ARK Survival Ascended Breeding Guide and Maturation Times

Breeding and maturation times for each dinosaur can be a big headache if you are not familiar with simulation-based survival games. So, if you are new to Ark Survival Ascended and are gearing up to breed your first baby dinosaur, I highly recommend learning all the various tips and tricks shared in the guide.

How to breed in Ark Survival Ascended

Similar to real life, you need a male and female version of the same species to breed. For example, if you want a baby T-Rex, you need both adult male and female versions for mating. Explore the big wild world of Ark Survival Ascended until you find a pair.

After acquiring a couple, place them adjacent to each other. Open their interactive menu and choose the Enable Mating (Heart Icon) under the Behaviour menu. Immediately, both your creatures will start making love, as you can see heart symbols above their name.

If your creature is a bird/reptile, you will find an egg near the pair within 15 seconds of mating. For mammals like Thylaoleo, the female will get pregnant.

Related: Best Dinosaurs for Farming Resources in ARK Survival Ascended

How to incubate an egg in Ark Survival Ascended

For mammals, it is pretty simple. The pregnant female will automatically give birth after a set period. On the other hand, it is a different ball game if you want to hatch an egg, as you need to incubate the egg at the appropriate temperature from the moment the female lays it.

Though there is an egg incubator, it is not available on the current Island map. So, the only way to incubate eggs is by using a campfire or an air conditioner. If you are a beginner, start with the campfire before migrating to using an air conditioner.

Make a simple 4x4 room using wood and place multiple campfires inside the building. Place the egg in such a position that it receives warmth and does not get spoiled. Ensure the campfire is always lit and running with adequate fuel.

Once the period elapses, the egg will hatch, and you will have a baby dinosaur.

Maturation Period and Food guide - Ark Survival Ascended

After giving birth, a baby dinosaur has to pass through three stages of maturation before transitioning into an adult. You can find all the stages below.

• Baby
• Juvenile
• Adolescent
• Adult

You can check the current maturity status of your dinosaur by hovering your mouse over it.

How long does it take for a dinosaur to mature in Ark Survival Ascended?

The maturation time always depends upon the type of the dinosaur. For example, a baby dodo will evolve into an adult version within 15 hours, whereas a Stegosaurus baby will take nearly 2.5 days to transition into a mature one. Remember, all the timings are concerning the official server (maturation range may vary depending on the game settings on a custom/private server).

Related:How to fish in ARK Survival Ascended

Feeding Tips & Tricks for young dinosaurs in Ark Survival Ascended

So, how will your baby grow into a beautiful adult? Well, you have to feed them. For babies, you have to place food manually in the inventory until they reach the Juvenile phase. So, ensure to make time while breeding itself. Also, provide appropriate food depending on the species. If it's a carnivore, meat is the way to go, and for Herbivores, berries are perfect! Omnivores can have a mix of both.

Once they reach the Juvenile stage, you can start relaxing as they can eat on their own. Craft a Feeding Trough and stack it up with food. The same applies to the Adolescent version as well. Wait for the remaining period, and your hand-raised baby will turn into a mature adult dinosaur.

Remember, it's equally important to protect your babies from other players/predators. So, build a fence around your base and erect Turrets like Mini-Gun, Rocket, and Ballista. 

For more information on ARK: Survival Ascended, check out Best Single Player Settings for ARK Survival Ascended or How to Turn on Creative Mode in ARK Survival Ascended on Pro Game Guides.