ARK is all about dinosaurs and lucky us, we get to keep them as pets!
If you're just starting out and confused about how taming really works then we have the answer.
Below we'll give you a run down of all the important factors when taming a dinosaur.
How To Tame Dinosaurs
Choosing Your Tame
First of all, you'll want to decide which species you want to tame based on what you need it for.
A good starter dino for protection is a Dilophosaurus.
Be careful as they usually come in a pack and getting poisoned by a few early game will likely kill you.
If you're looking for a mount to get you from place to place, the Pachy would be a good beginner option.
Otherwise, if you're a little further into your playthrough and need something to collect metals then pick an Ankylosaurus.
You can find out more about each creature by finding explorer notes across the map and encountering them.
Knocking Out Dinosaurs
Certain dinos can be tamed by feeding them directly from your hotbar, these are few and far between though.
They will be identified by a prompt you receive when approaching them.
Otherwise, you'll have to knock out your target.
The most basic way to do this is with wooden clubs or slingshots, though they quickly become useless as you go for more dangerous creatures.
Animals like the T-Rex or Triceratops will require using tranquilliser arrows, darts, crossbows and longneck rifles.
These items are a great deal more effective but will set you back in terms of resources.
Once the dino is knocked out, you'll want to put some narcoberries or narcotics to keel their torpor low and keep them unconscious.
You can do so by dragging them from your inventory into theirs.
Picking The Right Food
Next up you'll want to place some food in their inventory to actually tame them.
Herbivores will eat berries, and carnivores eat meat though there are other types of food that will increase taming speed.
Kibble is one of the most efficient ways to tame though early in the game it's not easy to make.
Usually, raw prime meat and mejoberries are generally the best food options.
Here, you can find a list of each species and what they prefer.
Team Up
An easier why to tame dinos is by doing it with other players.
This way you can get a lot more tranq arrows in your target.
Otherwise, you can have a friend keep watch for any enemies while you tame the creature!
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