Study Guide Packet
Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker

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Below is a study packet, which includes questions and vocabulary for the novel. You are welcome to use the packet and reformat it as required. I would simply ask that you retain the copyright notice at the end.

The numbers in parenthesis after each question indicate the page number(s) where the answer can be located.

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker             Name________________

Chapter 1-April- Raptor Attack               Date__________Per___

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

Conifers (p. 7)

 

 

Herbivorous (p. 8)

 

 

Darwin (p. 8)

 

 

Monogamy (p. 8)

 

 

Genes (p. 8)

 

 

Copulation (p. 9)

 

 

Fauna (p. 11)

 

 

Matriarch (p. 13)

 

 

Inert (p. 17)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   Describe the Utahraptor. (7-8)  Be complete in your physical description.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   Why do you think the female Utahraptor carefully evaluates the herbivorous dinosaurs? (8)

 

 

 

3.   What does the female Utahraptor spot in the tree line nearby? (8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   What does the author mean when he says, "she is half of a mated pair, locked together in Darwinian Monogamy?" (8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   Why do you think it is important for both of the mated pair of Utahraptors to be well fed and healthy heading into the breeding season? (9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   How/why is dung important to the Utahraptor (and probably most predators)? (9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   Describe an Astrodon. (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.   List several reasons the Astrodon is confident and not worried about local predators. (10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.   What 3 senses does the Astrodon use to check for possible danger? (10-11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.  What reasons cause the bull astrodons to ignore the unfamiliar sent of raptor? (12)  Why are the females with young not as "oblivious" to the potential danger? (12)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.  What are the bulls doing and why, when they are attacked? (13)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.  Describe how the raptors attack the bull Astrodon.  Why does it have difficulty formulating a defensive strategy?(13-14)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.  Where does the bull seek refuge from the attack? (15)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14.  From which direction do the raptors attack the bull and why? (16)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15.  Describe what happened to the male raptor after feeding. (17)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker       

Chapter 2-April- Raptor Red          

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

Olfactory (p. 20)

 

 

Mutant (p. 23)

 

 

Forage (p. 27)

 

 

Choreography (p. 28)

 

 

Lethal (p. 29)

 

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   How does the Utahraptor's brain "operate" as compared to our own? (19)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   How did smell work to help Raptor Red identify herself? (20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   How did Raptor Red come to associate herself with the color of red? (21)

 

 

4.   How or why do you think Raptor Red's concept of mother =1/2 and father =1/2 fits? (21)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   Why do you think it is important for a raptor chick to be greedy and self centered, especially when it comes to food? (22).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   Why do you think Raptor Red identified siblings as "half of me"? (22)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   Why do you think Raptor Red would identify a courting male who is "not part of me" by smell as correct for a potential mate? (23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.   Why is fear of shadows important to raptor chicks?  (23)

 

 

 

9.   Describe the Dactyls and how they manage to fly? (24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.  How are the dactyls like vultures today? (not in the book)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11.  How does the lone male dactyl come to learn the fate of his mate? (26)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.  It appears that Raptor Red is not cold blooded like reptiles today.  How is this an advantage during the nights?  How is it a disadvantage? (27)

 

 

 

 

 

 

13.  Now that she is alone, what tactic for finding food must Raptor Red go to? Why? (27)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14.  What factors cause the hostility towards the approaching male raptors?  How has her actions "saved" her reproductive hopes? (27-28)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15.  How is the Utahraptor related to the Yellow Snout?  Why is the red snouted raptor species lucky to have survived? (30)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 3-May- Too Skinny for Parenthood  

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

etiquette (p.35)

 

 

 

infestation (p. 36)

 

 

 

cycad (p. 38)

 

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What are some of the indications of a good mate among raptors?  (32-33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   Why does Raptor Red scratch at the tree and rub her throat against it?  (p. 34)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   What does Raptor Red spot on the male suitor?  What was her reaction and why does she react this way? (p. 36)

 

 

 

 

4.   How does Raptor Red determine the chicks are related to her and what their relationship is? (p. 37)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   What brings "joy" to Raptor Red?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   Although the Iguanadon cow was alert, how did the raptors manage to surprise it? (p. 39)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   The Iguanadon herd does not charge, but what do they "do" in response to the attack?  (p. 40)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 4-Late May-The Computer of Sisterhood

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

embedded (p. 41)

 

 

instability (p. 47)

 

 

millennia (p. 47)

 

 

imitate (p. 51)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   Why do raptors fear ticks?  (41-42)

