How to Tame Megatherium in ARK
A giant sloth that gets a massive damage buff after killing insects. Essential for the Broodmother boss fight.
Quick Facts
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Temperament
- Neutral
- Tame Method
- Knockout
- Rideable
- Yes
Megatherium Taming Details
Megatherium is a knockout tame. It starts with 1,000 base torpor and gains +60 per level. Torpor drains ~0.90/sec once it is down, so keep Narcoberries or Narcotics ready to top it up during the tame. Its most effective taming food is Kibble (preferred). Once tamed, craft a Megatherium Saddle to ride it.
Alternative foods: Species-appropriate food.
Harvest yield: a tamed or killed Megatherium drops Raw Meat, Raw Prime Meat, Hide, Pelt.
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 Megatherium on supported maps. Check the spawn map and bring a fast mount or a flyer for transport.
3. Knock it out
Megatherium 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, equip a saddle (unlocks via the engram tab) to ride your Megatherium.
Megatherium 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 | 740 | +20.0% | +27.0% |
| Stamina | 400 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Oxygen | 270 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Food | 3000 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Weight | 725 | +2.0% | +4.5% |
| Melee damage | 1 | +5.0% | +10.0% |
| Movement speed | 1 | +0.0% | +1.0% |
| Torpidity | 1000 | +6.0% | +0.0% |
Taming & saddle figures
Breeding & movement
Where it spawns & other details
Megatherium spawns on The Island, Ragnarok, Valguero, Genesis Part 1, Lost Colony, Scorched Earth, Astraeos, The Center, Extinction.
Megatherium variants
- Eerie Megatherium
- R-Megatherium (Genesis: Part 2)
- VR Megatherium (Genesis: Part 2)
Related tools & resources
Megatherium — Background & Lore
The Megatherium is a giant ground sloth with huge claws. After it kills insects it gets a strong damage bonus against them, which makes it the go-to creature for bug-heavy fights such as the Broodmother.
Where to find it
It lives in forests on The Island, The Center, Ragnarok, Valguero, Extinction, Scorched Earth and Genesis Part 1 in both games, on Astraeos and Lost Colony in ASA, and on Crystal Isles, Fjordur, Lost Island and Genesis Part 2 in ASE.
Taming
A knockout tame and an omnivore. It is neutral until attacked. Knock it out and feed it as the taming calculator shows. Its saddle unlocks at level 52.
Breeding
- Birth: a live birth, about 7 hours 56 minutes of gestation.
- Growth: a baby matures in about 3.9 days at 1x.
Uses
- Bosses: strong against the Broodmother and its spiders.
- Gathering:
Chitin and 
Keratin at the top rate in our data, plus berries and 
Fiber.
Tips
Kill a few insects on the way into a fight to trigger its bonus before the main target.