Taming more than just dinosaurs is essential to staying alive on The Island. From collecting resources to staying warm underwater, these are the 15 best creatures with unique abilities to tame in Ark Survival Ascended.
Top 15 Tameable Creatures and Animals With Unique Abilities in ASA
The list of tameable creatures and animals in Ark: Survival Ascended is much larger than the one I’ve curated below. However, these are the ones I think are the very best choices. I use them repeatedly to perform important tasks on The Island — and to survive.
- Otter
- Castoroides
- Argentavis
- Basilosaurus
- Direwolf
- Beelzebufo
- Tusoteuthis
- Equus
- Mammoth
- Megatherium
- Dung Beetle
- Mesopithecus
- Rhyniognatha
- Procoptodon
- Liopleurodon
15. Otter
The Otter is a cute, friendly ASA creature that’s easy to tame. It can be tamed at the beginning of the game. It’s also one of the best early-game Silica Pearl collectors thanks to its Pearls Collector passive ability, which lets it harvest them from small fish it kills. It can even harvest the occasional Black Pearl.
14. Castoroides
Giant Beavers are perfect for transporting basic resources, thanks to their weight reduction ability. Wood, Fiber, Stone, and Thatch weights are reduced by 50% when carried by Castoroides. As such, it’s one of the best gatherers in Survival Ascended.
13. Argentavis
The Argentavis is extremely versatile. It carries large amounts of harvestable items, flies, and grabs other creatures with its beak. A tamed, high-level Argentavis is a good hunting mount, able to defeat some Alpha creatures with ease. Like the Giant Beaver, it reduces the weight of the following items by 50%:
- Black Pearl
- Crystal
- Metal
- Metal Ingot
- Obsidian
- Organic Polymer
- Polymer
- Stone
- Scrap Metal Ingot
12. Basilosaurus
While they look scary, Basilosauruses tolerate players better than most other creatures, animals, and dinos. It’s the best underwater mount because of its Insulation passive, giving the rider extra Hypo- and Hyperthermia resistance. It’s also immune to Electric attacks, produces oil while moving, and can’t be nabbed by the Giant Squid.
11. Direwolf
A pack of Direwolves is just what you want defending your base. They’re great at keeping larger dinos away. Each pack member gains a buff depending on how many there are, with the strongest Direwolf receiving the Howl ability.
10. Beelzebufo
As in real life, frogs are great insect repellants. Except the Beelzebufo secretes Cementing Paste when it eats a bug. Leeches don’t aggro it, either, which makes it perfect for farming Leech Blood. Couple that with its ability to swim and jump far distances, and you have a great utility mount. I have a few just to keep the Giant Bees away.
9. Tusoteuthis
When it comes to taming an aquatic creature that can also collect resources, you can’t go wrong with the Giant Squid. What’s better than a legion of long arms when it comes to harvesting resources? Not only can it collect items without taking damage, but it passively creates Oil, as well.
8. Equus
The Equus, much like our modern-day equines, is fleet-footed and can run without using much stamina. It’s also capable of carrying large loads at 80% weight reduction. These include:
- Achatina Paste
- Cactus Sap
- Cementing Paste
- Clay
- Sand
It also gets a 50% weight reduction bonus for these resources:
- Chitin
- Keratin
- Stone
7. Mammoth
Don’t underestimate a Mammoth. While slow, it has a lot of fight. Mammoths have no problem taking on many of the carnos around The Island. Take advantage of its high w eight capacity to transport your base, or use it to trample smaller creatures. Oh, and it’s also great for harvesting Rare Mushroom and Rare Flower.
6. Megatherium
Another creature great for attacking insects, taming Megatherium also makes the Broodmother boss fight easier. Thanks to its Insect Killer buff, beating creepy crawlies is faster, and farming Chitin is more effective. If you level up Megatherium’s health, it makes a great tank.
5. Dung Beetle
The lowly Dung Beetle. While it may seem pointless to tame this ASA creature, the Dung Beetle’s ability to collect poo is extremely important for high-quality fertilizer and other crafting. Dung can be hard to find once expelled. Thankfully the Dung Beetle makes hunting for any poop — or cleaning an animal pen — a cinch.
4. Mesopithecus
Speaking of poop, tame a Mesopithecus if you want a dung slinger. I use it as an alarm, letting it wrap its arms around my shoulders. And it’s not regular dookie, either. The Mesopithecus throws poisoned feces at threats, slowing enemies and letting you get away — or get the drop.
3. Rhyniognatha
Rhyniognatha is an interesting creature. You can’t tame a wild one or breed them once tamed. However, it passively turns Sap into Resin, and then uses it as a weapon against enemies, shooting it out as various projectiles: bombs, needles, and rockets. Its saddle has room for two players, too, making it effective for air support during a raid.
2. Procoptodon
An ancient kangaroo, Procoptodon has one of the best jumps in Ark Survival Ascended. Taming it is essential if you want to breed it — and you should. Its Mate Boosted ability decreases the amount of food needed by babies. Its pouch is also big, letting you transport other babies or other players. I often use the Procoptodon as a combat mount just because of that.
1. Liopleurodon
Finally, we come to the Liopleurodon. While not frequently tamed, its Lucky passive ability makes it worth the trouble. Lucky confers the Mystic Skin Oil buff, which lasts for six hours after you stop riding it. Not only does it reduce Oxygen consumption, but it also increases the value of items in a supply crate and gives them a little sparkle.
After playing for dozens of hours, that’s my list of the 15 of the best creatures to tame with unique abilities in Ark Survival Ascended. For more tips and tricks, check out our ASA guides vault by clicking the link or hopping over to my list of must-tame dinos or my article on how to find a Rex.