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   How do the Mongolian ticks differ from the Utah ticks? (42)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   What is Raptor Red's internal rule for raising chicks? (42)  Why do you think this is important to her (instinctively/ genetically)? (43)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   How does the crocodile’s lifestyle and pattern differ from a Raptor's? (44)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   What is a sinhorn and why were the Raptors seeking them?  (45-46)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   Why must the Raptors move on (from "Tick-Bird Meadow")? (47)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   How do the Raptors identify the Acros from a distance?  Why is this a concern which motivates the raptors to move on? (48)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.   While hunting what do Raptor Red and her Sister encounter? (50)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9.   How does Raptor Red's Sister respond to the male?  Why do you think she acted in this manner? (51)

 

 

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Bakker                 

Ch 5 - Late May - The Turtle of Trinity   

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

Diversity (p. 53)

 

 

 

Brood (p. 53)

 

 

Monotony (p. 54)

 

 

 

Carapace (p. 58)

 

 

 

Answer the following questions based upon the novel.

 

1.   How does Raptor Red’s and her Sister's sleeping pattern differ? (53)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What is the turtle about to do which is very dangerous? (54)

 

 

 

 

 

3.   How does the turtle differ from the Raptor?  (56-57)

 

hearing

 

 

experiencing new things

 

 

siblings

 

 

mates

 

4.   Why does Raptor Red have difficulty eating the turtle? (59-60)

 

shell

 

 

legs

 

 

head

 

 

5.   What duty or responsibility does the turtle complete before returning to her monotonous existence? (p. 61)

 


 

Raptor Red by Bakker             

Ch 6 - Early June - Flood and Panzers

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

Panzer (p. 62)

 

 

Pod (p. 63)

 

 

Submerged (p. 66)

 

 

Catastrophe (p. 66)

 

 

Kinetic Energy (p. 68)

 

 

Vertically (p. 70)

 

Answer the following questions based upon the novel.

 

1.   What two herbivores have been working together making hunting difficult for the Raptors?  (63)

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What almost proved fatal to Raptor Red's Sister? (63-64)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   What does the White Dactyl know is coming which Raptor Red and her Sister are just beginning to experience?  How often does one this severe occur? (66)

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   What behavioral genes does Raptor Red's Sister have which allows them to have a chance to survive the crisis? (67)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   Where does Raptor Red get led to refuge by her Sister?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   Was all calm and peaceful in the trees during the 36 hour rain?  Explain.  (71)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   What animal from Tick Bird Meadow does Raptor Red see in the top of the trees which also notices her? (72)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker       

Chapter 7-June- Whackity-Whacks      

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

gullet (p. 74)

 

 

carrion (p. 74)

 

 

carnivore (p. 77)

 

 

astern (p. 77)

 

 

distinguish (p. 79)

 

 

rancid (p. 80)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What was the result when the Acro tried to eat the baby Gastonia? (74-75)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What 4 things does the baby gaston know very well? (75)

 

a.

 

b.

 

c.

 

d.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   Why did the Gastonia fare better than the Iguanadons during the flood?  (76-77)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   How does the male Raptor evaluate the speed of other dinosaurs? (78)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   What is the Cretaceous highway of information written in?  (79)

 

 

 

 

 

6.   What is the one predator to come in the future who cannot read the "dung sign"? (79)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   Why doesn't Raptor Red contest the dead astro with the dactyls? (p. 81)

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker       

Chapter 8-June- Reluctant Sister-in-Law   

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

feigns (p. 84)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What does Raptor Red witness or watch?  (82-84)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What does Raptor Red decide? (84)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   How does her Sister respond? (85)

 

 

 

 


 

Chapter 9-June- Manure, Love and Flowers

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

reluctance (p. 86)

 

 

evocative (p. 87)

 

 

elicits (p. 87)

 

 

coevolution (p. 91)

 

 

pheromones (p. 92)

 

 

valkyrie (p. 95)

 

 

demeanor (p. 99)

 

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What is confusing (and frightening) to the male Raptor? (87)

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What is the purpose of the flower? (p.89)

 

 

 

 

 

3.   What do the Raptors find buzzing around the flowers?  Why are these little creatures attracted? (90-91)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   What is the situation in which the male Raptor find himself involved? (93-95)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   How does Raptor Red respond to the giant female's advances toward the male Raptor?  (96)

 

 

 

 

 

6.   When Raptor Red determines that she may be out matched by the giant female, who does she call upon for assistance?  What is the result?  (97-98)

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   Why does the giant Raptor female retreat? (98-99)

