Castoroides
Farmer · 21 maps
Overview
Castoroides is a large herbivore that serves as a dedicated farmer. It reduces the weight of Wood, Fiber, Stone, and Thatch by 50% each, making it ideal for hauling bulk resources. Players tame it to streamline base construction and resource transport. It can be airlifted by Argentavis, Karkinos, Megalosaurus, Quetzal, or Tusoteuthis for rapid deployment.
This weight reduction applies to inventory items, allowing survivors to carry significantly more per trip. Its compact size and passive nature make it easy to manage in groups. It does not gather resources while ridden but excels purely as a load-bearing pack animal.
Spawn Locations
21 mapsCastoroides spawns on 21 ARK maps and is very common. It typically appears in forested and swamp biomes. Green zones on the spawn map indicate the highest concentration. Look near water sources and dense vegetation for the best chance to locate one.
Each shape is a real spawn volume. Click for exact chance and zone info.
Tame Castoroides using knockout methods. Use a Bola or trap it in a Bear Trap to immobilize it. Then knock it out with a Wooden Club, Electric Prod, or ranged weapon such as a Bow with Tranq Arrows. Feed it Superior Kibble for the fastest taming. Mejoberry is a viable alternative if kibble is unavailable. The process takes about 42 minutes and requires approximately 137 Narcotics. Use the calculator below for your settings.
| Food | Qty | Time | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
 Superior KibbleBest | 6 | 23:02 | 74 Lvl (224) |
 Archelon Algae | 14 | 25:13 | 74 Lvl (224) |
 Crops | 54 | 1:37:13 | 71 Lvl (221) |
 Mejoberry | 71 | 1:35:52 | 68 Lvl (218) |
    | 107 | 1:36:19 | 62 Lvl (212) |
| +2 more in calculator→ | |||
Drops & Harvest Resources
Killing a Castoroides yields Hide, Raw Meat, and Pelt. The Hatchet is the best tool for harvesting Hide and Pelt, while the Pick maximizes Raw Meat yield.
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.
Gathering Abilities
While ridden, Castoroides harvests resources using its primary attack. It gathers Wood and Fiber at 8× efficiency. Berries, Seeds, Mushrooms, Rare Flowers, Rare Mushrooms, and Cactus Sap are gathered at 10× efficiency. This includes Mejoberry, Narcoberry, Stimberry, Rare Flower, Cactus Sap, and various seed types. It is one of the most efficient berry and seed gatherers in the game.
Weight Reduction
Reduces inventory weight by 50% for Wood, Fiber, Stone, and Thatch. Pair with a Argentavis or Quetzal to maintain this reduction during aerial transport.
Damage Resistances
Castoroides has a +120% weakness to Instant HurtDinos, making it highly vulnerable to spike walls and similar traps. It is -60% resistant to fire-based attacks, reducing damage from flame turrets and incendiary weapons. It also resists explosive and melee-based turrets by -50%. Avoid using it in fire-heavy defenses. Level Health and Melee Damage for better survivability.
Kill XP
Wild Kill (1.25×)4 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 | 450.0 | +90.00 | +4.00% |
 Stamina | 180.0 | +18.00 | +2.00% |
 Torpidity | 350.0 | +21.00 | +0.00% |
 Oxygen | 750.0 | +75.00 | +2.00% |
 Food | 2000.0 | +200.00 | +2.00% |
 Weight | 300.0 | +6.00 | +0.80% |
 Melee Damage Multiplier | 100.0% | +4.00% | +10.00% |
 Speed Multiplier | 100.0% | +0.00% | +1.00% |
Hitbox Multipliers
The head has a 1.5× damage multiplier, making headshots effective for faster knockout. Target the head when sedating to reduce taming time.
Can Damage
Can break Thatch and Wood. Build at least in Stone.
Thatch
Wood
Stone
Metal
Tek| Attack | Base | Thatch | Wood | Stone | Metal | Tek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack 1Herbivore Medium MoreWood | 28 | 154.0 | 84.0 | — | — | — |
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
Castoroides Tips & Tricks
The primary attack gathers Mejoberry and Narcoberry at 10× efficiency, making it ideal for narcotic farming. It also harvests Stimberry and Rare Flower at maximum efficiency. Its 50% weight reduction on key building resources streamlines base supply runs. It can be carried by Argentavis, enabling fast aerial logistics. Despite its fragility, its resistance to fire and turrets offers minor protection in ranged engagements. Avoid spike-based enemy defenses due to its extreme vulnerability.
This page details the Castoroides's stats, taming requirements, breeding times, harvest yields, and combat properties. For precise planning, use the taming calculator, breeding calculator, and spawn map tools available on this site.
