How to Tame Leech in ARK
Leech is a creature found in ARK: Survival Ascended.
Quick Facts
- Diet
- Sanguinivore
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Tame Method
- Knockout
- Rideable
- No
Leech Taming Details
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 Tranq Arrows or Tranq Darts, a Crossbow or Longneck Rifle, Narcotics or Narcoberries, and bug repellent.
2. Locate the creature
Find a wild Leech on supported maps. Check the spawn map and bring a fast mount or a flyer for transport.
3. Knock it out
Leech is a knockout tame. Use a Crossbow, Longneck Rifle with Tranq Darts, or Shocking Tranq Darts. Aim for the head for bonus torpor and keep distance to avoid aggro damage.
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
Watch the torpor bar. Feed Narcoberries or Narcotics to prevent it from waking up before the tame completes.
6. Claim & saddle
Once tamed, Leech will follow your commands. It cannot be ridden.
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 | 40 | +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
Leech spawns on The Island, Lost Colony, Genesis Part 1, Valguero, The Center, Astraeos, Ragnarok.
Leech variants
- Diseased Leech
- Eerie Diseased Leech
- Eerie Leech
Related tools & resources
Leech — Background & Lore
The Leech is a swamp parasite that latches onto survivors and their mounts and drains health. It is a hazard more than a target, but its 
Leech Blood is needed for 
Lesser Antidote and for fishing bait.
Where to find it
- Both games: very common in the swamps of The Island and Valguero, with smaller numbers on The Center, Ragnarok and Genesis: Part 1.
- ASA: also Lost Colony and Astraeos.
- ASE: also very common on Fjordur, and found on Crystal Isles, Lost Island and Genesis: Part 2.
Taming
It can only be tamed passively with a 
Fish Basket. It cannot be ridden or bred, and a tame Leech has no inventory.
Uses
It drops 
Chitin, Leech Blood, 
Oil, 
Raw Meat and 
Silica Pearls. The red and orange 
Diseased Leech gives much more blood but spreads Swamp Fever, which Lesser Antidote cures.
Tips
- Removal: step into a campfire or cooking pot, or hold the use key to pull one off a mount.
- Range: shoot them before they reach you; they jump farther than expected.
- Mounts: ride something tall to stay out of the water.