condyle.

It has been suggested that the dinosaur's diet was carnivorous and it used to eat meat. Ozraptor means 'Australian thief' and it is known to be derived from the Australian nickname Ozzies. The specific name was from the character Subotai. It is among one of the oldest known Australian dinosaurs. After the discovery of the Ozraptor leg bone, the bone was given to professor Rex Prider who was from the University of Western Australia. The Ozraptor was first considered to be an Extinct turtle, but research was later done by Ralph Molnar and John Albert Long and their prepared research suggested that it was a shinbone of the genus Theropod. The Ozraptor is not actually a raptor, which is a different family of the genus Theropod.

It is very fascinating to learn about this animal and if you like, you can read about the Harpactognathus and the Chungkingosaurus, too.

How do you pronounce 'Ozraptor'?

This dinosaur's name is pronounced as 'Oz-rap-tore'.

What type of dinosaur was an Ozraptor?

It is placed under the type of Theropod.

In which geological period did the Ozraptor roam the earth?

Research states that this dinosaur belonged to the middle Jurassic (Bajocian) time period.

When did the Ozraptor become Extinct?

The time period when this dinosaur species become Extinct is unknown but it existed around 175 million years ago.

Where did an Ozraptor live?

This dinosaur species is known to have inhabited a range in Australia and its fossils were found in the Colalura Sandstone.

What was an Ozraptor's habitat?

While not a lot of information is available about the habitat of this dinosaur, it is believed that it lived in woodlands.

Who did an Ozraptor live with?

No information is available about this dinosaur's social behavior, that is, it is unknown if it was specifically solitary in nature or lived in groups.

How long did an Ozraptor live?

The time period during which this dinosaur lived is not known.

How did they reproduce?

These dinosaurs, just like others, used to engage in the process of sexual reproduction, and the process included the male depositing sperm inside the body of the female, and then, the female laying fertilized eggs.

What did an Ozraptor look like?

Whatever is known about this species is from one partial leg bone (tibia). Measurements of the specimen were around 3 in (8 cm) long and around 1.6 in (4 cm) wide from the lower end. The estimated length of the shinbone is around 6.7-7.9 in (17-20 cm) long, and based on this the size of this animal was estimated. Some features that were found include the ascending astragalus that had a straight upper end and a rectangular shape. There was a vertical ridge on the astragalus facet and this dinosaur also had a weakly developed medial condyle. No information is available about the Ozraptor tooth or teeth structure.

How many bones did an Ozraptor have?

The exact number of bones that this dinosaur had is not known.

How did they communicate?

Communication of dinosaurs, in general, used to happen through different types of sounds and postures, and gestures.

How big was an Ozraptor?

It is estimated the average Ozraptor size was around 9 ft (2.7 m) in length but the average Ozraptor height is not known.

How fast could an Ozraptor move?

The speed of this animal is unknown.

How much did an Ozraptor weigh?

The weight of the Ozraptor dinosaur is evaluated to be around 100 lb (45 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

This species did not have sex-specific names.

What would you call a baby Ozraptor?

Baby dinosaurs are, in general, referred to as hatchlings.

What did they eat?

No information is available about the food of this animal, but research studies state that it had a carnivorous diet and fed on meat.

How aggressive were they?

Dinosaurs, in general, were known to be instinctively aggressive and violent.

Did you know...

Ozraptor is known to mean 'Australian thief'.

This generic name is known to have been derived from the word 'Ozzies', which is a nickname for Australians, and the Latin word 'raptor', which means 'seizer'.

The specific name of the type species, Ozraptor subotaii, is in honor of a fictional character Subotai from the movie 'Conan The Barbarian'. This character was an archer and a swift-running thief.

It is known to be among one of the oldest known Australian dinosaurs along with the Rhoetosaurus and also the oldest known Abelisauroid.

The discovery of fossil remains of this dinosaur was by four schoolboys from Scotch College. The remains were found around the Bringo Railway Cutting site near Geraldton. They were then shown to professor Rex Prider who was from the University of Western Australia. The professor got a cast made of the partial tibia and then he sent it to British Museum of Natural History experts in London. These experts thought that the cast of the tibia could be classified as that of an Extinct turtle. alph Molnar and John Albert Long, after the re-evaluation of the bone, classified the Ozraptor fossil leg bone as the shinbone of the Theropod genus and not a turtle.

The holotype is known as UWA 82469 and it consisted of the lower or distal end of the left shinbone (partial tibia). Thomas Holtz, in 2004, considered the holotype belonged to Avetheropoda. Oliver Rauhut, in 2005, suggested this dinosaur could be classified as a Theropod, particularly, a member of the Abelisauroidea family, and this suggestion was based on the presence of a vertical median ridge that is on the astragalar groove of the fossil.

The Ozraptor is actually not classified as a raptor. Raptors are actually a different family of Theropods and they existed from the middle to the Late Cretaceous period. These raptors were characterized by the assumed coat of feathers and curved and oversized claws on their hind feet.

In two seasons, the second and third seasons of the show 'Dino Dan', one of the dinosaurs that was featured and shown was the Ozraptor.

The Ozraptor existed around 175 million years ago.

Some other dinosaurs that lived in Australia specifically include the Rhoetosaurus, the Minmi, and the Austrosaurus.

Is the Ozraptor a carnivore?

Yes, it was a carnivore as it has been determined that it used to feed on meat.

Who discovered the Ozraptor?

The fossil was discovered by four 12-year-old schoolboys from Scotch College in 1967.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Puertasaurus facts and Ludodactylus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Ozraptor coloring pages.

The main image is by Paleocolour.

The second image is by NickLongrich.