The Araneo is the spider every new player meets too early, and it tames differently depending on which version of Ark you are playing.
That is not a minor footnote. In Ark: Survival Ascended the Araneo is a standard knockout tame. In Survival Evolved it is a non-violent passive tame that needs bug repellent and patience. Check which version you are on before you prepare.
Why you want it
The web. The Araneo shoots webs to snare prey and injects venom to subdue it, rather than building elaborate webs like a trapdoor spider. Tamed, that web-slinging becomes a tool you control.
The swarm problem, solved. Wild Araneos attack on sight and live in swarms deep underground. A tamed one turns the most annoying cave enemy into an asset.
Utility. It is a mid-game mount that handles cave content and carries well for its size, and the Aberrant variant brings the same package with glow.
The numbers
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Group | Invertebrates |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Temperament | Aggressive |
| Torpor Immune | No |
| Variants | Aberrant Araneo (Aberration) |
| Habitat | Caves, volcanic regions |
Taming in Ark: Survival Ascended
In Ascended, the Araneo is a standard KO tame.
That means the routine you already know: tranquilizer darts or arrows to raise torpor, then standard carnivore taming food once it is unconscious. It is not torpor-immune, so nothing about the method is exotic.
Practical notes for the Ascended route:
Bring more tranquilizers than you think. Araneos live in swarms, and a KO attempt in a cave usually means other spiders joining the fight. You need enough torpor to finish the target while the rest of the swarm is on you.
Watch the poison. Araneos inject venom, and venom chip damage adds up fast in a cave. Bring medical brews.
Clear the swarm or isolate the target. Taming one spider while five others web you is how attempts fail. Pick your target away from the main nest if you can.
Taming in Ark: Survival Evolved
In Evolved, the Araneo — known as the Araneomorphus — is tamed non-violently, not through tranquilizers at all.
The method:
Apply Bug Repellent. Since it is a naturally aggressive creature, you must first apply Bug Repellent to keep it from attacking on sight. Without it, the approach is a fight.
Remove distractions. The Araneo will not be tameable if it is trying to attack another creature or is feeding on a corpse. Either clear the area of other creatures or lure it somewhere more secluded.
Feed it. Place the food you wish to feed it in the right-most slot of your hotbar. Carefully approach until a button prompt to feed it appears. It eats the food and a taming bar appears.
Go prone. It is recommended to feed it in the prone position, which reduces the chance of it noticing you and becoming aggressive.
Wait and repeat. Wait until it becomes hungry enough to be fed again, then repeat until the taming bar fills.
The touch rule. If you accidentally get too close and touch the Araneo, it becomes aggressive and attacks. To continue taming it, you must get far enough away for it to lose interest in you before approaching again.
Where to find them
The Araneomorphus is found deep underground in dark caverns, around the volcano of Ragnarok and the volcanic island of The Center. They are most commonly found in large swarms deep underground.
If you are hunting one for a tame, look for the smaller spiders in the upper cave levels rather than the deepest chambers, where the swarms are densest and the company is worse.