How to Tame Diseased Leech in ARK
Diseased Leech is a creature found in ARK: Survival Ascended.
Quick Facts
- Diet
- Sanguinivore
- Temperament
- Passive-Aggressive
- Tame Method
- Passive
- Rideable
- No
Diseased Leech Taming Details
Diseased Leech is torpor-immune — it cannot be knocked out, so a standard tranq tame does not apply.
Alternative foods: Species-appropriate food.
Taming Steps
1. Prepare your gear
Bring Kibble (preferred), bug repellent (if applicable), and a shield for emergencies.
2. Locate the creature
Find a wild Diseased Leech on supported maps. Check the spawn map and bring a fast mount or a flyer for transport.
3. Approach passively
Diseased Leech is a passive tame. Approach slowly with no weapons drawn, drop or hand-feed its preferred food, and avoid sudden movements.
4. Feed the right food
Place Kibble (preferred) in its inventory (alternatives: Species-appropriate food). Higher-tier food gives faster taming and higher level bonuses.
5. Maintain torpor
Keep wild predators away — passive tames are vulnerable while feeding.
6. Claim & saddle
Once tamed, Diseased Leech will follow your commands. It cannot be ridden.
Diseased Leech base stats
Level 1 wild values, with the gain each point adds in the wild and after taming.
| Stat | Base | Per wild level | Per tamed level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 120 | +20.0% | +27.0% |
| Stamina | 100 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Oxygen | 150 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Food | 450 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Weight | 10 | +2.0% | +4.0% |
| Melee damage | 1 | +5.0% | +10.0% |
| Movement speed | 1 | +0.0% | +1.0% |
| Torpidity | 50 | +6.0% | +0.0% |
Where it spawns & other details
Diseased Leech spawns on The Island, Valguero, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok.
Related tools & resources
Diseased Leech — Background & Lore
The Diseased Leech is a rarer, more dangerous version of the 
Leech. Its bite gives survivors Swamp Fever, but it also drops far more 
Leech Blood than a normal Leech, which makes it worth hunting carefully.
Where to find it
It lives in swamps. It is most common on The Island and Valguero in both games, and on Fjordur in ASE. It is rare on The Center and Ragnarok, on Astraeos in ASA, and on Crystal Isles, Lost Island and Genesis Part 2 in ASE.
Taming
Like other Leeches it can only be tamed with a 
Fish Basket, as a passive tame. It cannot be ridden or bred.
Uses
Leech Blood, used to craft the 
Lesser Antidote. It also drops 
Chitin, 
Oil, 
Raw Meat and 
Silica Pearls.
Tips
- Cure: a Lesser Antidote cures Swamp Fever.
Nameless Venom also cures it but costs 50 health. - Stay mounted: mounts are immune to the disease, so cross swamps on a tame.