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.   Why does the giant female Utahraptor continue to have trouble attracting a mate? (99)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker       

Chapter 10- Early July- Tank Destroyer

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

methane (p. 103)

 

 

malodorous (p. 103)

 

 

mimic (p. 105)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What is Raptor Red's Sister doing and why?  (100-101)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What are the two Gastons doing? (103)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   What is a Gaston Lek? (104)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   Why are Gastons tough for predators to kill? (104-105)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   How are the Raptors able to kill the Old Bull Gaston? (108)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   What does the male Raptor have difficulty doing?  How does Raptor Red remedy this? (109)

 

 

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 11- August- Famine & the Wing Shadow   

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

alpha male (110)

 

 

deprivation (113)

 

 

drought (114)

 

 

Serengeti (114)

 

 

thermal (117)

 

 

benign (118)

 

 

enveloped (121)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   Why is killing competitors (carnivores) a good ecological strategy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   How old is the White Dactyl?  (112)

 

 

 

 

3.   What Great Game has the White Dactyl bowed out of?  (112)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   Why are Raptor Red's Sister's chicks expendable? What situation seems to have brought about this possibility? (114)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   What is the hierarchy of Raptor Red abandoning or giving up her current group?  Why do you think it is in this order? (115)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   How long has Raptor Red known or been aware of the White Dactyl? (118-119)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   Why does the White Dactyl lead Raptor Red to a mummified Astrodon carcass (What is in it for him?) (119)

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.   Why doesn't the White Dactyl like Deinonychs? (119-120)

 

 

 

 

 

9.   How does Raptor Red's Sister respond to the White Dactyl's intimidation of her chick? (121)


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 12- August- Bubbles               

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

terrestrial (p. 123)

 

 

ascend (p. 125)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   Why will the White Dactyl only walk when there is a constant strong breeze? (122-123)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What surprises the White Dactyl while he is blowing bubbles?   How does he spot the "threat"?  (125)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   The capacity to learn is a combination of what? (126)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   How does the old pterodactyl improve his mood? (126-127)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 13- Always Go for the One that Limps    (September)

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

nictating membrane (p. 128)-

 

 

infanticide (p. 135)-

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What is the smartest, fastest, most difficult prey the Raptors dare attack? (129)

 

 

 

2.   Describe how the Raptors hunt the ostrich dinos. (129-132)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   Genes are tiny ____________________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________

 

___________________________________________________________

 

________________________________________________     (134)

 

4.   What would Raptor Red do if the Male tries to kill her Sister's chicks?  Why would the male do this? (134)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   What species of dinosaur predator has continued to expand, causing Raptors to continually move? (136)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   What does the Acro see up in the tree?  How does he get it down (or at it)? (138-139)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 14- September- Two Tiered Drama        

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

shun (p. 140)-

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What gets forced into the Aegi's burrow?  Why is this frightening to him? (140-141).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What saves the baby Utahraptor from the Acro? (142-143)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   How does the Male Raptor view his actions?  (144)

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 15- September-                    

The Cutting Edge of Bug Boppers      

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

molars (p. 146)-

 

nocturnal (p. 147)-

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   Is the Aegi nocturnal? (145)

 

 

2.   What is one of the bad dreams the Aegi has.  What is one of the good ones? (145-146)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   Can evolution maximize the efficiency of the same eyeball for both bright and dim light? (147-148)

 

 

 

 

 

4.   How long does it take the little mammal to eat a beetle larva? (149)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   What enemy does the Aegi encounter?  Who wins the confrontation? (150-151)

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   How much must the Aegi eat every day to remain active?  (151)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   By his eating activity, who did the Aegialadon save? (153)

 

 

 

 


 

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker            

Chapter 16- September-Furball Liberator        

 

Vocabulary for the Chapter:

 

biotoxin (p. 155)

 

 

vectors (p. 155)

 

 

plague (p. 155)

 

 

amplify (p. 156)

 

 

frequencies (p. 157)

 

 

Answer the following Questions based upon the reading.

 

1.   What can be the result of too much moisture with respect to Raptor skin? (154)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.   What killed the assassin bug? (155)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   How did the virus carrying bugs get to America? (155-156)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   Why was Raptor Red and her family very, very, Lucky? (156)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.   What can cause native faunas to be devastated? (156)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.   What is the ear vs. ear battle? (157)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7.   What is "The Terror from Above"?  What is it hunting? (158)

 

 

 

 

 

 

8.   How does the Aegialodon (scorpion killer) escape the "Terror from Above"?   How old will he live to be? (159)