Ark Survival Evolved – [TOP 5] Best Dinosaurs to Tame

Ark Survival Evolved is a game that focuses on survival in a ruthless world but above all, it focuses on the dinosaurs. Dinosaurs belonging to the earth, air, and sky, roam the map available for taming at the player’s will. In fact, there are so many prehistoric animals in the game that you’ll often be perplexed as to what to tame and what not to.  We hope you enjoy our guide on Top 5 Best Dinosaurs to Tame – Ark Survival Evolved!

Taming is one of the best mechanics of the game as it allows you to use dinosaurs for basically every aspect of the game. You can use them to travel great distances, fight creatures you had no chance of winning against before, and even collect resources at a rate better than ever before. 

It can be hard to decide which ones to tame though as there are just so many dinosaurs in the base game alone, add the DLC ones and you’ve got so many choices that you’re head is going to start spinning.

That is why this guide was made so that you could know which dinosaurs are absolutely essential. We’ll go over where to find the dinosaurs, what the most effective method of taming them is, and what they can be used for. 

You should also know that to use all of the dinosaurs effectively you’re going to need a saddle which you’ll have to craft on your own. Blueprints for the various saddles are unlocked through leveling up so you might have to wait for a few levels if you want to ride one of your tamed dinosaurs.

Crafting dinosaur saddles can be an arduous task as they can take a lot of resources to make but the effort is well worth it as it allows you to play the game very differently. 

Taming dinosaurs is not just a mechanic of the game, it is the way the game is meant to be played so if you aren’t taming dinosaurs then you’re missing out on a lot of what it has to offer.

Keep in mind though, this guide is for the beginner dinosaurs, ones that you’ll use to get to the endgame in Ark Survival Evolved. If you’re looking for a guide for the best dinos to take into a boss fight then keep an eye on our website as that will be coming up shortly. 

Pteranodon

Pteranodons are one of the dinosaurs that you’ll spot early on in the game as they are abundant and can be found pretty much everywhere. They are flying dinosaurs so they don’t have many predators and are pretty easy to tame. 

Where to find a Pteranodon in Ark Survival Evolved

To find a Pteranodon all you have to do is look up while on the south beach as they are starter dinosaurs and are thus abundantly found in the starting area.

They often land on the beach so you can get a look at them but will fly away if you get too close or try to attack them. They are fairly passive as they don’t fight back if attacked, instead, they choose to run away which can be a little annoying if you don’t know how to deal with them. 

How to tame a Pteranodon in Ark Survival Evolved

It is incredibly easy to tame a Pteranodon if you have the right tools for the job. In this case, all you’ll need is a couple of Bolas, a crossbow, some tranquilizer bolts, narcotics, and meat.

To effectively tame one of these creatures just throw the bola at them first so that they aren’t able to fly away once you start unloading bolts into them. Shoot enough bolts with the crossbow and they’ll go down, ready to be tamed. 

Taming dinosaurs is really easy as all you have to do is put meat in their inventory. They’ll eat it on their own and you’ll notice the taming bar go up.

Taming certain dinosaurs, especially higher-level ones, can take a while so make sure to keep an eye on how long they are knocked out for. To increase this time, just force-feed them narcotics or narco berries and they’ll remain knocked out. 

When actually shooting them with the bolts make sure that you renew the bola if the first one is knocked loose as it will allow the dinosaur to escape.

Also, make sure that you remain with the dinosaur as knocked out dinosaurs are easy prey and any carnivorous dinosaur could attack the unconscious beast for a free meal. 

Why tame a Pteranodon

You should use them for travel and exploration mainly as they aren’t the best in a fight. They are important because it is an easy way to get a steed so that you can scout out other dinosaurs and add them to your party. 

You can’t shoot anything while on a Pteranodon but you won’t have to because while flying high above, not many creatures will be able to attack you.

Their flying is limited by their stamina though so keep an eye on that bar and land in safe spots regularly because if you run out of stamina mid-air the creature will just land immediately and could expose you to a number of deadly risks. 

Ankylosaurus

This particular dinosaur is one that everyone should be familiar with as it is often seen in pop-culture. It is a spiked land animal with a club-like tail that packs a mean punch. It is a very easy tame and can be added to your party fairly early into the game. 

Where to find an Ankylosaurus in Ark Survival Evolved

Ankylosaurus can be found almost everywhere just like Pteranodons as they are also low-level dinosaurs. You can find them in the tree line of the beach in herds. They can also be found on Herbivore Island which is one of the two islands on the original map. 

How to tame an Ankylosaurus in Ark Survival Evolved

The process to tame an Ankylosaurus is a little different than for the Pteranodon as this one can’t fly away. It will also become aggressive once you start hitting it so you have to make sure that you stay safe while trying to tame this dinosaur. The easiest way to do this is to find a good rock to post up on and take pot shots from there. 

