Large Meat-Eater Dinosaurs

What are the biggest carnivorous dinosaurs?

Table of Contents

Dinosaurs are among the most well-known prehistoric creatures. They lived during the Triassic Period about 230 million years ago. They are gigantic reptiles belonging to the subclass archosaurs, or “ruling reptiles.” This subtype also includes birds and crocodiles, making them relatives of the fantastic dinosaur.

Dinosaurs’ sizes and weights varied, as did their diets. Some were primarily meat eaters, others were plant eaters, and still others were a mix of the two. The article focuses on meat-eaters, the largest carnivorous dinosaurs as well as the most violent dinosaurs.

Then, let’s take a look at some of the most massive meat-eating dinosaurs! The weights and sizes of these creatures are still being debated.

Acrocanthosaurus

A large and formidable killer, Acrocanthosaurus stood around 20 feet tall. With large sharp, dagger-shaped teeth and sickle shaped claws designed for ripping apart an enemy, Acrocanthosaurus would have had little difficulty attacking and killing any sized victim.
Acrocanthosaurus’ arms were slightly longer than most other tyrannosaurus (large meat-eating dinosaur).

Acrocanthosaurus had a unique flap of skin, like a mini-sail running along its back. Most scientists believe that this was used to control the temperature of its body. Acrocanthosaurus was cold-blooded. Cold-blooded animals cannot regulate their own temperature. When the outside temperature is cold, the animal’s body becomes cooler, slowing it down. A sail would have allowed the animal to gather the heat from sunlight, and pass it on to its body through blood.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Acrocanthosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Ak-row-can-thoe-sore-uss
What does its name mean? High-Spiked Reptile

How long was this dinosaur? 39.00 feet, 12.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 5000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda

What did this dinosaur eat? Larger Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 114,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Early Cretaceous

Where did this dinosaur live? Oklahoma, North America, Utah

Albertosaurus

Albertosaurus lived in the North Western part of the North American Continent. Although smaller than Tyrannosaurus, Albertosaurus was no less frightful to its prey.
It is believed that Albertosaurus may have actually been an early ancestor of Tyrannosaurus. Albertosaurus was a typical large Theropod (meat-eating Dinosaur), with long sharp serrated teeth, for slicing into the flesh of its victims, short useless arms, and a massive head.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Albertosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Al-bert-owe-sore-uss
What does its name mean? Reptile of Alberta (Location of Discovery)

How long was this dinosaur? 30.00 feet, 9.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 5000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda

What did this dinosaur eat? Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 100,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Late Cretaceous

Where did this dinosaur live? Alberta, North America

Alioramus

Alioramus was a fearsome but smaller cousin to the Tyrannosaurs. It probably lived along side Tyrannosaurus Bataar, and was second on the totem pole. Very little is known about this Dinosaur. Only a partial skull and foot bone have been discovered. The skull bone tells us that Alioramus had four small horns along its snout, and two more above its eyes.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Alioramus
How do I pronounce it? Al-ee-owe-ray-muss
What does its name mean? Different Branch

How long was this dinosaur? 20 feet, 6 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 2000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Animals

How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 70,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Late Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? Asia, Mongolia

Allosaurus

Allosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic Period around 140 million years ago. It is one of the largest and most fearsome predators to have ever lived on land.

Allosaurus had short arms, ending in sharp 10 long dagger-like claws, which it could use to tear into the flesh of its victims.

Sharp four inch long teeth were also used to tear apart the dead and dying victims that were unfortunate enough to have been hunted by Allosaurus.

