Not every dinosaur in ARK: Survival Evolved has to fill a combat or harvesting role. The Lystrosaurus added in PC patch 240.0 and Xbox One update 734.0 is just once such animal. This adorable little fella makes leveling up the experience of your other tamed dinosaurs easier. Find out how in this ARK guide.
Where to Find the Lystrosaurus
The Lystrosaurus can be found throughout the southern half and western coast of The Island, but is most commonly found along the northeast coastline. The creature is incredibly passive, incredibly slow, and will not fight back at all if attacked.
The only true difficulty with hunting down a Lystrosaurus is finding it due to its small size and relative quiet.
Taming
The Lystrosaurus is quite possibly the easiest passive tame available in ARK: Survival Evolved . Its order of food preference is Rare Flower, Vegetables, and then berries. The Rare Flower will cut taming down to just a handful of minutes for even the highest level spawns of the creature.
Simply place the food item you want to give to the Lystrosaurus in the rightmost slot of your hotbar. Approach the beast and press the action button to feed it. You’ll have to wait for it is hungry again to give it the next piece.
Refer to the taming calculators at Survive Ark , DodoDex , or Crumplecorn for the exact amount of food needed for the level of Lystrosaurus you are attempting to tame.
Usage
The Lystrosaurus is not furry but is about as cute and cuddly a reptile as they come in ARK: Survival Evolved . It doesn’t fight and it doesn’t harvest, so what is it good for? An experience boost for your other tamed animals.
Petting the Lystrosaurus will cause the creature to do an adorable animation and then activate an XP boost. You’ll notice an arrow above the creature indicating the boost is active, and a similar arrow above all other tamed animals that are within the effect’s radius. However, that radius is relatively small.
Note that there is a cooldown on the ability to pet the Lystrosaurus again. It can also be picked up by the Argentavis and Quetz.
It is also worth pointing out the Lystrosaurus needs to be near the front feet of larger animals, such as the Brontosaurus, for the XP boost to affect them. Having multiple Lystrosaurus around will boost both the range and effect.
Leveling
Leveling isn’t too much of a concern for the Lystrosaurus since it doesn’t fill any role other than serving as an XP boost. Health, stamina, and movement speed should be the primary areas of focus to increase its survivability.
Dossier
- Wild: Lystrosaurus amicifidelis is a small herbivore, common to much of the island. Only about two feet long, it is not high on the food chain and eats small plant life. The poisonous insects of the island seem to have little effect on Lystrosaurus.
- Domesticated: Not surprisingly, Lystrosaurus is an extremely loyal pet once tamed. It’s a very fast learner, so it gains experience much more quickly than most other creatures. Additionally, its presence nearby appears to inspire allies, making them learn and gain experience more rapidly as well. Thusly, Lystrosaurus is an excellent addition to any tribe’s hunting party.
- Known Information: Despite being among the Island’s tinier herbivores, Lystrosaurus is an incredibly resilient survivor. It recovers its torpor and health much faster than most creatures, which makes rendering a Lystrosaurus unconscious a rather difficult affair.
ARK General Guides:
- How to Choose a Server
- How to Fish
- How to Deal with Disease
- Understanding Status Indicators and Effects
- Xbox One Tips and Tricks
ARK Map Guide:
ARK Taming Guides:
- Arthropluera
- Dimetrodon
- Direbear
- Dung Beetle
- Dunkleosteus
- Gallimimus
- Giant Beaver
- Lystrosaurus
- Manta
- Terror Bird
- Titanosaur
- Woolly Rhino
[Image via Studio Wildcard]