Quick answer: To tame a Doedicurus in ARK Survival Ascended you knock it out with tranquilizers before it curls up and feed it Regular Kibble (its favorite) or, without kibble, Vegetables or Mejoberries. A level 150 one needs 17 Regular Kibble and about 43 minutes at official 1x rates; on Tharyon, with 8x taming, 3 kibble and roughly 8 minutes are enough.
Updated October 2026 for ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA).
The Doedicurus is a giant prehistoric armadillo and the best creature for gathering stone. It carries stone at a fraction of its weight and also collects sand and some obsidian. Almost every tribe keeps one at base for building.
Doedicurus quick facts in ARK Survival Ascended
| Diet | Herbivore |
|---|---|
| Temperament | Docile |
| Taming method | Knockout (knock it out, then feed it) |
| Preferred kibble | Regular Kibble |
| Best food | Archelon Algae and Vegetables |
| How to immobilize it | Chain Bola, Large Bear Trap, Plant Species Y Trap and the harpoon Net Projectile |
| How to knock it out | Tranquilizer Darts from a Longneck Rifle or Tranq Arrows; aim for the head while it is not curled up, because the shell blocks most torpor |
| Saddle | Doedicurus Saddle (level 34) |
| Maps (ASA) | The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Genesis: Part 1, Lost Island |
How to tame a Doedicurus step by step
- Bring Regular Kibble or, without it, plenty of Vegetables or Mejoberries, plus Narcotics.
- Hold it in place with a Chain Bola or Large Bear Trap so it cannot flee or turn away.
- Shoot it in the head quickly with darts or tranq arrows: when its health drops to about a third it curls up and barely takes torpor.
- If it curls up, wait until it opens or use a Beelzebufo, which keeps applying torpor even through the curl.
- Once it is out, add only the food you want it to eat and keep an eye on its torpor.
Doedicurus taming food and taming calculator
These numbers come from ARK’s taming formula for a level 150 Doedicurus. 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Kibble | 17 | 43 min | 3 | 8 min |
| Vegetables | 166 | 3 h 19 min | 21 | 25 min |
| Mejoberry | 221 | 3 h 19 min | 28 | 25 min |
| Berries | 332 | 3 h 19 min | 42 | 25 min |
Doedicurus taming time by level with Regular Kibble
| Level | Amount 1x | Time 1x | Narcotics 1x | Amount 8x | Time 8x |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 6 | 15 min | 0 | 1 | 3 min |
| 60 | 9 | 23 min | 0 | 2 | 5 min |
| 100 | 12 | 31 min | 0 | 2 | 5 min |
| 150 | 17 | 43 min | 0 | 3 | 8 min |
A level 150 Doedicurus has about 7952 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 Doedicurus in ARK Ascended
It lives on almost every map, usually in rocky areas and hillsides full of stone. It is slow and leaves you alone unless provoked, and is easy to spot by its round shell and spiked tail.
Official ARK Survival Ascended maps where it spawns: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction, Valguero, Genesis: Part 1, Lost Island.
Doedicurus abilities and uses
- Stone weighs 75% less in its inventory.
- Gathers stone, sand and some obsidian; you can set it to harvest only stone or only sand.
- While ridden it can roll at high speed using stamina.
- It curls into a ball at low health: it takes 90% less damage and wild creatures stop targeting it.
- Without a rider and under half weight, it gathers the rocks in front of it by itself.
Doedicurus variants
The Aberrant Doedicurus lives on Aberration, Valguero and Vanaheim (Fjordur) and is tamed the same way. It is not radiation immune, so in irradiated areas it needs Mushroom Brew.
Doedicurus breeding
Gestation takes 4 h 58 min and the baby needs 2 d 9 h to reach adulthood at official rates. On Tharyon (25x hatching and 35x maturation) that drops to about 12 min and 1 h 39 min.
Tips and mistakes to avoid
- Carried by an Argentavis, it gathers stone while the bird hovers next to rocks (do not set it to follow).
- If it curls up in water it drowns: do not knock it out near deep lakes or rivers.
- It does not gather metal, only stone, sand and obsidian.
- Turrets keep shooting it even while it is curled up.
Tame your Doedicurus faster on Tharyon
On Tharyon taming runs at 8x: a level 150 Doedicurus is ready in about 8 min instead of 43 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.
Doedicurus taming FAQ
What kibble does the Doedicurus eat?
Regular Kibble. It also takes Archelon Algae, Vegetables and Mejoberries, but they are much slower.
How long does it take to tame a Doedicurus?
A level 150 one takes about 43 minutes with Regular Kibble at 1x. On Tharyon (8x) it takes about 8 minutes.
How do I knock out a Doedicurus if it curls up?
Hit the head before it curls up. If it is already curled, wait for it to open or use a Beelzebufo, which keeps applying torpor.
What level unlocks the Doedicurus Saddle?
At level 34.
Why is my Doedicurus 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