Fossils found in Utah, North America suggest that Allosaurus may have lived and hunted in groups or packs. As a pack, Allosaurus would have had little difficulty hunting the largest dinosaurs of the time. One fossil of a large plant eating Apatosaurus has what look like the teeth marks of Allosaurus scraped into it.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Allosaurus

How do I pronounce it? Al-owe-sore-uss
What does its name mean? Different Reptile
How long was this dinosaur? 39.00 feet, 12.00 meters

How heavy was this dinosaur? 4000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large Animals

How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 140,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Late Jurassic
Where did this dinosaur live? Colorado, Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, Utah

Baryonyx

Baryonyx is one of the strangest dinosaurs yet discovered. This massive hunter, while a true dinosaur, also shared many characteristics with the crocodiles. Baryonyx probably lived in or near water, and hunted fish, and other small animals. It had about 90 short teeth, which lined its long mouth. Baryonyx had one very large claw (about 12 inches long) which could be used both for protection against enemies, as well as a useful tool for hunting.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Baryonyx
How do I pronounce it? Bare-ee-on-icks
What does its name mean? Heavy Claw
How long was this dinosaur? 31 feet, 9.50 meters

How heavy was this dinosaur? 4000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Animals, Possibly Fish

How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 125,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Early Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? England, Europe

Carcharodontosaurus

This massive meat-eating dinosaur (Theropod) is one of the largest ever discovered. For many decades it was thought that Tyrannosaurus was the largest land predator to have walked the Earth. However, fossil discoveries in the early 2000s show that Carcharodontosaurus was even bigger.

Also Check Out → Giganotosaurus Facts - The Giant Southern Lizard

The name Carcharodontosaurus means “Shark Toothed Reptile”. Carcharodontosaurus had fearsome large serrated sharp teeth, which it used to gash apart the flesh of its victims.
Its head was about five feet long, making it big enough to swallow a full grown human in one bite.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Carcharodontosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Kar-kar-owe-don-toe-sore-uss
What does its name mean? Shark Toothed Dinosaur

How long was this dinosaur? 49 feet, 15 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 16000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda

What did this dinosaur eat? Large Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 120,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Middle Cretaceous

Where did this dinosaur live? Africa

Carnotaurus

Carnotaurus lived in Argentina, South America around 100 million years ago. Fossil records show that this strange looking Dinosaur had very short arms, large head, with short horns just above the eyes, and powerful hind-legs.

Scale impressions found in the rock around bone fossils help scientists understand what the animals skin looked like. Carnotaurus probably ate young plant eating dinosaurs, though there is still much debate about its diet.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Carnotaurus
How do I pronounce it? Kar-noe-tore-uss

What does its name mean? Carnivorous Bull
How long was this dinosaur? 24.50 feet, 7.50 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 2000.00 pounds

What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large And Medium Sized Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 100,000,000 Years Ago

In what period did this dinosaur live? Middle Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? Argentina, South America

Ceratosaurus

A large toothy killer, Ceratosaurus roamed the swamp lands of the late Jurassic, around 150 million years ago. During the time of Ceratosaurus, there was another, slightly larger predator named Allosaurus. Ceratosaurus was around 3-6 feet shorter. Ceratosaurus has skeletal features similar to modern day crocodiles, which lead some to believe it might have been a good swimmer. The name Ceratosaurus means “Horned Reptile”. This animal had a couple large horns on the end of its snout, along with several smaller horn like spikes running down its back.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Ceratosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Se-rat-owe-sore-uss

What does its name mean? Horned Reptile
How long was this dinosaur? 20.00 feet
6.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 1875.00 pounds

What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 150,000,000 Years Ago

In what period did this dinosaur live? Late Jurassic
Where did this dinosaur live? Portugal, Africa, Colorado, North America, Utah, Wyoming

Daspletosaurus

This ferocious hunter lived in the marshes and swamps of the late Cretaceous Period about 75 million years ago. Even though Daspletosaurus was a little smaller than the much more famous T-Rex, he was no less of a hunter. Daspletosaurus’ large teeth, some of the largest among any dinosaurs, suggest that it was able to tackle and kill very large and powerful prey.
Daspletosaurus may have been an ancestor of T-Rex, though the fossil evidence is unclear.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Daspletosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Dass-pleet-owe-sore-uss

