A term for dinosaur-type legs (without mentioning dinosaurs)

[Toby Frost]

Is there a standard way to describe the shape of the back legs of a biped dinosaur like a tyrannosaurus, or an emu/ostrich type bird, where only the toes touch the ground when the creature walks? I'm describing an alien through the eyes of characters who don't know what a dinosaur or large bird is. I've heard robots of this sort described as "chicken-walkers", but that sounds rather undramatic and I'm not sure these characters have chickens.

Thanks.

 

[The Judge]

The technical term for animals that walk on their toes is digitigrade if you've got someone who likes using long words -- sorry, it doesn't help as to the shape of the leg, though!

Actually, to me it looks a bit like a giant frog leg, but that doesn't sound very dramatic and threatening, either.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

They're known as Theropods.

A bird comparison would be accurate as that's basically what they are big chickens. Maybe describing the gait and the thrusting themselves forwards to gain a clear view of their prey would make it seem more menacing. Maybe a drumstick that would feed the entire planet for a year?

 

[HareBrain]

"Backwards-kneed" has the advantage of most people being able to picture what you're talking about, and the disadvantage of being wholly inaccurate.

 

[Don]

Toe walker?

 

[Dave]

I know now that you mean the two-legged dinosaurs, but the thread title reminded me that when the Crystal Palace Park concrete dinosaurs were made in 1852-54 (in the world's very first theme park) dinosaur bones had only just been recently discovered, and no one quite knew how the four-legged creatures would have stood. Would they stand in the way that an elephant stands today, or would it be more like a small lizard? The solution was to make one of each and to take your pick. In the case of the two Iguanodons, one is anatomically wrong.

 

[Fiberglass Cyborg]

Do they have carnivorous mammals, or something similar? The hind legs of cats and dogs are also digitigrade.

 

[Mon0Zer0]

Saurian?

 

[Wayne Mack]

Why not just use basic terms instead of analogy? The creature towered above us. The three claws on its right foot pawed the ground as it decided whether to charge.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

'...its legs like giant, pistoning drumsticks that somehow push forward only from the toes when it walks/runs.'
Something like this could work as a basic description to a being that doesn't know of the technical term for toe walking (though they'd have to know of a piston).

Or 'pistoning somethings' ...tree trunks, for a big creature? But would they have drumsticks for a reference in the culture? Oh! I see Anya also mentioned drumstick. Might be a contender, then.

 

[.matthew.]

"It walks like those made up monsters from Jurassic Park!"

 

[KiraAnn]

I’ve seen digitigrade used in just about everything written before the late 70’s. Had to look it up back in the 5th or 6th grade the first time, but am quite comfortable with the term now.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I'm not sure how appropriate Latin-based scientific terminology would be in an alien's vocabulary.

As as already been suggested, I would just go along with describing it in layman's terms, eg it walked on it's toes or it walked upright on it's hind legs.

 

[tinkerdan]

In the picture they look like Paws with claws.
Otherwise I'd think in terms of hooves.
Possibly Rear-Hooves.
Or Rear-Paws though Rear-Claws sound more threatening..
Deciding Plantigrade, Digitigrade or ungulate--might help because how they use the foot might help indicate the shape of the foot.

 

[Thiery]

I agree, describe your alien being it as it is. Write as if no one, including your readers, has ever seen a dinosaur or bird.