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Pteranodon ARK: taming and riding
The ARK pteranodon is the first flyer that most survivors tame. Fast, easy to tame, and present on almost all maps, it transforms the gaming experience by opening up access to the sky right from the start of the game. This guide covers everything you need to know in 2026: location, taming method, optimal food, saddle, and stat point distribution.
Despite its limited health and stamina, the ark pteranodon compensates with its exceptional speed and maneuverability. It is the ideal mount for scouting, quick travel, and retrieving supply drops.
Where to find the Pteranodon
The Pteranodon appears on practically all official maps: The Island, The Center, Scorched Earth, Ragnarok, Valguero, Extinction, Genesis, Crystal Isles, Lost Island, Fjordur, and Astraeos. It is absent from Aberration (no flyers on this map).
It is most often found along beaches, atop coastal cliffs, and in open plains. It alternates between flying and taking short breaks on the ground to recover its stamina, providing ideal windows for taming.
The Pteranodon is a passive creature that never attacks the player unless they steal its eggs or consume a Rare Flower nearby. It flees at the first sign of danger, making it harmless but sometimes difficult to chase.
How to tame the Pteranodon
Taming an ARK pteranodon follows a classic knockout taming method, but with some peculiarities related to its fragility and tendency to flee.
The necessary equipment boils down to a Bola (essential for immobilizing it on the ground), a bow or crossbow with tranquilizer arrows, and some narcotics. For high-level Pteranodons, a tranquilizer dart rifle is safer as it reduces the risk of killing the creature before putting it to sleep.
The method is simple: wait for the Pteranodon to land, throw a Bola to immobilize it (it remains trapped for about 30 seconds), then shoot tranquilizer arrows aiming at the head (damage multiplier x3 on the head). Space your shots 5 seconds apart to allow torpor to accumulate without inflicting too much direct damage. A low-level Pteranodon (1-30) falls with 2 to 4 tranquilizer arrows from a bow, while a level 150 may require 5 to 8.
Once asleep, place the food in its inventory. Caution: the Pteranodon's torpor drops quite quickly. Keep narcotics or biotoxin in reserve and monitor the torpor bar, especially for high levels.
For valuable Pteranodons (level 130+), starve taming is recommended: let the creature lose its food gauge before placing the kibble. This avoids wasting kibble if a predator kills the creature during taming.
To efficiently tame ARK pteranodon on a multiplayer server with custom rates, a dedicated ARK hosting allows you to adjust taming multipliers according to your preferences.
Food and taming time
The Pteranodon is a carnivore that prefers Regular Kibble. Here is the comparative table of foods and taming times for a level 150 Pteranodon at official rates (x1).
| Food | Quantity (lvl 150) | Approximate time | Taming efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Kibble | 7 | ~10 min | 99.9% |
| Raw Mutton | 9 | ~15 min | ~80% |
| Raw Prime Meat | 11 | ~18 min | ~70% |
| Cooked Lamb Chop | 16 | ~27 min | ~55% |
| Cooked Prime Meat | 22 | ~37 min | ~45% |
| Raw Meat | 32 | ~53 min | ~25% |
Regular Kibble offers the best speed/efficiency ratio by far. It is made with a medium egg (Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, Carnotaurus, etc.), jerky, 2 Longrass, 2 Savoroot, 5 fiber, and water. For the complete detail of all kibble recipes by quality, check our ARK kibble guide.
In the absence of kibble, Raw Mutton is the best alternative: it offers a speed close to kibble with decent efficiency. Prime Meat is also viable but spoils in just 4 minutes and 40 seconds in the player's inventory, requiring proximity to a source.
For food spawn commands in solo or admin mode, refer to our ARK commands guide.
Stats and recommended points
The Pteranodon has modest base stats, but its speed more than compensates. Here are the base stats at level 1 and the recommended point distribution.
The base stats are: 210 HP (Health), 150 Stamina, 150 Oxygen, 1,200 Food, 120 Weight, and 18 Melee Damage (100%). The Pteranodon saddle unlocks at player level 38 for 15 engram points and requires hide, fiber, and chitin/keratin.
The point distribution depends on the intended use.
For a transport and exploration mount (main use), prioritize Stamina up to 1,000-1,500 points, then Weight up to 250-350 to carry the player, its saddle, and resources without being overloaded, and finally a bit of Health up to 600-800 to survive unexpected attacks.
For a prime meat hunter, increase Stamina to 2,000, Movement Speed to 160-180%, and the rest in Melee Damage. The barrel roll attack (Aileron Roll, default C key) allows efficient prime meat harvesting from killed creatures.
For PvP (player grabbing), focus points on Health (1,500+), Stamina (2,000+), and Speed. The Pteranodon can grab small creatures and survivors in flight (right-click), making it a formidable harassment tool in the hands of an experienced pilot.
Note that after the flyer nerf, Movement Speed can no longer be increased by levels on official servers. It remains fixed at 100%. This restriction does not apply to unofficial servers that have disabled the nerf.
Pteranodon FAQ
What is the best level of Pteranodon to tame?
Always aim for the highest level possible (150 on maximum difficulty servers). A level 150 Pteranodon tamed with Regular Kibble comes out with a bonus of about 74 additional levels, providing more points to distribute in the stats of your choice.
Can the Pteranodon carry creatures?
Yes, it can grab and carry small creatures (Dilo, Dodo, Compy, Raptor, etc.) as well as enemy survivors. It cannot carry medium or large creatures like the Argentavis would.
How to perform a barrel roll attack?
In flight, press the C key (PC), right stick (console), or double-tap on mobile. The barrel roll attack gives a speed boost and deals area damage but consumes a lot of stamina. Use it sparingly to avoid falling from the sky.
Why does my Pteranodon keep landing?
The Pteranodon's stamina depletes quickly in flight, especially if not improved. Invest heavily in Stamina (minimum 1,000) for comfortable journeys. Tip: Unridden Pteranodons in Follow mode do not lose stamina while sprinting, allowing them to be used as mules.
Do I have to wait until level 38 to tame a Pteranodon?
Not necessarily, but the saddle (level 38) is required to ride it. Taming a Pteranodon before unlocking the saddle is useful for egg production (small eggs are used to make Simple Kibble), but you won't be able to fly it. Plan ahead for chitin or keratin (75 units), as it is often the longest ingredient to obtain.