How to Tame a Brontosaurus in ARK

 

    The Brontosaurus — "Thunder Lizard," or just "Bronto" — is one of ARK's giant herbivores, and it's a knockout (KO) tame, not a passive feed. The wiki's in-game dossier calls it "larger than any sauropod I've read about" and warns that "the process of taming a Brontosaurus can take a very long time" because of its size. This guide covers what ark.wiki.gg documents: the taming method, KO tools, preferred kibble and food, Level 1 vs. Level 150 feeding times, base stats, its one active ability, and breeding timers — sourced throughout, with undocumented spots flagged rather than guessed.

 

Is a Brontosaurus Tameable? Domestication & KO Strategy

 

 

    The wiki's Domestication summary lists Tameable, Rideable, and Breedable all as Yes, Torpor Immune as No, and Taming Method as Knockout. You raise its Torpidity with ranged weapons until it's unconscious, then load food into its inventory. The KO Strategy section suggests "creatures that inflict Torpor, like the Pulmonoscorpius or a Mantis wielding a Wooden Club, with 2-3 backup Clubs," but notes "ranged weapons are usually much more effective and safer, with Tranq Arrows, or Tranquilizer Darts working well enough," and warns "Slingshots are extremely impractical due to the sheer amount of Stone needed." It's Immobilized By a Large Bear Trap.

 

    A shelter-style alternative, quoted exactly: "Lay down a wood or stone foundation with 3 wood or stone walls and wooden one door. Above the first layer place 4 wooden frames with no doors. Stand inside your shelter and shoot it; it won't damage you, just your shelter." A friend flying you above the Bronto, or kiting it on a land mount, are also listed options.

 

Taming Food, Timing, and Torpidity by Level

 

 

    The page lists two "Preferred Kibble" entries — Exceptional Kibble and Kibble (Carbonemys Egg) — and two "Preferred Food" entries — Crops and Fresh Sorghum. Exceptional Kibble itself needs 1x Extra Large Egg, 5x Fiber, 1x Focal Chili, 10x Mejoberry, 1x Rare Flower, 1x Water.

 

    The ASE taming table covers Levels 1, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150. At Level 1, 7 Exceptional Kibble tames it in 0:04:29, versus 132 Berries in 0:31:41 — kibble is 31:41 − 4:29 = 27m 12s faster. Torpidity depletes at 0.3/s, fully draining at 01:51:06. At Level 150, 54 Exceptional Kibble takes 0:34:32 versus 532 Fresh Barley at 4:15:22, a gap of 4:15:22 − 0:34:32 = 3h 40m 50s. Torpidity depletion there is 1.04/s, fully draining at 05:20:05.

 

    The table also lists a bare six-number "KO" sequence per level (Level 1: ×200, ×82, ×23, ×13, ×10, ×5). Which weapon or ammo each number corresponds to isn't labeled on the page, so that mapping is undocumented here rather than guessed.

 

Base Stats, Abilities, and Damage Multipliers

 

 

    The ASA base-stat table (Base, then increase per wild level): Health 2277 (+455.4), Stamina 240 (+24), Oxygen 150 (+15), Food 10000 (+1000), Weight 1600 (+32), Melee Damage 60 (+3), Torpidity 2000 (+120). Its only active ability, Tail Swing, "swings its tail in a wide arc for 60 damage," left or right by camera direction, usable "every 1.27s by both a rider and the AI." Its passive, Platform Saddle, allows "players to build on its back." The Damage Multipliers table lists one entry, Head at x1.5, and notes that "on ARK: Survival Ascended body multipliers also apply for player's melee attacks."

 

    Equipment: Bronto Saddle (Level 63) and Bronto Platform Saddle (Level 82). Also documented: 88 XP for a kill, guaranteed Sauropod Vertebra loot at 100% special loot chance, Large feces size, Drag Weight 1000, no Radiation Immunity, and the ability to damage Thatch, Greenhouse, and Wood.

 

Utility Roles, Collectibles, and Breeding Timeline

 

    The Utility section lists eight roles: Tank (high HP plus its tail's area denial, "level up Health and Melee Damage"), Damage ("very good AOE and base damage," limited by its "lack of natural defense multipliers, speed, and attack speed"), Transport (the page states it "has the third best base Weight carrying capacity in-game" with a platform saddle), Gatherer ("quite possibly the best gatherer in the entire game for Berries"), Mobile Base Platform (build via the Platform Saddle, though Auto Turrets and Plant Species X can't be placed there), Wall Defender ("near immune to knockback, with the only exception being the Diplodocus"), Genesis Escort Defender (shield another tame between its legs, friendly fire disabled), and Land clearer (its "humongous AOE" for clearing terrain). Collectibles efficiency: Berries ★★★★★, Plant Species X Seed ★★★★★, Thatch ★★★★★, Wood ★★☆☆☆.

 

    Reproduction timers: Incubation Time 4h 59m 58.561s, Baby Time 9h 15m 33.331s, Juvenile Time 1d 13h 2m 13.325s (= 24h + 13h 2m 13.325s = 37h 2m 13.325s), Adolescent Time 1d 22h 17m 46.656s (= 24h + 22h 17m 46.656s = 46h 17m 46.656s), Total Maturation Time 3d 20h 35m 33.313s (= 3×24h + 20h 35m 33.313s = 92h 35m 33.313s). Breeding Interval is 18h – 2d, and 2 days = 48 hours, so the next breeding window opens 18–48 hours after the last. Incubation range is 28–31°C / 82–88°F, or a flat 30°C / 86°F in an Egg Incubator.

 

Build the trap or shelter before you start shooting — a Bronto that wanders off mid-tame costs you the whole torpidity buildup. Exceptional Kibble is the fastest tame at every level captured; Fresh Barley, Fresh Wheat, and Soybean are equally effective non-kibble stand-ins at each level. The wiki itself warns "the values are for optimal cases, always bring extra supplies." Have the Level 63 saddle ready, and remember Tail Swing only fires every 1.27 seconds, rider or wild — that's your safe window to reposition.

 

Running your own ARK server

 

    Taming a Bronto — building the trap, farming Exceptional Kibble, sitting through a multi-hour feed at higher levels — goes smoother on a dedicated, always-on world than on a public server where your trap or half-tamed dino can vanish the moment you log off. A private ARK server keeps your Large Bear Trap setup standing and your tame right where you left it while it's under torpor, and lets you bring a friend to fly cover or kite the Bronto on your own schedule.

 

Conclusion

 

    Taming a Brontosaurus comes down to what the wiki documents: a Yes/Yes/Yes Tameable/Rideable/Breedable knockout tame with no torpor immunity, best fed Exceptional Kibble (0:04:29 at Level 1, 0:34:32 at Level 150) or the listed crop alternatives, countered with a Large Bear Trap or a simple shelter, and equipped with a Level 63 saddle once tamed. Its one active ability is a 60-damage Tail Swing on a 1.27-second cooldown, and it fills eight documented utility roles from Tank to Land Clearer. Which weapon each unlabeled KO number refers to, and any figure the wiki simply doesn't list, isn't guessed here.

 

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