Image of Doedicurus in ARK: Survival Ascended
Screenshot by Dot Esports

How to find and tame a Doedicurus in Ark: Survival Ascended

The dinosaur equivalent of an armadillo... but useful.

Of the many creatures you can tame in Ark: Survival Ascended, few are as useful as the Doedicurus. We’re here to tell you exactly how to get one.

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The Doedicurus is one of the best animals to tame in Ark: Survival Ascended due to its ability to gather huge amounts of stone with ease, which makes it an extremely valuable tame on any map. Whether you’re playing on The Island or trying to survive the barren landscape of Scorched Earth, we’ve got you covered. Read on to find everything you need to know.

All Doedicurus locations on The Island in Ark: Survival Evolved

A map of The Island in Ark: Survival Ascended marking Doedicurus spawn locations.
Time to climb. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Doedicurus are found across the mountainous areas on The Island, where they’re most likely to spawn, as well as being a rarer spawn in some lower terrains. In the map above, we’ve marked the best spots for tracking down Doedicurus.

Some of the best spots to find Doedicurus on The Island are:

  • Around the large volcano slightly northwest of the middle of the map.
  • The mountain in the Redwood Biome located in the middle of the map.
  • The central point of the snow biome in the north of the map.

As Doedicurus are a relatively common spawn, finding a high-level Doedicurus should not be too much of a challenge. If you are struggling, kill any low-level Doedicurus you encounter to trigger more spawns.

All Doedicurus locations on Scorched Earth in Ark: Survival Ascended

A map of Scorched Earth in Ark: Survival Ascended marking Doedicurus locations.
Search here. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Doedicurus are much more common on Scorched Earth than they are on The Island and can be found almost everywhere on the map. But the best spots to look are either side of the middle island in the central river.

Doedicurus are a common sight in this area along with Ankylosaurus, Morellatops, and small predators, so be sure to come prepared. If you can’t find a Doedicurus in either of the locations marked, you can also try these areas:

  • The foothills of the mountains across the map.
  • The peak of the mountains on the eastern side of the map.
  • The central islands in the river.

Like on The Island, it shouldn’t take too much effort to find a high-level Doedicurus due to their high spawn rate. But if you’re struggling, kill any low-level Doedicurus you encounter to trigger more spawns.

How to tame a Doedicurus in Ark: Survival Ascended

Doedicurus will turn aggressive one provoked and curl up in a ball when they sustain too much damage, which can make it difficult to knock them out. Make sure you bring plenty of Narcotic Arrows or Tranquilizer Darts.

If using a Tranquilizer Dart, you should be able to knock it out before it retreats into a ball, but you’re unlikely to have that sort of success with Narcotic Arrows. Either way, stop attacking when a Doedicurus curls into a ball and wait for it to re-emerge.

Whichever weapon you use, the best strategy is to stand in front of the Doedicurus and slowly retreat backwards while firing any ammo you have onto its head. Don’t waste your ammunition by firing on the Doedicurus when it is curled up.

If the Doedicurus gets too bloody, stop the taming attempt for a short period so it regains health. Otherwise, it will die and you will be back to square one.


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Hadley Vincent
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.
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Josh Challies
Staff Writer. Professional writer since 2014. Pokemon, Marvel, Star Wars and overall geek. Previously wrote for Yahoo Sport, Stats Perform and online news publications.