Compsognathus

Artist Rendering of Compsognathus

This small theropod is one of the smallest dinosaurs known, standing at only one and a half–two feet tall with a length of about three and a half–four feet. A fully grown adult would’ve weighed only about 10–12 pounds.

A known carnivore, specimens of Compsognathus have been found with fossilized lizards in their stomachs. These small dinosaurs were likely opportunistic hunters, preying upon any small animal that they could. They may have even hunted in packs that would increase their hunting capability.

You may recognize these little guys from the Jurassic Park franchise. Originally appearing in the second film, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, these cute little guys have since appeared in Jurassic Park III and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, though they were incorrectly classified as Compsognathus triassicus, with the proper scientific name being Compsognathus longipes. Aside from the movies, compys have also made appearances in numerous comics, shows, games, and toy lines.

October is “dinosaur month!” Every weekday of this month, you can come back to our Kids site to read about my 20 favorite dinosaurs. I hope you’ll join me!