The Pteranodon (tuh-RA-nuh-daan), also known as the Ptera or even just Pt, is one of the creatures in ARK: Survival Evolved and the first rideable flying creature introduced to the game.
This section is intended to be an exact copy of what the survivor Helena Walker, the author of the dossiers, has written. There may be some discrepancies between this text and the in-game creature.
“
Species
Pteranodon wyvernus
Time
Late Cretaceous
Diet
Carnivore
Temperament
Skittish
Wild
Pteranodon wyvernus is a large pterosaur, capable of flying more quickly than any creature I have witnessed on this Island thus far. It seems to have relatively poor stamina in comparison to its quick speed, however, making frequent pit stops on the beaches before taking off again. While other humans I've seen on the Island still insist on calling it a Pterodactyl, this is inaccurate.
Pteranodon wyvernus's poor fighting and defensive skills mean they are likely to scavenge any number of dead animals rather than engage in dangerous combat with other creatures. They also flee at the slightest sign of trouble. Because of this, they are one of the most common creatures to be found darting across the Island's skies.
Domesticated
Pteranodons seem to be among most popular flying companions from what I have witnessed, possibly because they are relatively easy to tame with a slingshot or bow.
Mounting a Pteranodon must be among the fastest and safest ways to get around the Island, but it doesn't provide any measure of secrecy in comparison to travel on land through the dense foliage.
The Pteranodon is skittish and not aggressive whatsoever, and will fly away when attacked. However, if an egg is stolen from a Pteranodon, it will become aggressive with an average aggravation range. The corrupted version will be extremely aggressive, prioritizing players over basically anything.
Appearance
The Pteranodon is a common sight on both the beaches and the interior regions of the ARK. It has a long crest and beak filled with needle-like teeth, as well as impressive wings, which bear more resemblance to those of a bat than those of other Pterosaur species in the ARK.
Color Scheme and Regions
Region 0:Patterning
Natural colors:
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Region 1:Wing Base
Natural colors:
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Region 2:Face, Crest and Hands
Natural colors:
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Region 3:Inner Crest
Natural colors:
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Region 4:Wing Membrane
Natural colors:
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Region 5:Body
Natural colors:
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This section displays the Pteranodon's natural colors and regions. For demonstration, the regions below are colored red over an albino Pteranodon. The colored squares shown underneath each region's description are the colors that the Pteranodon will randomly spawn with to provide an overall range of its natural color scheme. Hover your cursor over a color to display its name and ID.
This information can be used to alter the Pteranodon's regions by entering cheat SetTargetDinoColor <ColorRegion> <ColorID> in the cheat console. For instance, cheat SetTargetDinoColor 0 6 would color the Pteranodon's "patterning" magenta.
Region 0: Patterning
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Region 1: Wing Base
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Region 2: Face, Crest and Hands
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Region 3: Inner Crest
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Region 4: Wing Membrane
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Region 5: Body
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This section displays the Pteranodon's natural colors and regions. For demonstration, the regions below are colored red over an albino Pteranodon. The colored squares shown underneath each region's description are the colors that the Pteranodon will randomly spawn with to provide an overall range of its natural color scheme. Hover your cursor over a color to display its name and ID.
This information can be used to alter the Pteranodon's regions by entering cheat SetTargetDinoColor <ColorRegion> <ColorID> in the cheat console. For instance, cheat SetTargetDinoColor 0 6 would color the Pteranodon's "all -bv" magenta.
Region 0: All -bv
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Region 1: Light All
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Region 2: Dark All
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Region 3: Light All
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Region 4: Light All
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Region 5: Dark All
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Variants
Corrupted Pteranodon
Corrupted Pteranodon is the Corrupted variant of Pteranodon found in Extinction. It is identical to the normal species except for its corrupted robe. It is not tameable and is guided by hive spirit.
Type in values of a wild creature to see on which stats it's emphasized. Green values on a high-level creature are very good for breeding. If you have already tamed your creature you can try to recover the breeding stats with an external tool.[1]
Pteranodon
The stat-calculator does not work in the mobile-view, see here for alternatives: Apps
Note that after the creature is tamed it gets bonuses on some stats depending on the taming effectiveness. This makes it hard to retrieve the levels on a tamed creature, so this tool is only for wild ones, but gives a first impression, how well the stats are distributed.
