Reptilian Classification
Velociraptors are reptiles. Although they share some bird-like features, including possible feather-like structures, they are more closely related to modern reptiles such as crocodiles and lizards than to today's birds.
Why They Are Reptiles
Velociraptors belonged to the Theropoda group of dinosaurs, which is evolutionarily related to birds, but they were not birds themselves. Their skeletal structure included a long bony tail and a hip arrangement distinct from birds. Like other reptiles, they reproduced by laying eggs.
A Fascinating Dinosaur
Velociraptors were remarkable creatures with some bird-like traits, but they were ultimately reptiles that lived during the Late Cretaceous period.