The word ‘dinosaur’ tends to have us thinking of the huge animals that roamed the prehistoric world - beasts like Brachiosaurus, Triceratops and T-rex. But dinosaurs came in all shapes and sizes, and there were plenty of miniature meat-eaters scurrying around too. Here’s a list of the top 10 smallest carnivores of the Mesozoic era.

1. Compsognathus

Compsognathus was a Late Jurassic dinosaur, living in Europe 145-140 million years ago. At less than a metre long, it trotted about on two legs and preyed on lizards, insects and possibly small mammals.

2. Microraptor

This tiny carnivore was about the size of a crow and lived in China in the Early Cretaceous period, 120 million years ago. This feathered dinosaur is thought to have been capable of gliding, and ate fish, lizards and perhaps insects. Meet it on a dinosaur adventure live this year when Dinosaur World Live tours the UK.

3. Hesperonychus

Around the size of a small chicken, this dinosaur roamed North America 75 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous period. With rows of serrated teeth, it’s thought to have eaten primarily insects, and perhaps also small mammals and birds.

4. Dilong

The smallest known tyrannosaur, Dilong lived some 60 million years before its better known relative the T-rex, and tipped the scales at 10kg. It’s thought to have been feathered, and had powerful jaws to munch on lizards, small mammals and birds.

5. Anchiornis

A Late Jurassic dinosaur discovered in China, Anchiornis is often identified as one of the missing links between reptiles and modern birds. Weighing about 1kg, it walked on two legs, had long feathers on its limbs, and fed on small lizards and fish.

6. Parvicursor

The pint-sized Parvicursor was less than 40cm long and was adapted for fast movement. This meant it was very good at both running from predators and catching its prey, which primarily consisted of insects. It lived in the Late Cretaceous, about 72 million years ago.

7. Mei Long

An Early Cretaceous dinosaur of present-day China, Mei Long was duck sized and had bird-like features. Like Parvicursor, it had long legs for running fast and probably ate insects and small lizards.

8. Bambiraptor

Another bird-like dinosaur, Bambiraptor was discovered in Montana, North America, and lived in the Late Cretaceous period. It was about a metre long and weighed approximately 2kg, feeding on insects, dinosaur eggs and small reptiles.

9. Velociraptor

The size of a small turkey, Velociraptor weighed about 7kg and roamed around on two legs in the Late Cretaceous, 74-70 million years ago. This feathered dino ate small mammals, lizards, eggs and even other baby dinosaurs.

10. Suskityrannus

While not quite as small as some of the other creatures listed here, Suskityrannus was still pretty little for a dinosaur. At 2.7m long and up to 41kg in weight (compared to its relative T-rex’s nine tons), it’s thought to have eaten insects and small mammals. 

The Dinosaur World UK tour begins in July 2026. Meet prehistoric favourites as well as some of the lesser known dinosaurs at a theatre near you and discover their amazing story. Search ‘dinosaur event near me’ or view our tour dates to book.