In ARK: Survival Evolved, wild creatures spawn at random levels. Upon taming, they gain bonus levels based on the taming effectiveness and their wild level. After taming, they can be leveled.

What is Taming Effectiveness?

Taming effectiveness determines how many bonus levels a creature will gain upon taming in ARK: Survival Evolved. Each time a creature eats during taming, its taming effectiveness decreases slightly. Less effective items — such as raw meat or berries — will make its taming effectiveness decrease faster. Taming effectiveness decreases on a logarithmic scale, meaning the lower the effectiveness, the less it will decrease (your creature’s first feeding may decrease effectiveness by 1%, and then next may decrease by 0.98%, etc). 

How many levels does a creature gain upon taming?

A creature can gain a maximum of half of its current wild level. The number of levels it gains is determined by its final taming effectiveness. 

A creature with 80% taming effectiveness will gain 80% of half of its wild levels. 

For example:

• A level 100 creature is tamed with 80% effectiveness.
• Half of its wild levels (100) = 50
• 80% of 50 = 40
• Creature gains 40 levels and becomes level 140 upon taming. 

It’s also important to note that this the bonus levels are rounded down. If a level 100 creature gains 40.9 levels, it will actually just gain 40 levels. 

Since a creature needs to eat at least once to be tamed, the taming effectiveness will never be exactly 100%. This means that the maximum level a creature can gain upon taming on official servers is 74. (Half of 150 is 75, but since a creature will eat once, it will be just under 100% taming effectiveness, which will round down to 74.) 

How many levels can a creature gain AFTER taming?

Creatures can gain 88 levels after taming.

TIP: Use Dododex to calculate the taming effectiveness of various foods and bonus levels upon (and after) taming.