Ark Survival Evolved: Everything You Need To Know About The Pteranodon

The Pteranodon is the first of many dinosaurs players will see when they begin playing Ark: Survival Evolved. The creature is almost always going to be the first flier that gamers attempt to tame as well. Beginners and players on a new server should craft the necessary items to tame the small flying dinos.

The docile Pteranodon will not attack players unless they are provoked. As a result, it is one of the easiest animals to tame in Ark. Gamers can walk right up to a Pteranodon without consequence, unlike most dinosaurs players try to tame.

Updated on October 27, 2024 by Rhenn Taguiam: With Fear Ascended creeping into ARK: Survival Evolved with horror-themed goodies like skins and emotes alongside multiplied Harvesting, Taming, Experience, and Breeding, fans of the survival experience who want the game to have more of scare factor should tune in to the event from October 30 to November 11, 2024. However, fans who want to elevate their experience with ARK: Survival Evolved gameplay might want to take some time to study just how certain beasts like the Pteranodon act and behave – both as a creature in the wild and upon acquisition. Understanding the intricacies of their diet, how they are tamed, and their combat functionality can help players maximize their experience with the creature throughout their gameplay.

Pteranodon: The Basics

Basic Statistics

A game that features dinosaurs like ARK: Survival Evolved won’t be complete without the presence of a pterodactyl, and this is what the Pteranodon represents in its gameplay. Introduced as the game’s first rideable flying Creature, the Pteranodon is both a sight to behold and an interesting pet to domesticate.

As they are generally Skittish, Pteranodon often fly away when they are attacked. There are only two exceptions to this quality:

• Stealing a Pteranodon Egg: If the Pteranodon sees this behavior, they will become aggressive to players within a certain range.
• Corrupted Pteranodon: They will attack players regardless of their position and behavior. If there is a player near them, attacking the player becomes their priority.

General Appearance, Location

The Pteranodon is notable for its elongated crest and prominent beak, as well as its bat-like wings. Unlike other creatures in the game, the Pteranodon is a common creature that can be found throughout most locations. In terms of general locales:

• The Island: They are commonly found on the shoreline and close to the central region.
• The Center: They are found along the coastlines of the central area, as well as the southernmost region.
• Ragnarok: They are found along the center and northern part of the map.
• Extinction: They are generally uncommon throughout the whole map, and common close to its center.
• Valguero: They should be common from the center trailing down to the southwest.
• Lost Island: They are a common sight almost anywhere throughout the map, although a bit uncommon on the western side.

Below is a table of Food that players can feed the Pteranodon to speed up its Taming process. Take note that the process becomes much faster if players use Narcoberries, Narcotics, and Bio Toxins throughout the feeding process. The numbers below only include the Food itself and the average time it takes to Tame the Pteranodon using these sources:

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How To Knockdown A Pteranodon?

Players who want to start Taming the Pteranodon need to understand how best to take it out to start the process. Unfortunately, as a Skittish creature, the Pteranodon’s first instinct is to run before fighting. On top of its propensity to run, players need to be wary that the Pteranodon falls unconscious rather quickly and may easily die when unnecessary hit. Here are certain things to take note of:

• Bolas: It’s easy to knockdown a Pteranodon with Bolas while it’s resting on the ground.
• Electric Prod: Most Pteranodon which are Level 120 and below can be knocked down quickly with a headshot using the Electric Prod.

Flying A Pteranodon

A High-Speed Flier With Unique Mechanics

As one of the first flying creatures in ARK: Survival Evolved, the Pteranodon is built to have rather straightforward Flight mechanics. Here are some considerations:

• They only move forward on command or else they just hover in mid-air. However, Pteranodons lose stamina even while staying put.
• Aside from the commands above, the Pteranodon’s flight controls should be similar to its movement when ridden on the ground.
• Stimulant and Stimberry consumption for the Pteranodon increases its flight time but provides little Stamina gain.
• Interestingly enough, Tamed Pteranodon that players have summoned but not currently riding will have unlimited stamina for sprinting when keeping up with the player while riding another dinosaur.

Acquiring A Saddle

Players who want to ride a Tamed Pteranodon need a Saddle with the following components:

• 75 Chitlin/Keratin
• 125 Fiber
• 230 Hide
• 15 Engram Points

Fighting A Pteranodon

Easy Target With Headshots

Despite being generally much weaker than other creatures in ARK: Survival Evolved gameplay, the Pteranodon might still be a threat that players have to fight. In these worst-case scenarios where a Pteranodon puts up a fight during taming or while players try to gather Eggs, there are certain ways of dealing with this threat:

• Weapon: It’s best for players to use ranged weapons as the Pteranodon spends a lot of time in the air.
• Headshots: The Pteranodon shouldn’t have a lot of HP compared to other creatures, although higher-level Pteranodons might still be dangerous. It’s best to aim for the head at all times.
• On Ground: Wait for the Pteranodon to land as this means they’re generally out of stamina and need to recover. They are vulnerable at this time, as they don’t have a lot of strength to pull off attacks. If using a ranged weapon, players may want to try aiming for the head while they’re in the air during landing.

Making Use Of A Pteranodon

High-Speed Grants Flexibility Despite Frail Nature

When players finally acquire the Pteranodon, they can capitalize on the creature’s accessibility and general speedy nature to be able to accomplish various tasks. Should players need a nifty creature to accompany them in their travels, here are things the Pteranodon can do that players should consider implementing in their playthroughs:

As A Travel Mount

Due to the Pteranodon’s innate high speed, they are best suited for exploration across the dangerous locales of ARK: Survival Evolved. In turn, a Pteranodon can be a reliable mount when traveling in dangerous locations. Its base flying speed can even outrun the Argentavis and Quetzal, two other popular flying creatures in the game. As they are easily Tameable, Pteranodons who don’t make the expedition can easily be replaced.

As A Transporter

As a high-speed flier, the Pteranodon can make for a decent transporter, especially when gathering resources in dangerous areas in ARK: Survival Evolved. On the ground, the Pteranodon doesn’t lose stamina when sprinting if they’re following an unmounted player – and this applies even if the player is mounting another creature. In turn, the Pteranodon can carry supplies alongside the player if needed. While the Argentavis can be a more optimal choice due to its carrying capacity, the Pteranodon can still get the job done.

As A Taming Assistant

Taking advantage of the Pteranodon’s high speed means players can bait and even carry other Wild Creatures for players to tame. They also make for efficient baiters to anger other creatures and lead to traps that players have set.

As A Combat Mount

More aggressive players can appreciatea the Pteranodon’s high-speed specialization for combat-oriented stunts. The right usage of the Barrel Roll can destroy Flak armor and deplete their health. Being able to grab opponents and drop them in mid-air can kill them outright without players having to break a sweat. However, grabbed players may still hit the Pteranodon and potentialy kill it. When ridden as a team, a player rider with other AI Pteranodon can use their companions to harass enemies in a base while the player’s own mount rests and recharges stamina. This is best used in bases where turrets were already destroyed, so there are no anti-air threats to the player’s team.

Franchise

ARK: Survival Evolved

Released

August 29, 2017

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer , Local Multiplayer

Engine

Unreal Engine 4

ESRB

T for Teen: Blood, Crude Humor, Use of Alcohol, Violence

How Long To Beat

N/A

X|S Optimized

Yes

File Size Xbox Series

135 GB (April 2022)

Split Screen Orientation

Horizontal Only

Number of Players

1-2

OpenCritic Rating

Weak

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