Quick answer: To tame a Castoroides in ARK Survival Ascended you knock it out with tranquilizers and feed it Superior Kibble (its favorite) or, without kibble, Vegetables or Mejoberries. A level 150 one needs 11 Superior Kibble, about 119 Narcotics and roughly 42 minutes at official 1x rates; on Tharyon, with 8x taming, 2 kibble and about 8 minutes are enough.
Updated October 2026 for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA).
The Castoroides is a giant beaver and one of the best wood gatherers in the game. It carries wood, thatch, fiber and stone at half weight and its saddle doubles as a smithy. Raiding its dams also gives wood, Cementing Paste and Silica Pearls.
Castoroides quick facts in ARK Survival Ascended
| Diet | Herbivore |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Friendly, but defends its dam |
| Taming method | Knockout (knock it out, then feed it) |
| Preferred kibble | Superior Kibble |
| Best food | Archelon Algae and Vegetables |
| How to immobilize it | Bola, Large Bear Trap, Plant Species Y Trap and Net Projectile |
| How to knock it out | Tranquilizer Darts or Tranq Arrows, Slingshot or Wooden Club; fire quickly because its torpor drains fast |
| Saddle | Castoroides Saddle (level 61); it works as a mobile Smithy |
| Maps (ASA) | The Island, The Center, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Genesis: Part 1, Lost Island |
How to tame a Castoroides step by step
- Prepare Superior Kibble or lots of Vegetables or Mejoberries, and plenty of Narcotics.
- Draw it out of the water: in water it is fast and dangerous. On land it climbs poorly, so high ground keeps you safe.
- Pin it with a bola and fire tranquilizers in quick succession until it drops.
- Add only the food you want it to eat and give Narcotics often, because its torpor falls quickly.
- Stay close until the end to protect it from predators.
Castoroides taming food and taming calculator
These numbers come from ARK’s taming formula for a level 150 Castoroides. The 1x column is the official rate and the 8x column is Tharyon’s rate. They are estimates: hitting the sleeping creature or a game patch can change them slightly.
| Food | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Amount 8x (Tharyon) | Time 8x (Tharyon) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Kibble | 11 | 42 min | 2 | 8 min |
| Vegetables | 107 | 3 h 13 min | 14 | 25 min |
| Mejoberry | 142 | 3 h 12 min | 18 | 24 min |
| Berries | 213 | 3 h 12 min | 27 | 24 min |
Castoroides taming time by level with Superior Kibble
| Level | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Narcotics 1x | Amount 8x | Time 8x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 4 | 15 min | 23 | 1 | 4 min |
| 60 | 5 | 19 min | 33 | 1 | 4 min |
| 100 | 8 | 31 min | 72 | 1 | 4 min |
| 150 | 11 | 42 min | 119 | 2 | 8 min |
A level 150 Castoroides has about 3479 torpor. With the amounts in the table you usually do not need narcotics on Tharyon, but bring a few in case it takes longer than expected.
Where to find the Castoroides in ARK Ascended
It lives in inland rivers and lakes, almost always next to a Giant Beaver Dam, where they often spawn in pairs. On Fjordur it is found in Midgard and Asgard. If you see a log dam in a river, the beaver is nearby.
Official ARK Survival Ascended maps where it spawns: The Island, The Center, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Genesis: Part 1, Lost Island.
Castoroides abilities and uses
- Wood, thatch, fiber and stone weigh 50% less in its inventory.
- Its saddle works as a mobile smithy.
- Without a rider and under half weight, it chops the trees in front of it by itself.
- Wild ones build dams holding wood, Cementing Paste, rare flowers, rare mushrooms and Silica Pearls.
Castoroides breeding
Gestation takes 7 h 56 min and the baby needs 2 d 13 h to reach adulthood at official rates. On Tharyon (25x hatching and 35x maturation) that drops to about 19 min and 1 h 46 min.
Tips and mistakes to avoid
- Do not enter the water near an angry beaver: it can kill you very quickly.
- To chop trees, whistle it to stop next to a tree or carry it with an Argentavis.
- Without a rider it floats to the surface unless it is following you.
Tame your Castoroides faster on Tharyon
On Tharyon taming runs at 8x: a level 150 Castoroides is ready in about 8 min instead of 42 min.
- ARK Survival Ascended with crossplay: PC, PS5 and Xbox.
- 8x taming, 2.5x XP and harvesting, 35x maturation and 25x hatching.
- 11 PvE maps: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, Ragnarok, Valguero, Lost Island, Genesis 1, Astraeos and Forglar.
- Automatic events (a supply crate every 60 minutes and an event creature every 70), quests and an in-game shop.
To join, hop into our Discord and use the /link command. See every rate in the rates section.
Castoroides taming FAQ
What does the ARK beaver eat for taming?
Superior Kibble first. It also takes Archelon Algae, crop Vegetables and Mejoberries, which work but are much slower.
How long does it take to tame a Castoroides?
A level 150 one takes about 42 minutes with Superior Kibble at 1x. On Tharyon (8x) it takes about 8 minutes.
Where do I find beavers in ARK?
In inland rivers and lakes, next to Giant Beaver Dams.
What level unlocks the Castoroides Saddle?
At level 61.
Why is my Castoroides not taming?
It is almost always one of these: it is not hungry yet (it only eats when its food bar drops, so the first bite can take a while), the food in its inventory is not one it accepts, it woke up because torpor ran out, or something is attacking it. Check that the taming bar goes up every time it eats.
ES 
EN 
DE 
FR