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Ornitholestes

Filed under Dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

Triceratops skull showing the three horns and large bony frill — Photo: Vicpeters, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Pronunciation

or-nith-o-LESS-teez

Name means

Bird Robber

Diet

Carnivore

Posture

Bipedal

Length

6 feet (1.8 meters)

Height

3 feet (0.9 meters)

Order: Saurischia · Suborder: Theropoda

Found in Wyoming and Utah, Ornitholestes was a swift, small-headed, long-tailed dinosaur that ate lizards and other small game that it caught with its long fingered hands.

Mounted skeleton of Giganotosaurus, a giant carnivorous dinosaur — Photo: Rjcastillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Reference background: Natural History Museum, London — Dinosaurs; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs; American Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs & Fossils. Figures are typical published ranges; taxonomy follows the source era and modern consensus is noted where it differs. See our sources & fact-check policy.

Frequently asked questions

What does Ornitholestes mean?

The name Ornitholestes means “Bird Robber”. It is pronounced or-nith-o-LESS-teez.

Was Ornitholestes a carnivore or a herbivore?

Ornitholestes was a carnivore.

How big was Ornitholestes?

Ornitholestes was about 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, around 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall.

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