What does its name mean? Frightful Flesh-Eating Reptile
How long was this dinosaur? 33.00 feet
10.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 6000.00 pounds

What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large Animals, Both Alive And Dead
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 75,000,000 Years Ago

In what period did this dinosaur live? Late Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? Alberta, North America

Dilophosaurus

The blockbuster movie Jurassic Park featured a Dilophosaurus attacking a man by spitting in his eyes, during a rainstorm. It is unlikely that the real Dilophosaurus could spit, or that it had extensible flaps around its neck as portrayed in the movie. Dilophosaurus dates back to around 200 million years ago, making it one of the first large meat-eating Dinosaurs. It had two thin ridges that grew over each eye, and that were each about half as large as a dinner plate. It is not known what these ridges were used for. Some scientists believe that they were for attracting a mate, or as a sign of maturity.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Dilophosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Die-loaf-owe-sore-uss

What does its name mean? Double-Crested Reptile
How long was this dinosaur? 20.00 feet, 6.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 880.00 pounds

What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 200,000,000 Years Ago

In what period did this dinosaur live? Early Jurassic
Where did this dinosaur live? Arizona, China, North America, Utah

Eustreptospondylus

Eustreptospondylus was originally discovered and named in the mid 1800s by the same scientist who coined the name “Dinosaur”. This massive predator probably hunted large and medium sized plant eaters during the middle of Earth’s Jurassic Period. Eustreptospondylus had a large head, full of short sharp teeth. Its skull had large weight-saving holes.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Eustreptospondylus
How do I pronounce it? You-strep-toe-spon-die-luss

What does its name mean? Well Curved Vertebrae
How long was this dinosaur? 26 feet, 8.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 510.00 pounds

What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 170,000,000 Years Ago

In what period did this dinosaur live? Middle Jurassic
Where did this dinosaur live? England, Europe

Giganotosaurus

For many decades it was believed that Tyrannosaurus was the largest land predator. This all changed in 1995 when a mechanic and part-time armature fossil hunter, named Ruben, Carolini, found an almost complete skeleton of an even larger hunter. This powerful monster was given the name Giganotosaurus which means large southern reptile.

Giganotosaurus’ head by itself would have been larger than most adult humans, meaning that Giganotosaurus could have eaten a Human in a single bite. Giganotosaurus had sharp arrow-tip shaped teeth, used for slicing through the thick hides of its victims. Why was Giganotosaurus so large? This animal was discovered in Argentina, which is famous for large Dinosaurs. The biggest dinosaurs ever discovered are mostly from this region. It is likely that other even larger hunters are still waiting to be found.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Giganotosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Jee-gah-noe-toe-sore-uss

What does its name mean? Mid-Cretaceous
How long was this dinosaur? 46.00 feet, 14.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 17000.00 pounds

What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Very Large Animals, Large Animals, Medium Sized Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 95,000,000 Years Ago

In what period did this dinosaur live? Middle Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? Argentina, South America

Also Check Out → Tyrannosaurus Rex Facts

Megalosaurus

Megalosaurus was among the very first Dinosaurs to be discovered and named. The first known fossils were found in the mid 1670s. Although these fossils have been lost, original illustrations of them still exist.
Megalosaurus was actually the very first Dinosaur to be officially named, even before the group of reptiles were called ‘Dinosaurs’. For many years, as other dinosaurs with sharp teeth were discovered, they were thought to be a Megalosaurus. Further study today has allowed peleontologists to separate them into many different animal groups.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Megalosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Meg-ah-low-sore-uss

What does its name mean? Great Reptile
How long was this dinosaur? 30 feet, 9 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 2000.00 pounds

What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large Animals
In what period did this dinosaur live? Middle Jurassic
Where did this dinosaur live? England, Europe

Spinosaurus

Both one of the largest, and also one of the strangest of the Dinosaur age, Spinosaurus had a long slender snout, and large sail on its back. Spinosaurus was originally discovered in Egypt in the early 1900s. The original fossils were destroyed however, in a bombing raid during World War II. The long snout of Spinosaurus may have been used to catch fish. Some scientists believe that Spinosaurus was a scavenger, using its alligator shaped mouth to eat the soft flesh of rotting animal carcasses.