Rocks aren’t 100% effective but they work most of the time. If you’re having trouble with this approach you can also lure the dinosaur to a cliff and shoot from there. This keeps you safe from harm’s way but remember that once it’s about to go down it will start running away so you’ll have to chase it down to finish the job. 

Why tame an Ankylosaurus

Ankylosaurus is an important dinosaur to have because of the resource collection value they have. Collecting metal with them is a breeze because instead of using a tool you can just whack rocks with the tail of the dinosaur and it will start collecting the fallen resources.

Ankylosaurus also gets a boost to the collection rate so you’ll be collecting a lot more metal than you can with just tools. You’re going to be using a lot of metal once you start making armor, guns, and strong dinosaur saddles so this dinosaur is an absolute essential. 

Argentavis

Now we come to my favorite dinosaur, the Argentavis. I would say that this is one of the best dinosaurs in the game, no matter what level you are or what you are doing. This creature looks like a hippogriff and can fly.

Taming one is no easy feat but it is so worth it because of the utility and the combat usefulness that they can provide. They also come in a lot of cool-looking colors and plumage so if you’re looking to add a little flair to your dino steeds then Argentavis is your best bet. 

Where to find an Argentavis in Ark Survival Evolved

The best spot to find Argentavis is on top of the mountain that is present in the middle of the map. That is also where you’re going to want to go for Crystal and Metal so you should have no trouble finding one.

Keep in mind though, their spawn location is similar to that of T-Rexes so taming one is hard but not impossible. You should also try and go for a high-level one as its stats are going to be significantly better than the lower ones. 

How to tame Argentavis in Ark Survival Evolved

Taming Argentavis can be a little tricky because they are flying dinosaurs that you’re not going to see land often. They are also highly aggressive so you might want to keep your distance when taming this one. There are two simple ways that you can get one though. 

The first is through the use of a second player and a Pteranodon. Have the other player sit on the Pteranodon and pick you up. Make sure to have armor on both players as well as a saddle that offers high protection to the dinosaur.

You should also keep in mind the carrying capacity of the Pteranodon because it can’t carry a lot of weight. If both the players are too heavy then it will move very slowly, or it might not even move at all. 

For this method to work you’ll need a gun and tranq bullets. Just have the other player fly in a range of an Argentavis and shoot while in the air. This method keeps you safe from danger and makes it so that you can follow an Argentavis easily. Keep your distance though because Argentavis is deadly.

The second method involves constructing a trap with building parts. For this to work all you need to do is lead an Argentavis through a semi-constructed building with pillars that you can shoot through. Lead the Argentavis through the trap and close it off trapping it inside. Then just shoot and knock it down. 

Why tame a Argentavis

Argentavis can be used for combat, exploration, and transportation. They can carry significantly more weight than Pteranodons, they are more adept at combat as they can even pick up raptors and dispose of them mid-air.

They also have a ton of stamina so you don’t have to worry about landing as often with Argentavis. 

T-Rex

T-Rex is the baddest of the bad, the most popular of the dinosaurs, and for good reason. They are mean, pack a punch, and can take a beating. They will carry you through a lot of fights and are the most used dinosaurs in Ark Survival Evolved for all levels.

Where to find a T-Rex in Ark Survival Evolved

You can find T-Rexes around the mountain where Argentavis live. They can also be found scattered around the map because they can survive in a variety of temperatures. Once you have a flying dinosaur, you’ll have no trouble finding one.

How to tame a T-Rex in Ark Survival Evolved

Taming T-Rexes can be a dangerous task but the best way to go about it would be to solicit another player’s help. Have them carry you around on a flying dinosaur and just shoot from above. This keeps you away from harm’s way and makes sure that you can always chase it down. 

Why tame a T-Rex

T-Rexes are mostly used for combat. They can also be used for exploration and resource collection as they can handle pretty much any fight and get a bonus for collecting meat. 

Mammoth

The Mammoth is the odd one on this list as it is the only one that is a mammal, and one that can be exclusively found in the snowy tundra up north. That being said, it is extremely useful to have a Mammoth on your team.

Where to find a Mammoth in Ark Survival Evolved

Finding a Mammoth is easy. All you have to do is go up north and as soon as you enter the snow biome you’ll start seeing Mammoths being scattered around the area. 

How to tame a Mammoth in Ark Survival Evolved

Taming one is also easy as they are not particularly fast and won’t be able to run far. You can use the flying method for maximum effectiveness or you could post up on a rock, the choice is yours.

Why tame a Mammoth

Mammoths can withstand the cold, are pretty beefy, and are great sources of wood. Using them you can get a lot of wood really fast. They can also carry a lot of wood at a time so you can upgrade your beavers to this one.

Conclusion

Almost all the dinosaurs in the game are useful because of one reason or another so focus on this list but don’t forget to tame other ones as well. Some other great ones are Spinosaurus, Carnotaurus, and Quetzal.  We hope you enjoyed our guide on Top 5 Best Dinosaurs to Tame – Ark Survival Evolved!

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