ANZU RAPTOR CLAW

Cretaceous, 65 million years
Hell Creek, Montana, USA
9.2 cm

This is an extremely rare and beautifully preserved Anzu raptor foot claw.

The giant raptor Anzu wyliei, the ‘feathered demon’, grew up to 11 feet in length and sported a large and prominent crest on its head. The big crests on his skull, a toothless beak, long arms ending with large claws and a birdlike skeleton, in addition to its place of discovery in the Hell Creek Formation in Montana, led to it being jokingly nicknamed the ‘chicken from hell’. It is amongst the largest feathered dinosaurs ever found in North America. The name Anzu actually refers to a feathered demon in ancient Mesopotamian mythology.

The claw is 9.2 cm long and is complete except for the very tip. There is no repair or restoration. Raptor claws are exceptionally hard to acquire, not only because of their rarity, but also their high demand among collectors.