For general info about domesticating a wild creature see Taming.
KO Strategy
The Pteranodon will flee as soon as it is hit, which makes it difficult to knock it out from the ground. But thankfully it can be immobilized with Bolas beforehand, which makes it easy to capture any Pteranodon while it is on the ground resting. If you spot a good target, wait for it to fly down, then use the Bolas and knock it out before the effect wears off.
A standard Electric Prod will instantly knock-out any Pteranodon that is level 120 or lower if hit directly in the head. This is arguably the easiest method to take one out, however the Prod is expensive to recharge.
The Pteranodon will easily fall unconscious, but be cautious with your knockout method, as Pteranodons, especially lower levels, have low health and take extra damage from ranged attacks, making it very easy to accidentally kill one with a Tranquilizer arrow or even a stone. Even high-level Pteranodons can often be knocked out with just one arrow. Also the Pteranodon can accidentally fall into deep water and drown, so make sure that you do not knock it out over bodies of water.
Torpidity-depletion: 1.04 / s, Time until all torpidity is depleted: 00:19:12
Note that the values are for optimal cases, always bring extra supplies!
For a level-dependent count of resources needed, try an external taming calculator.
Flying a Pteranodon 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 Pteranodons lose a small bit of stamina just to stay aloft.
Feeding Stimberry or Stimulant to a Pteranodon 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 pressing the jump-key (default Space, , , ), causing the mount to move to the ground and land, where your Pteranodon folds its wings. Now you can dismount by pressing use (default E, , , ) as with any other mount or walk on the ground. To start off again, press the jump-key (default Space, , , ).
To perform an aileron roll, press the crouch-key (default C, , , ) while flying. This gives a short speed boost and causes the mount to do more damage but also depletes more Stamina.
Note: Tamed and unridden Pteranodons 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 Pteranodon set to follow.
Combat
This section describes how to fight against the Pteranodon.
General
Wild Pteranodons will only become hostile if a player steals their Eggs or consumes a Rare Flower (Except for their corrupted variant), so they are generally not much of a threat. If hoping to kill, the player should start with critical head damage, as the Pteranodon will not get spooked even if the player is pointing point-blank with a Shotgun. The same goes for taming. Get your first Tranq in the head so it takes a quicker effect. Follow with a quick volley to spike the Torpor before it goes out of range.
Strategy
Wait until they land to get a clear shot while they are trying to get their stamina up. They are extremely vulnerable at this time. If they are flying, wait for them to come down. If one has a sniper, they may try to get a powerful headshot while it is in the air. A Bola makes this easier.
Weaponry
Any Ranged weapon will do the job. Quick Pike and Sword attacks can dispatch lower levels, while Crossbows can dispatch higher levels
Dangers
There are no real dangers with a Pteranodon besides watching out for other aggressive dinosaurs while chasing or killing one.
Weakness
Non-bullet ranged weapons deal more damage against them so it is best to use a Bow or Crossbow. They also run out of stamina, forcing them to come down into firing range once more.
Utility
Roles
Scouting: The high speed of the Pteranodon makes it a perfect mount to scout the environment or travel around the map, or to farm Supply Crates. Their speed lets them easily outrun Argentavis and Quetzal, and their roll attack can be used to move faster at the cost of stamina. (Level Stamina and Weight).
Mining Transport: The Pteranodon cannot carry much, but its speed and ability to fly over dangerous lands and hills still makes it a decent mount for bringing back valuables. However the Argentavis - while slower - is able to carry significantly more weight. (Level Weight and Stamina).
War/Damage: Despite the Pteranodon being a speed mount, skilled riders can roll through enemies to deplete health and destroy Flak armor, although it may be forced to land frequently. Its ability to grab people mid-combat can also shift a fight to your favor. Simply fly high up into the air, drop them and let fall damage take care of the rest. Keep in mind that a player, while grabbed by the Pteranodon, can still hit it and possibly kill it. (Level Health, Damage, Stamina and a little Weight for carrying higher level gear).
