Karkinos
Farmer · 14 maps
Overview
The Karkinos is a large carnivore tamed primarily for its unique weight reduction capabilities. It excels at reducing the weight of resources it carries, making it a valuable asset for transport logistics. This dino is commonly used to ferry heavy materials across long distances efficiently. It can be airlifted by Tusoteuthis for rapid deployment. It can carry smaller creatures such as Achatina, Ankylosaurus, Araneo, and Archaeopteryx in its claws for transport.
Spawn Locations
14 mapsKarkinos spawns commonly in bio-zones, caves, and fertile zones. It appears across 14 ARK maps, with higher concentrations typically found in underground cave systems and nutrient-rich surface regions.
Each shape is a real spawn volume. Click for exact chance and zone info.
Taming a Karkinos requires knockout using ranged weapons. The best food is Exceptional Kibble, which provides the fastest taming effectiveness. Spoiled Meat also works if kibble is unavailable. Use Bow or Crossbow with Tranq Arrows to sedate it. Immobilize it first with a Chain Bola, Bear Trap, or Large Bear Trap. The process takes around 62 minutes and requires approximately 17 Narcotics. Use the calculator below for your settings.
| Food | Qty | Time | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
 Exceptional KibbleBest | 13 | 32:21 | 74 Lvl (224) |
 Spoiled Meat | 49 | 1:11:29 | 72 Lvl (222) |
 Raw Meat | 323 | 2:21:22 | 29 Lvl (179) |
 Raw Fish Meat | 807 | 2:56:36 | 7 Lvl (157) |
Drops & Harvest Resources
Killing a Karkinos yields Chitin, Raw Meat, and Organic Polymer. The Pick yields the most Raw Meat, while the Hatchet is best for Organic Polymer and the Dino (Omnivore) tool maximizes Chitin.
| Resource |  Pick |  Hatchet |
|---|---|---|
| 40%~73~21 hits | 70%~128~17 hits | |
| 60%~30~21 hits | 30%~15~17 hits | |
| 40%~27~21 hits | 70%~47~17 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
Karkinos has a strong resistance to instant damage sources, taking -90% less damage. It is highly vulnerable to Instant HurtDinos effects, taking +120% more damage. Spike walls exploit its +100% weakness, making them effective in defense. Explosions deal 50% more damage, so avoid using them near structures.
Kill XP
Wild Kill (1.25×)6 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 | 1200.0 | +240.00 | +4.00% |
 Stamina | 600.0 | +60.00 | +2.00% |
 Torpidity | 800.0 | +48.00 | +0.00% |
 Food | 5000.0 | +500.00 | +2.00% |
 Weight | 800.0 | +16.00 | +0.80% |
 Melee Damage Multiplier | 100.0% | +5.00% | +10.00% |
 Speed Multiplier | 100.0% | +0.00% | +1.00% |
Hitbox Multipliers
The head of Karkinos takes 1.5× damage, making headshots more effective for faster knockouts or kills. Target this zone when sedating or fighting it.
Can Damage
Can break Thatch and Wood. Build at least in Stone.
Thatch
Wood
Stone
Metal
Tek| Attack | Base | Thatch | Wood | Stone | Metal | Tek |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ClawLftCarnivore Medium | 32 | 176.0 | 96.0 | — | — | — |
| ClawRitCarnivore Medium | 32 | 176.0 | 96.0 | — | — | — |
| ClawAttackDoubleSmashCarnivore Medium | 50 | 275.0 | 150.0 | — | — | — |
| ClawLftWildCarnivore Medium | 15 | 82.5 | 45.0 | — | — | — |
| ClawRitWildCarnivore Medium | 15 | 82.5 | 45.0 | — | — | — |
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
Karkinos Tips & Tricks
Karkinos reduces Chitin, Raw Meat, and Organic Polymer weight by 50%.
It can be carried by Tusoteuthis, enabling aerial transport.
It can carry Achatina, Ankylosaurus, Araneo, and Archaeopteryx in its claws.
Highly vulnerable to Instant HurtDinos effects, taking +120% damage.
Resistant to instant damage, taking 90% less.
Vulnerable to spike walls, which deal +100% damage.
This page details the Karkinos's stats, taming requirements, breeding mechanics, harvest drops, and combat data. For further assistance, refer to the taming calculator, breeding calculator, and spawn map located at the top of the page.