The Compsognathus was a raptor-like dinosaur in the Theropoda order. Small with a delicate jaw, the Compsognathus was the smallest dino on record at the time of its discovery! It was once thought to be the size of a chicken, but the original Compsognathus fossil turned out to be a baby dino.
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Some Quick Facts about the Compsognathus

Name | Compsognathus (means “Elegant jaw”) |
Type of dinosaur | Small Theropod Dinosaur |
Territory | Forested area of what is modern-day Europe |
Size | Small, 7.9-11 inches tall, 2-4.5 feet long |
Color | Mostly green |
Interesting Characteristics | Small bipedal dino with long hind legs and long tails. Forelimbs have two large claws and a third finger. |
Diet | Carnivores (small animals and lizards) |
Major Threats | Being eaten by bigger dinos |
The Compsognathus (also known as Compy) was named by Johann Wagner in 1859. The exact location where the first Compsognathus fossil was found is a mystery since the person who found it didn’t want people digging up the area around it.
But paleontologists know it was found somewhere near Bavaria, Germany, because of the limestone deposits surrounding the fossil.
What Did the Compsognathus Look Like?
Compies were delicate, slender, lizard-like dinos that walked on two legs. Like all theropods, they had three toes on their feet. Their hind limbs were much stronger than their tiny hands.
The Compsognathus was named for its dainty, thin jaw. Even though their jaws were tiny, they were filled with sharp teeth they used to tear up small animals and insects. Adult Compies often swallowed their food whole, using their teeth only if they caught something bigger than their normal prey.
They had skin similar to lizard skin, but paleontologists believe that the Compsognathus might have had primitive feathering on its skin. This is because closely related dinos like the Sinosauropteryx (Early Cretaceous) had bumpy skin with feather shafts and shared a lot of physical similarities with Compsognathus.
But until scientists find evidence of preserved feathers or feather shafts with Compsognathus fossils, this is only a theory.
What Was the Diet of a Compsognathus?
A Compsognathus ate small animals and tiny lizards. Paleontologists believe a small lizard called the Bavarisaurus was the most common meal for a Compy. This is because fossil skeletons of the Bavarisaurus were found in the stomachs of the Compsognathus fossil!
Like a lot of small dinosaurs, the Compsognathus would’ve eaten any small animal it could get its claws on. With strong back legs and sharp claws, the Compy was a great hunter! They were fast, too. They could run 40 miles per hour, which was as fast as an ostrich!
Was Compsognathus the Smallest Dinosaur?

When the Compsognathus was first discovered in 1859, it was the smallest known non-avian dino. Later, smaller dinosaurs were discovered, like the Microraptor, the hummingbird-sized Oculudentavis, and the Archaeopteryx.
The Procompsognathus was another small dinosaur that was about the same size as Compsognathus. Even though their names are almost the same, the Jurassic Compy and the Triassic Procompsognathus are not closely related.
There have been two sizes of Compsognathus found in Europe. The Compsognathus fossil found in Germany was a much smaller specimen, around 7 inches tall, 28 inches long, and under 1 pound! The Compsognathus fossil found in France was much larger, around 11 inches tall, over 4 feet long, and over 7 pounds!
At first, paleontologists gave the French Compy its own name, Compsognathus corallestris. But after further study, scientists threw out the name Compsognathus corallestris and decided that there was only one species of Compy.
There is still debate about why there’s such a large size difference between specimens, but the common belief is that the fossil from Germany is a much younger Compy.
What Dinosaurs Lived With a Compsognathus?
Pterosaurs and Archaeopteryx lived alongside Compsognathus. Both Pterosaurs and Archaeopteryx were bird-like dinos, and the Compy was a raptor-like dino. Archaeopteryx ate small reptiles and insects, and sometimes preyed on young Compys and their eggs.
Since there are only two Compsognathus fossils, we’re not really sure if they traveled in groups. Both fossils were found in completely different areas without any evidence of other Compies around.
Many smaller dinos ran in packs for safety, so it’s possible they did live and hunt together like other similar dinos. Until we have more Compsognathus fossils, we won’t exactly know how they lived.
Was the Compsognathus Dangerous?
The Compsognathus was only dangerous if you were a small animal or mini lizard. Even though the Compsognathus was portrayed as a venomous dino in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, there is no evidence that any dino was venomous.
Compsognathus was a raptor-like theropod, and there were plenty of dangerous theropods throughout the Mesozoic era. Dinos like the Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex (T. rex), Giganotosaurus, and Spinosaurus are all theropods. It’s hard to believe that these huge dinos came from the same group as the tiny Compsognathus!
Even though the Compy wasn’t the smallest dino ever, it still was the first small dinosaur discovered by paleontologists.
Despite its small size, the Compy was a fierce predator and the terror of every tiny animal, insect, and small lizard in Late Jurassic Europe!