Fighter Plane Squadron: The Pteranodon is exceptionally quick and agile in comparison to other flying mounts, especially after the nerf to fliers that removed the ability to increase travel speed. The Pteranodon's smaller hitbox and frantic movements also make it difficult to hit by both animals and firearms unless it's an autotracking weapon like an Auto Turret. A Pteranodon flown by a skilled rider along with several AI Pteranodon fighting alongside can easily overwhelm a Quetzal siege platform or Argentavis riding raider, with the AI Pteranodon being able to cover the ridden individual and give them time to park and regenerate stamina. And if things go south, a hit-and-run strategy can be employed making use of the Pteranodon's speed to get away and small size to hide and recuperate before going in again. Level up Health and Damage for all Pteranodon, then extra Stamina for any ridden individuals while bumping up the rest's damage further. Recommended at least four Pteranodon per squadron. Warning: Do not use near an enemy base until after any turrets are destroyed as otherwise they make for effective anti-air guns. (Level Stamina and Weight)
Taming: Due to its high speed and maneuverability the Pteranodon is a great tame for baiting and leading wild creatures into a trap for taming. They are also good for carrying small creatures to a designated taming spot. (Level Stamina and Health)
Travel: While the Pteranodon doesn't have the Argentavis's weight, the Pteranodon has high speed. Because of this they are good creatures for a fast travel through dangerous areas. (Level Stamina and Weight if carrying heavy items)
A Pteranodon is capable of carrying smaller creatures. This is done by using the alt-fire button (default Rmb) while flying or hovering over the creature. The Pteranodon will swing its legs forward and you will hear a click noise. If the grab was successful, you will be able to see the creature being pulled behind the Pteranodon, as well as its name and level. This is very useful for separating a small, high-level animal such as a Dilo from a pack so that you can tame it elsewhere.
To release the creature, press the alt-fire button again.
Unlike the Argentavis, the Pteranodon can not attack the creature it is holding.
Creatures being carried cannot attack the Pteranodon while carried, but can land a hit when picked up or dropped. Players are the exception to this, and can attack the Pteranodon while being carried, potentially killing it and causing both the victim and the rider to fall.
Ultimately, tranquilizing the Pteranodon from the top back of the head with a crossbow or long rifle dart will almost always knock the reptile out in one hit.
Carry-able Creatures
The Pteranodon is capable of carrying the following creatures:
For information pertaining specifically to the real-world Pteranodon, see the relevant Wikipedia article.
Tamed Pteranodons will not take off while set to Wander, allowing you to breed them safely without a roof.
It used to be possible, however very difficult, to get a Pteranodon through a normal door frame. However, this is not the case anymore.
Having a Pteranodon follow you or a mount at high speeds may be annoying and impractical, as the Pteranodon will easily overtake any other creature. This often causes them to do a circle around you, and get stuck in the walking creature's legs, rendering both creatures immobile.
It is recommended to keep a close eye on your Pteranodon's Stamina when flying on its back, as it will force-land if it runs out of Stamina.
Compared with the Argentavis they fly quicker, but run out of Stamina much faster.
While flying on a Pteranodon in multiplayer mode, beware of auto turret-wielding bases, as they can easily shoot down your Pteranodon very quickly.
Despite being classed as a carnivore in-game, it is far more likely that the real Pteranodon was piscivorous.
Pteranodon wyvernus means "Toothless Wing Wyvern"; however, the ones in the game are portrayed with small sharp teeth.
In actual Pteranodons, the females did not have the long head crests that both genders have in-game.
While they are portrayed with a bat-like bony rod supporting the wing, real Pteranodon had no such structures.
The skull of the animal shown in the dossier is not of Pteranodon but Caulkicephalus. This indicates there may have been a misnomer.
Although Pteranodon was one of the biggest flying animals ever, it could only carry a burden the size and weight of a small child.
