The Sticky-Fingered Dinosaurs of ARK: Survival Evolved – A Guide to Stealing Creatures

In the wild, chaotic world of ARK: Survival Evolved, survival often means adapting to unexpected challenges, and sometimes, those challenges come in the form of a creature with a penchant for pilfering. There isn’t just one dinosaur that steals in ARK; in fact, several creatures have a sticky-fingered reputation. However, the creatures most infamous for their thievery are the Pegomastax and the Ichthyornis, each with their unique methods and loot targets. This article dives deep into these notorious thieves, alongside other creatures that can “acquire” items, to provide a comprehensive guide for navigating the sticky-fingered dangers of ARK.

Pegomastax: The Kleptomaniac Dinosaur

What Do Pegomastax Steal?

The Pegomastax, also affectionately nicknamed “Pego” by the community, is a small, herbivorous dinosaur known for its incredibly irritating habit of stealing items from a survivor’s inventory. These little terrors are not picky either; they will snatch almost anything, including berry seeds, superior kibble, guns, broken pickaxes, cryopodded pets, saddles, and even the life of an unlucky low-level player.

How to Deal with Wild Pegomastax

When encountering a wild Pegomastax, your immediate reaction might be to panic about your precious belongings. However, there are only three viable solutions to retrieving stolen items: killing the Pegomastax, tranquilizing it (to then steal your item off of it) or taming it. The last option allows you to effectively use the creature for your own purposes. Taming makes them stop stealing from you.

Taming a Pegomastax

Once tamed, Pegomastax will no longer steal from their owner. Furthermore, tamed Pegomastax offer an interesting perk: they can be used for pickpocketing other players. These pickpocket settings can be toggled in the creature’s radial menu, allowing you to command them to steal from others, effectively using the Pego as a mischievous sidekick.

Ichthyornis: The Airborne Food Thief

What Do Ichthyornis Steal?

The Ichthyornis, a flying bird, distinguishes itself by its singular focus: stealing food. Unlike the Pegomastax, which pilfers a wide array of items, the Ichthyornis zeroes in on consumable items. This can be incredibly frustrating as the bird will directly eat the food it steals, leaving the player with nothing. What makes the Ichthyornis truly despicable, is that it will attack even if you have nothing in your inventory, making it one of the most hated creatures in ARK.

How to Avoid Ichthyornis Theft

There’s no simple way to completely avoid the Ichthyornis. They are persistent and their diet is solely based on food stolen from players. The best defense is to stay aware of their location and actively defend yourself. They are easy to kill but hard to predict as they tend to appear at the most inconvenient times.

Other Thieving Creatures

While the Pegomastax and Ichthyornis are the most notorious thieves, other creatures in ARK have unique ways of “acquiring” items.

• Oviraptor: These creatures are known for stealing eggs from nests, often without attracting the ire of the parents.
• Maewing: This creature can carry and steal baby creatures with its saddle, up to a maximum of four.
• Human Players: Don’t forget that player characters are also capable of theft and can pickpocket other players if close enough.

15 Frequently Asked Questions About Stealing Dinosaurs in ARK

1. Can a wild Pegomastax steal my best gear?

Yes, a wild Pegomastax will steal nearly anything from your inventory, including your best gear. It doesn’t discriminate based on value or rarity.

2. How do I get my stolen item back from a Pegomastax?

You must either kill, tranquilize or tame the Pegomastax to retrieve your stolen item.

3. Can I stop a tamed Pegomastax from stealing?

Yes, once tamed, a Pegomastax will not steal from you, and you can toggle the pickpocket settings in its radial menu.

4. What food items are Ichthyornis most likely to steal?

Ichthyornis will steal any consumable food item but it seems to be drawn to cooked meats over raw ones.

5. Can I tame an Ichthyornis to avoid it stealing from me?

No, Ichthyornis cannot be tamed. The only option is to kill them or to be more vigilant of your surroundings.

6. Will an Ichthyornis steal from other creatures?

No, Ichthyornis exclusively target player’s inventories for food.

7. Can Oviraptors steal fertilized eggs?

Yes, Oviraptors will steal any type of egg they can find, including fertilized ones.

8. How do I protect my eggs from an Oviraptor?

The best way to protect your eggs is to keep them in a secure structure and far from wild Oviraptors.

9. Can a Maewing steal my baby dinosaurs if they are not in the saddle?

No, a Maewing must be using the saddle to be able to scoop up babies. However, there is a large range on the ability.

10. Can a Maewing steal adult creatures?

No, Maewings can only steal baby creatures which have not yet reached 100% growth.

11. What is the rarest dinosaur in Ark?

The Titanosaurus, Unicorn, Tusoteuthis, Alpha Rex, Liopleurodon and Phoenix are some of the rarest creatures.

12. Which is the fastest dinosaur in Ark?

The DodoRex is the fastest dinosaur in ARK: Survival Evolved, followed by the Gallimimus.

13. What is the strongest flying dinosaur in ARK?

Apart from dragons, the Quetzal is the largest and one of the most damaging flyers.

14. What is the easiest dinosaur to tame in Ark?

The Ichthyosaurus, Triceratops and the Otter are considered some of the easiest creatures to tame in ARK.

15. What is the most difficult boss in ARK?

The King Titan is widely considered the most powerful and difficult boss in the game.

Conclusion

Navigating the world of ARK: Survival Evolved requires vigilance, especially when it comes to creatures that aren’t afraid to help themselves to your belongings. Understanding the thieving habits of creatures like the Pegomastax and the Ichthyornis can save you from significant frustration. Knowing how to counter these troublesome dinos, along with how to use their quirks to your advantage, is just another step towards conquering the wild challenges that ARK has to offer. Keep your inventory secure, stay vigilant, and you just might manage to keep your loot safe (at least for a little while).