DinoVerse · Dinosaur fact sheet
Theropods

Compsognathus

Say it: komp-SOG-nath-us  ·  Name means: “Elegant jaw”

Scientific life reconstruction of Compsognathus: Compsognatus was a small meateating dinosaur, about the size of a. It lived in Germany during the Late Jurassic. The ori
⏳ Lived152–148 million years ago
Late Jurassic
🥩 DietCarnivore (meat-eater)
📏 Length0.9–1.3 m (3–4 ft)
↕️ Height0.3–0.3 m (1 ft)
⚖️ Weight0.8–3.5 kg (1.8–10 lb)
📍 Found inEurope
🔎 Discovered1859 by Johann Andreas Wagner (fossil collected by Joseph Oberndorfer)

About Compsognathus

Compsognathus was a tiny, speedy meat-eater about the size of a chicken. It snapped up lizards and bugs.

Compsognathus longipes was a small compsognathid theropod from Late Jurassic lagoon islands in what is now Germany and France. For over a century it was the smallest dinosaur known, and one of its two skeletons preserves a swallowed lizard in its belly.

How big was it?

Compsognathus: ~1.1 m longPerson 1.7 m · School bus 12 m
Compare with other dinosaurs →

Drawn to scale next to a 1.7 m adult and a 12 m school bus.

Did you know?

  1. Compsognathus was about the size of a chicken.
  2. One fossil has a whole lizard inside its tummy, its very last meal!
  3. It lived on islands in a warm, shallow sea in what is now Germany.
  4. It had long legs and a long tail to help it zip around.
  1. Only two good skeletons are known: a small German specimen, probably a juvenile, and a larger French specimen about 1.25 metres long.
  2. The German skeleton contains the lizard Bavarisaurus in its gut, a fast-running lizard, which suggests Compsognathus was a quick, sharp-eyed hunter.
  3. It was once thought to have only two fingers per hand, but restudy of the French specimen showed it had three.
  4. No feathers are preserved on Compsognathus itself, but close relatives such as Sinosauropteryx were covered in simple filaments, so it was probably fuzzy.
DinoVerse · Compsognathus fact sheet
Theropods

🥩 What did it eat?

Food: Bavarisaurus (lizard), small lizards, insects, small animals.

Chased down quick little animals on long legs and swallowed them whole, using small, sharp teeth to grab hold.

Clues scientists use: a whole lizard (Bavarisaurus) preserved inside the German skeleton; small, sharp, curved teeth; fast-running, lightly built body.

🗺️ Where fossils were found

  • Solnhofen limestone, Bavaria, Germany (Europe)
  • Canjuers, Provence, France (Europe)
Photo of Compsognathus: 全身骨格
Photo of Compsognathus: 全身骨格

Myth or fact?

✗ Myth: Compsognathus was the smallest dinosaur ever.

✓ Fact: It was once the smallest known, but many smaller dinosaurs have since been found, and hummingbirds, which are living dinosaurs, are far smaller.

✗ Myth: Compsognathus hunted in big packs and could take down people-sized animals.

✓ Fact: There is no evidence of pack hunting. It ate small prey like lizards and insects.

✏️ Quick quiz

Circle the right answer. Name: ______________________

  1. About how big was Compsognathus?

    • A Like an elephant
    • B Like a chicken
    • C Like a horse
    • D Like an ant

  2. What was found inside a Compsognathus fossil?

    • A A lizard
    • B A fish
    • C A leaf
    • D A dinosaur egg

  3. In which country was the first Compsognathus found?

    • A Australia
    • B China
    • C Germany
    • D Argentina

Answers: 1–B 2–A 3–C

Sources and picture credits