Velociraptors
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What are they?
Velociraptors originated in the Cretaceous period of pre-history. Standing about two feet in height and measuring six feet from snout to tail, Velociraptors were very efficient killers. They used a claw mounted on each foot to penetrate their prey. The tendon attached to the claw would snap tight pulling the claw sharply down to wound and kill. The claw was about five inches in length. A raptor mouth was full of razor sharp teeth. The arms and legs were strong and well adapted for killing. Velociraptors are believed to hunt in packs so they could take down a considerably larger dinosaur in groups. Supposedly they were intelligent to the degree that they could coordinate attacks together, much like modern wolves and lions. They lived in packs as well for protection in numbers against other predatory dinosaurs.
Why are they in the game?
With the earlier Tomb Raider games, there was a vogue for introducing various (supposedly) extinct reptiles at least once in each game. However, with the advent of The Last Revelation this practice died out. Velociraptors were the second most popular dinosaur, appearing in three games - Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider III and in Tomb Raider Anniversary.
Tomb Raider
Velociraptors also known as Raptors only appeared in the Lost Valley, a secret canyon high in the Peruvian Andes and in the Tomb of Qualopec. Red in colour, they could be found in groups of two or three on the valley floor. Extremely fast and tenacious, they quickly became one of the most famous Tomb Raider enemies. Various structures and temples in and around the lost valley make it clear that humans had contact with and even worshipped these dinosaurs.
The actual species of the dinosaurs is unknown, but their build and appearance certainly places them in the group of smaller, faster carnivorous dinosaurs known as dromeosaurs. Their appearance as part of a pack is certainly synonymous with this group. It is unlikely that they are in fact Velociraptors, as the Velociraptor was in fact about the size of a turkey. However, as the name was made famous by such films as Jurassic Park, the name has stuck, and now all of the smaller carnivorous dinosaurs found in the Tomb Raider canon are usually classed as Velociraptor.
Very few dromeosaurs have been found in South America, and of these none resemble closely the specimens that Lara encounters, leading us to believe that she has discovered a new, and more importantly living, species of dinosaur.
Tomb Raider III
Velociraptors did not appear again until Tomb Raider III, where Lara encounters them on an island in the Pacific on her hunt for the Meteorite Artefacts. They are a similar size to those in the original Tomb Raider as well as being a similar colour. Their presence on the island suggests that there must be some other form of larger prey, as the animals are found in quite an abundance.
They are shown as either working in a pack or as individuals. Difficult to deal with even by themselves, in a group they are positively lethal unless heavy artillery is used.
They inhabit a collection of ruins close to the Coastal Village on the edge of jungle on the island - in the game this area is known as the Crash Site following the collision of an unidentified Australian air-carrier along with several Australian soldiers. As in Tomb Raider, closer inspection of some of the artwork on the ruins leads us to the conclusion that the dinosaurs are worshipped to some extent by the islanders.
Very few dinosaurs, and almost no dromeosaurs, have been found in Australasia or in the Pacific Islands, and so it is evident that Lara should be credited with the discovery of another new species.
Tomb Raider Anniversary
The velociraptors appear very much as they did in the original Tomb Raider, and also hunt in packs of about three individuals. They can also be found wandering the corridors of Qualopec's Tomb or trapped in large pits. Again, due to Lara's athletic ability, they pose a far less potent threat than before.
In the introduction to the Tyrannosaurus Rex-like dinosaur in the Lost Valley, it is clear that there is a significant number of these animals that are able to survive high up in the Andes. This certainly warrants closer inspection by paleontologists.
