Carnotaurus
DMG · 22 maps
Overview
The Carnotaurus is a medium-sized carnivore designed for high-damage melee combat. It excels at quickly dispatching other creatures and structures, making it a frontline offensive mount. This dino can be airlifted by Quetzal or Tusoteuthis for rapid deployment behind enemy lines.
Players typically tame the Carnotaurus for raiding and PvP engagements where fast, aggressive pressure is needed.
Spawn Locations
23 mapsCarnotaurus spawns commonly across a wide range of biomes including deserts, forests, mountains, snow regions, and volcanic zones. It appears on 22 ARK maps, making it widely accessible. The highest spawn density is typically found in red zones and dark caves, so scouting these areas increases encounter chances.
Each shape is a real spawn volume. Click for exact chance and zone info.
Taming a Carnotaurus requires a knockout method. Use a Bow, Crossbow, or Longneck Rifle with Tranq Arrows or Tranquilizer Darts to sedate it. Immobilize it first with a Chain Bola, Bear Trap, or Large Bear Trap to prevent escape.
The best food for taming is Regular Kibble, yielding the fastest affinity gain. Raw Mutton also works well. The process takes about 42 minutes and requires no Narcotics. Use the calculator below for your settings.
| Food | Qty | Time | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
 Regular KibbleBest | 6 | 23:02 | 74 Lvl (224) |
 Raw Mutton | 12 | 27:01 | 73 Lvl (223) |
 Raw Prime Meat | 15 | 33:46 | 73 Lvl (223) |
 Cooked Lamb Chop | 21 | 47:12 | 71 Lvl (221) |
 Raw Meat | 43 | 1:36:46 | 62 Lvl (212) |
| +6 more in calculator→ | |||
Drops & Harvest Resources
Killing a Carnotaurus yields Hide, Raw Meat, Raw Prime Meat, and Keratin. The Hatchet provides the most Hide and Keratin, while the Pick yields the highest quantity of Raw Meat and Raw Prime Meat.
| Resource |  Pick |  Hatchet |
|---|---|---|
| 40%~15~12 hits | 60%~22~9 hits | |
| 60%~17~12 hits | 40%~11~9 hits | |
| 3%~1~12 hits | 2%~0~9 hits | |
| 2%~1~12 hits | 3%~1~9 hits |
Estimates based on game-extracted data (weights, quantities, harvest multipliers, damage type chains). Each harvest event independently rolls each resource - higher weight = higher drop chance. Actual yields vary with RNG.
Damage Resistances
The Carnotaurus takes +200% more damage from spike walls, making it highly vulnerable in defensive perimeters that utilize them. It also takes +120% damage from general melee attacks. Conversely, it has a -50% resistance to ranged turret fire and projectile impacts, reducing incoming damage from those sources. Level Health and Melee Damage.
Kill XP
Wild Kill (1.25×)18 base × 15.9 level × 4 × 1.25× wild kill × 1× server
Server Settings(Game.ini)
Official servers use non-1× defaults; the values above already reflect official rates.
| Stat | Base (Lv.1) | Wild +/Lv | Tamed +/Lv |
|---|---|---|---|
 Health | 420.0 | +84.00 | +4.00% |
 Stamina | 300.0 | +30.00 | +2.00% |
 Torpidity | 350.0 | +21.00 | +0.00% |
 Oxygen | 150.0 | +15.00 | +2.00% |
 Food | 2000.0 | +200.00 | +2.00% |
 Weight | 300.0 | +6.00 | +0.80% |
 Melee Damage Multiplier | 100.0% | +5.00% | +10.00% |
 Speed Multiplier | 100.0% | +0.00% | +1.25% |
Hitbox Multipliers
The head of the Carnotaurus takes 1.5× damage, making headshots more effective for faster knockouts.
Can Damage
Can break Thatch and Wood. Build at least in Stone.
Thatch
Wood
Stone
Metal
Tek| Attack | Base | Thatch | Wood | Stone | Metal | Tek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BiteCarnivore Medium Penetrating | 35 | 192.5 | 105.0 | — | — | — |
| GoreCarnivore Medium Bleed | 35 | 192.5 | 105.0 | — | — | — |
Numbers reflect base melee at level 1, 100% TE, no imprint. The damage calculator lets you scale by melee %, server multipliers, and pick a specific structure for exact hit counts.
Tools & Guides
Carnotaurus Tips & Tricks
The Carnotaurus takes 200% more damage from spike walls. Exploit this weakness when defending against one.
It is highly susceptible to melee damage, taking 120% more. Group fighters can quickly take it down.
It resists ranged turret fire and projectile impacts, taking 50% less damage. This makes it somewhat durable against automated defenses.
It can be carried by Quetzal, allowing for aerial repositioning during combat or escape.
This page details the Carnotaurus's stats, taming process, breeding conditions, harvest yields, and combat performance. For precise calculations, refer to the taming calculator, breeding calculator, and spawn map located below.