The Pteranodon is one of the Creatures in ARK Survival Evolved.
Dossier
- Wild: Pteranodon Wyvernus is a large Pterosaur, capable of flying for incredibly long periods. While others I've seen on the island still call it a Pterodactyl, this is inaccurate.
- Domesticated: I don't know how they did it, but I once saw a trio of Pteranodons with riders on them. This must be among the fastest ways to get around the island, but it can't provide any measure of safety or secrecy.
- Known Information:The Pteranodon seems to be one of the least aberrant Reptile on the island. Pteranodon Wyvernus mostly feeds itself by eating the small fish around the island, but they can also be found scavenging any number of dead animals. Because of this they are one of the most common Creatures on the island.
Taming
It is recommended to use Tranquilizer Arrows to get them down in order to tame. The Pteranodon will keep flying for a short while after it has been hit with Tranquilizer Arrows; it does not usually take very many arrows to knock one out. In further note, it is a good strategy to watch the creatures land, then start attacking. The reason for this is due to their AI, the Pteranodon will land when it is below half its stamina, once attacked, it will fly off but obviously not as long as before, and eventually will get to the point where it is out of stamina to fly anymore, making it easier to knock out or kill. Since they are carnivores, they prefer Raw Prime Meat, but can be tamed with regular Raw Meat [1][2]. Taming a Pteranodon has been noted to take 1 to 2 hours.
Base Stats and Growth
| Attribute | Amount at Level 1 | Increase per point |
|---|---|---|
 Health
|
150.0 | 41.4 |
 Stamina
|
300.0 | 30.0 |
 Oxygen
|
150.0 | 15.0 |
 Food
|
1200.0 | 60.0 |
 Weight
|
150.0 | 6.0 |
 Melee Damage
|
100.0% | 5.0% |
 Movement Speed
|
100.0% | 3.2% |
 Torpor
|
120 | ? |
Behavior
The Pteranodon is not aggressive, and they will fly away if they are attacked. However if the Pteranodon has a mate, it will become aggresive with an average aggravation range.
Appearance
Flight
Flying a Pteranadon uses similar controls to movement on ground level with a few exceptions. Quirks :
- Will only move forward upon command. With no forward command issued they will eventually stall to a halt and hover in mid-air. Even while not moving Pteranadons lose a small bit of stamina just to stay aloft.
- Feeding Stimberry or Stimulant to a Pteranadon in-flight can allow you to fly for longer periods, but the stamina gain is minor at best and very inefficient.
- Landing is accomplished by moving close to the ground, using your assigned reverse command, and when you have stalled press spacebar. You will dismount, your Pteranadon will land, and walk a short distance away before coming to rest.
Note : Tamed and unridden Pteranadons do not lose stamina while sprinting to keep up with a player running or riding another dino. - You can use this quirk to carry large amounts of weight quickly with a Pteranadon set to follow.
Notes/Trivia
- it is recommended to have a close look at your Pteranodon's Stamina when flying on it's back, as it will force-land if it runs out of Stamina
- they can also be used to pick up other survivors, being an ally or not, from the ground or out of their saddles, by using the second attack pattern. This helps to transport allies to various locations, or to smash your enemies by letting them go when high up in the air. If your Pteranodon runs out of Stamina and force-lands while dragging someone he will be released.
- compared with the Argentavis they fly quicker, but run out of Stamina much faster
- despite the fact Pteranodon means "Toothless Wing", the ones in the game are portrayed with small sharp teeth
- the females have long crests like the males when they should have short crests like in real life
- while they are portrayed with a bat like bony rod supporting the wing, real Pteranodon had no such structures