Spinosaurus” sail was not unique. During the time period in which it lived, many other dinosaurs had sails, including just about every major type or group of Dinosaurs. What were these sails used for? Dinosaurs were, for the most part, cold-blooded animals. This means that they could not regulate their body temperature. When the whether outside cooled down, so did the body’s of these large animals. Sails may have been used to catch sunlight, and warm the blood Spinosaurus as well as other animals with sails.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Spinosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Spin-owe-sore-us
What does its name mean? Spiny Reptile
How long was this dinosaur? 46 feet, 14 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 6000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 95,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Middle to Late Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? Egypt, Africa

Suchomimus

Suchomimus lived in the ancient marshes that were once found in what is today the Sahara Desert. Suchomimus probably used its long narrow snout to catch fish, and other slippery water animals.
The teeth of Suchomimus were small, dull, and numerous. The front most teeth were longer, which may have allowed it to trap prey.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Suchomimus
How do I pronounce it? Soo-koe-mim-uss
What does its name mean? Crocodile Mimic
How long was this dinosaur? 36 feet, 11 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 4000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Animals such as fish
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 140,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Early And Middle Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? Niger, Africa

Tyrannosaurus

The King of the Dinosaurs, and certainly the most famous. Tyrannosaurus Rex Has lived in the imaginations of children and adults for decades. Staring in many films, books, and television shows, Tyrannosaurus was certainly a terrifying hunter.

For almost 90 years, T-Rex was the largest known predator to have ever walked on the Earth. It was not until Giganotosaurus was discovered in Argentina in the 1990s that T-Rex was beat by a larger discovered Predator.

Tyrannosaurus was one of the last Dinosaurs to die out. Being a late Theropod, it had just two digits or fingers in its upper forearms. The early Theropods had four digits. As the Age of the Dinosaurs progressed, they slowly lost fingers to three, and finally two. There arms also became much smaller.

Tyrannosaurus’ arms were so short, that they were probably not very useful. Its huge head which was about 4 and a half feet long could have been used to swallow a human in one bite. In order to reduce the weight, Tyrannosaurus’ head was full of holes, an adaptation seen in many dinosaurs.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Tyrannosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Tie-ran-owe-sore-uss
What does its name mean? Tyrant Reptile
How long was this dinosaur? 40.00 feet, 12.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 12000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 65,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Late Cretaceous
Where did this dinosaur live? Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North America, Utah, Wyoming

Yangchuanosaurus

Yangchuanosaurus lived in China about 150 million years ago. This dinosaur is very similar to Allosaurus which lived about the same time in North America. Yangchuanosaurus had short arms, sharp claws and teeth, and powerful legs, which it used to crush its prey. It is believed that Yangchuanosaurus probably stalked the young of large plant eating dinosaurs. However, because few specimens have been found, it is difficult to know for certain.

What is this dinosaur’s name? Yangchuanosaurus
How do I pronounce it? Yan-hoo-an-owe-sore-uss
What does its name mean? Reptile of Yang-ch’un (Location of Discovery)
How long was this dinosaur? 30.00 feet
9.00 meters
How heavy was this dinosaur? 4000.00 pounds
What class was this dinosaur assigned to? Theropoda
What did this dinosaur eat? Large And Medium Sized Animals
How many years ago did this dinosaur live? 150,000,000 Years Ago
In what period did this dinosaur live? Late Jurassic
Where did this dinosaur live? Asia, Chin

10 Largest Carnivorous Dinosaurs

Meet the 10 biggest carnivore dinosaurs that inhabited the planet earth. But these dinosaurs were not only big, but also ferocious and dangerous.