How to Tame Thorny Dragon in ARK
A medium-sized predator that shoots tail spikes. Its saddle acts as a mobile Smithy.
Quick Facts
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Tame Method
- Knockout
- Rideable
- Yes
Thorny Dragon Taming Details
Thorny Dragon is a knockout tame. Its most effective taming food is Kibble (preferred) or Raw Mutton.
Alternative foods: Cooked Lamb Chop, Raw Prime Meat, Cooked Prime Meat, Raw Meat.
Harvest yield: a tamed or killed Thorny Dragon drops Raw Meat, Hide, Keratin.
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 Thorny Dragon on supported maps. Check the spawn map and bring a fast mount or a flyer for transport.
3. Knock it out
Thorny Dragon 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) or Raw Mutton in its inventory (alternatives: Cooked Lamb Chop, Raw Prime Meat, Cooked Prime Meat, Raw Meat). 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 Thorny Dragon.
Thorny Dragon 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 | 260 | +20.0% | +27.0% |
| Stamina | 350 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Oxygen | 150 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Food | 1200 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Weight | 300 | +2.0% | +4.0% |
| Melee damage | 1 | +5.0% | +10.0% |
| Movement speed | 1 | +0.0% | +1.0% |
| Torpidity | 450 | +6.0% | +0.0% |
Taming & saddle figures
Breeding & movement
Where it spawns & other details
Thorny Dragon spawns on Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Astraeos, Genesis Part 1, Extinction.
Related tools & resources
Thorny Dragon — Background & Lore
The Thorny Dragon is a spiny desert lizard that shoots spikes from its tail. Its saddle works as a mobile 
Smithy.
Where to find it
Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Extinction and Genesis Part 1 in both games, Astraeos in ASA, and Crystal Isles, Fjordur, Lost Island and Genesis Part 2 in ASE.
Taming
A knockout tame. Its saddle unlocks at level 40. See the taming calculator.
Breeding
- Egg: hatches in about 2.5 hours.
- Temperature: 22 to 28 °C.
- Growth: a baby matures in about 2 days at 1x.
Uses
Crafting and repairing in the field, and ranged spike attacks.
Tips
A good desert mount: it fights from range and carries its own smithy.