Chibi-Castroides

A tiny Castoroides with an unusual spelling

The Chibi-Castroides is a miniature pet that survivors carry as a cosmetic in ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival Ascended. The spelling is the game's own: the ARK Wiki keeps the in-game name and notes that Chibi-Castoroides would be the correct form. In ASE its description reads simply "Chibi-Pet Castoroides."; in ASA the text explains that it grows through Alpha kills.

Levelling it for extra survivor levels

With the pet equipped, killing certain predators gives it experience. It can level up five times, and every level permanently adds 1 to the maximum level of the survivor who has it equipped at that moment, for up to 5 extra levels. Creatures that count include the Alpha T-Rex, Alpha Raptor, Alpha Megalodon and Alpha Carnotaurus, plus the Enraged Corrupted Rex. ASA adds Astral creatures such as the Astral Direwolf and Astral Mammoth, while ASE on Steam has its own extras, for example the Alpha Tridacna and Abyssal Alpha T-Rex.

Slots, death and getting one

In ASE it goes in the off-hand slot; ASA gives chibis a slot of their own. On a mount it rides in the survivor's lap, and when the survivor is in bed it sits nearby. It counts as a normal item, not an unlocked skin: on death it drops with the rest of the inventory, and it stays gone unless someone recovers the death cache.

The wiki ties it to ARK: Winter Wonderland 4 and says it has been available in every event since; 304.1 is the version that added it. Our records list 3 crate types that can contain it: Fishing Items (Valentine's), Fishing Meat (Valentine's) and Raptor Claus Gift. It weighs 0, and our map list shows The Island, Extinction and Lost Colony.