Pteranodon actually weighed 75-95 lbs, so it could not be ridden by people. Estimates of 125 lbs are also possible, but even at this weight they are still unrideable. An animal would have to be at LEAST 210 lbs to be ridden without hurting the back, and probably much more to support an adult human male wearing heavy gear, let alone actually being able to fly with that weight.
Despite their namesake they are not related to the Wyverns in Scorched Earth and Extinction and it was a coincidence that Helena named it the way she did.
Lore
The Pteranodon is the symbol that appears on the New Legion's banner. The New Legion's banner is similar to a typical Roman legion banner, but with clear alterations.
The Pteranodon takes the place of the eagle on the Roman banner.
Instead of SPQR, the text of the New Legion's banner says their tribe name: New Legion.
Reduced turning speed of tames by 0.5s their current speed when they are in combat, so creatures like the Pteranodon can turn fast enough to properly attack.
Yes
No
Region 0:
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Region 5:
Corrupted Pteranodon is the Corrupted variant of Pteranodon found in Extinction. It is identical to the normal species except for its corrupted robe. It is not tameable and is guided by hive spirit.
Health
Stamina
Oxygen
Food
Weight
Melee Damage
Movement Speed
Torpidity
Bolas beforehand, which makes it easy to capture any Pteranodon while it is on the ground resting. If you spot a good target, wait for it to fly down, then use the 
Electric Prod will instantly knock-out any Pteranodon that is level 120 or lower if hit directly in the head. This is arguably the easiest method to take one out, however the 
Tranquilizer arrow or even a 
stone. Even high-level Pteranodons can often be knocked out with just one arrow. Also the Pteranodon can accidentally fall into deep water and drown, so make sure that you do not knock it out over bodies of water.
Level 1
Regular Kibble
Raw Mutton
Cooked Lamb Chop
Raw Prime Meat
Cooked Prime Meat
Raw Prime Fish Meat
Raw Meat
Cooked Prime Fish Meat
Cooked Meat
Raw Fish Meat
Cooked Fish Meat
× 12; 
× 5; 
× 2; 
× 1; 
× 1; 
× 1
Regular Kibble:
1 × 
Cooked Meat Jerky, 1 × 
Medium Egg, 5 × 
Fiber, 2 × 
Longrass, 2 × 
Savoroot, 1 × 
Water
, 
, 
), causing the mount to move to the ground and land, where your Pteranodon folds its wings. Now you can dismount by pressing use (default E, 
, 
, 
) as with any other mount or walk on the ground. To start off again, press the jump-key (default Space, 
, 
, 
) while flying. This gives a short speed boost and causes the mount to do more damage but also depletes more Stamina.
Eggs or consumes a 
Rare Flower (Except for their corrupted variant), so they are generally not much of a threat. If hoping to kill, the player should start with critical head damage, as the Pteranodon will not get spooked even if the player is pointing point-blank with a 
Shotgun. The same goes for taming. Get your first 
Torpor before it goes out of range.
Pike and 
Sword attacks can dispatch lower levels, while 
Crossbows can dispatch higher levels
Argentavis's weight, the Pteranodon has high speed. Because of this they are good creatures for a fast travel through dangerous areas. (Level Stamina and Weight if carrying heavy items)
Chitin
Raw Meat
Hide
Organic Polymer
Raw Prime Meat
Keratin
Achatina
Archaeopteryx
Bulbdog
Compy
Dilophosaur
Diplocaulus
Dodo
Enforcer
Ferox
Glowtail
Hesperornis
Human
Hyaenodon
Jerboa
Kairuku
Leech
Lystrosaurus
Megalania
Mesopithecus
Otter
Oviraptor
Pegomastax
Shinehorn
Super Turkey
Titanomyrma Drone
Trilobite
Troodon
Ferox when small.
Wyverns in Scorched Earth and Extinction and it was a coincidence that Helena named it the way she did.
ARK: Survival Evolved Changes
Stamina. Should now force-land instead.
Kibble (Dodo Egg) for taming.
Melee Damage by 30%.
Movement Speed that can be leveled per level in tamed Pteranodons by 20%.
Doorframes.
