In-game Information
Velociraptor, one of the most vicious entities to walk Minecraft's blocky world. Dangerous, cunning, terrifying. If there is one creature in JurassiCraft who represents "no mercy", it's this one. Velociraptors will wander around the world, occasionally flocking in groups of 2-8. If in groups, they will occasionally communicate with their iconic call in Jurassic Park. Any 9th Velociraptor will be brutally slaughtered. Velociraptor is an extremely dangerous dinosaur, and very hard to keep. It seems to have found a way to get past most common things in paddocks build by players; they can open wooden doors, so that is a big no for a way for you to enter the paddock. Any player who decides 2 blocks of height is good enough will be proven wrong, Velociraptor can use their pounce attack to leap up those 2 blocks and get out of there! Velociraptors will attack any creatures by leaping at them, dealing a good 8 HP of damage. With around 30 HP, Velociraptors are a good sign of needing to flee. When hungry, Velociraptor can eat meat from hunting anything ranging from a rabbit to a decently sized hadrosaurid, or from feeders. When thirsty, Velociraptor can drink water from a nearby source or from the rain. Male and female Velociraptors will breed every now and then, laying 1-7 eggs per clutch. Despite their intelligence, Velociraptor is actually imprintable (see: Taming), and tamed individuals defend you and attack on command.
Real-world Information
Velociraptor (/vɪˈlɒsɪræptər/; meaning "swift seizer" in Latin) is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 75 to 71 million years ago during the latter part of the Cretaceous Period. Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past. The type species is V. mongoliensis; fossils of this species have been discovered in Mongolia. A second species, V. osmolskae, was named in 2008 for skull material from Inner Mongolia, China.
JP Information
Quick, highly intelligent, and highly aggressive, Velociraptor is one of the more challenging carnivorous dinosaurs to keep in captivity. They are also considerably larger than the ones in the fossil record, typically measuring 3 - 4 meters or so in length. These social predators typically live in packs of about 3 - 20 individuals, and are able to launch co-ordinated attacks on even very large prey. To a Velociraptor pack, anything from a large rat to a large hadrosaur can be considered potential prey.
Potential raptor keepers BEWARE, as not only are Velociraptors accomplished escape artists that will quickly find any weaknesses in their enclosure's fencing, they also have a good memory, and have been known to hold grudges. They can also run at similar speeds to those of a cheetah, and are able to leap astonishingly high. They can also open wooden doors.
Although these animals may sometimes fight when first introduced to each other, a distinct hierarchy will quickly be established within the pack. Breeding these dinosaurs is also relatively easy. Upon hatching, they imprint on the first creature they see (usually one or both of their parents, but human beings can also use this trait to their advantage), and remain loyal until they develop a rebellious streak just before sexual maturity. As touched upon before, Velociraptors don't forgive easily, and if you're not careful around them, even supposedly "tame" ones may turn on you at the slightest provocation!
Housing
Anyone looking to contain these dinosaurs should invest in things like high walls, tall electric fences, and possibly even a roof. Ideally, the enclosure should have some open space for the animals to run around in, and some vegetation cover for stalking prey, as well as sources of water and food. These dinosaurs are not above scavenging, but they particularly enjoy hunting live prey.