Thorny Dragon
Taming the Thorny Dragon requires applying enough torpor to knock it out. Use tranquilizer projectiles, then place food in its inventory. Torpor bleeds at 0.5/s, requiring regular sedative application to prevent a premature wakeup.
| Food | Food Quantity (Current/Max) | Taming Time | Effectiveness |
|---|---|---|---|
Regular Kibble | 25:35 | 74 Lvl (224) 99.63% | |
Raw Mutton | 37:30 | 73 Lvl (223) 97.74% | |
Raw Prime Meat | 46:53 | 72 Lvl (222) 96.55% | |
Cooked Lamb Chop | 1:14:56 | 68 Lvl (218) 91.51% | |
Cooked Prime Meat | 1:37:24 | 64 Lvl (214) 86.34% | |
Raw Prime Fish Meat | 58:08 | 61 Lvl (211) 81.68% | |
Raw Meat | 2:30:00 | 54 Lvl (204) 72.65% | |
Cooked Prime Fish Meat | 2:08:07 | 36 Lvl (186) 48.91% | |
Cooked Meat | 2:30:00 | 29 Lvl (179) 39.86% | |
Raw Fish Meat | 3:07:30 | 22 Lvl (172) 29.78% | |
Cooked Fish Meat | 3:07:02 | 7 Lvl (157) 9.61% |
Use the calculator results to plan your tame - they show the exact time, food quantity, and bonus levels for the Thorny Dragon based on your settings.
The table shows how many sedatives you'll need to keep the Thorny Dragon unconscious through the full taming duration. Bio Toxin is twice as potent as Narcotics (80 vs 40 Torpor per use), while Narcoberries work in a pinch at just 7.5 Torpor each. At 0.5 Torpor drain per second, apply narcotics proactively - a wakeup mid-tame wastes everything.
The real-time timers below help you monitor Torpor drain and Food depletion during the tame. Starve taming is recommended for valuable high-level Thorny Dragon: let the Food stat deplete first, then add food. This way nothing is wasted if something goes wrong.
Take a look at this short video guide on how to tame a Thorny Dragon.
Estimated time until optimal feeding point: 25m 35s
Food to consume through starvation: 682
Target food level: 3518
Use the knockout chart to see exactly how many Tranq Arrows, Darts, or other torpor weapons it takes to down the Thorny Dragon. Wait between shots for torpor to tick up. Firing too fast can kill the creature before it goes down.
To simplify the knockout, immobilize the Thorny Dragon first with Chain Bola or Bear Trap. Alternatively, use a Karkinos to airlift it into a pre-built trap.
The Thorny Dragon, a tamable, carnivore creature in ARK: Survival Ascended, is a notable presence across multiple maps. It falls within the Misc classification.
Stamina sits at 350 base, providing respectable staying power. With 100% base Melee Damage, the Thorny Dragon has solid damage output. Starting at 260 Health, it's not particularly tanky. It carries 300 base Weight - generous inventory space.
Taming the Thorny Dragon requires rendering it unconscious first - use Tranq Arrows, Darts, or Shocking Tranq Darts to apply torpor. Feed it Regular Kibble for the fastest tame and highest effectiveness bonus.
After taming, the Thorny Dragon earns its keep through resource gathering, making tedious farming runs much faster. It reproduces by laying eggs, which must be incubated between 22°C and 28°C. A wild Thorny Dragon is worth 6 base experience when killed. It can be cloned at a Cloning Chamber for 0.48 Element plus 0.01 Element per level.