Spinosaurus

* In Ark: Survival Evolved
* In Real Life

*Among the few carnivores that can match Tyrannosaurus in size, Spinosaurus Aquareliga does not quite match its ferocity.*
*Spinosaurus' four legs and large sail make it fairly swift on land, and incredibly fast in water.*
*The one comforting fact about the Spinosaurus is that it seems more at home near water than away from it. While the creature is insatiable while near water, it tends to become more docile as it gets farther from it. On one occasion, I only escaped a Spinosaurus by getting far enough from its lake home to make it simply lose interest.*
*Domesticated*
*Spinosaurus is an incredibly well-rounded apex carnivore. Faster than a Tyrannosaurus in water, able to travel on land unlike a Megalodon, and larger than a Carnotaurus, its all-terrain versatility may be unrivaled. For hunters who wish to have a well-rounded mount, Spinosaurus may be the ideal choice – if they can acquire one.*

The **Spinosaurus** (Spie-noe-sawr-us), more commonly known as the **Spinosaur** or **Spino**, is a large carnivorous dinosaur mainly found near water on the Ark.

## Appearance

Enormous amphibious theropods, the Spinosaurus is one of the island's largest predators. Distinctive thanks to their huge dorsal sail, elongated snout, and uniquely quadrupedal stance, they can now also stand on there back two feet. These animals are primarily fish-eaters, patrolling the rivers and lakes in search of food. Their size also allows them to hunt bigger game, sometimes taking on crocodiles, other dinosaurs, and occasionally even marine reptiles that venture too far inland.

## Behavior

Spinosaurus is a deadly predator, however, it has a fairly small aggro range when compared to other large carnivores. It spends most of its time romping around and hunting fish and other creatures near the water.
Spinosaurus' are the apex predator of their environment, mainly due to the fact that they don't inhabit the same areas as Tyrannosaurus. Spinosaurus' have lower stamina than many animals within the game, however their all-around versatility make them an excellent mount. They walk on all fours, and swim akin to that of a crocodile. In the water, few creatures can threaten the animal, as they're as fast as the Sarcosuchus they share the island rivers with. They prefer to stay close to the rivers, and will actually stop chasing a prey item if they travel too far from a water source. They also tend to retreat when low on health, in order to survive. As far as confrontation, giving it a wide berth will ensure safety for both the player and the Spino.

## Domestication

It has a high swim speed, and it is able to follow on land easily enough. It is a very versatile creature, and well rounded in regards to strength, speed and endurance.

As a large creature, it is mostly invulnerable to basic knockout techniques (Slingshots), but can come down with the help of Tranquilizer Arrows. It is recommend to get some Raw Prime Meat to help tame it as it adds that little extra to it. Normally found on large Creatures, mainly Brontosaurus, Carnotaurus, or Tyrannosaurus Rex, Raw Prime Meat spoils very quickly, but is highly effective at taming wild creatures. An even faster way to tame them is to use Kibble made out of Argentavis Eggs. Spinosaurus losses torpor extremely quickly, so make sure to bring plenty of Narcotics. You can expect to be taming this creature for a long time, approximately 2 hours if you are lucky. Found in very dangerous locations, a player may have to fend off Carnotaurus, Raptors, and Tyrannosaurus Rex, which can cause a small issue. If possible, build a wall around the creature and a gate to get in and out, keep the area well lit and have a team of people around to farm meat and protect the Spinosaurus.

Spinosaurus lays eggs, which are the main ingredient in the preferred kibble of the Megalodon.

## Location

Can be found in most large lakes and rivers. However, it won't go to far unless provoked, returning to its habitat when you've reached a sizable distance from it. (read as: Run. NOW.) It should be noted that if one encounters a Spinosaurus unprepared it is suggested one takes his chances running from them as attempting to out-swim them is foolhardy.

## Trivia

* The "aquareliga" part of the Spinosaurus's scientific name literally translates to "Water ruler".
* The fact that Spinosaurus can drop the Fireworks Flare Gun Skin is possibly a reference to the film Jurassic Park III where a bipedal Spinosaurus was a prominently featured dinosaur portrayed as an antagonist in the film. In the last encounter with the film's protagonists in which the Spinosaur destroys the boat the protagonists were using, one of the protagonists, paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant, fires a flare at the large dinosaur while it is being distracted. The flare bounces off its body and into the water, igniting the fuel of the boat which scares off the Spinosaurus.
* At 27 meters long, the in-game Spinosaurus is far larger than the real-world animal which had a maximum length of just 18 meters.
* Although many players prefer the Tyrannosaurus over the Spinosaurus, the Spino has many advantages over the Rex that many players don't seem to notice. One reason why the Spino is often overlooked is due to its large turning radius. However, the Spino's turning radius is significantly smaller than that of the Rex. A larger attack range makes it even more effective at defending its flanks in case of an attack. In addition to this, the Spino seems to be able to navigate over obstacles better than the Rex, with the Rex often getting stuck on rocks more often than the Spino. Secondly, many players prefer the Rex because the Rex has more Stamina than the Spino. However, although the Spino does have less Stamina than the Rex, the Spino loses Stamina significantly slower, allowing it to sprint for much longer periods than the Rex.
* Predators smaller than Spinosaurus will ignore it and will only fight it in self defense. This effect also applies to tamed Spinosaurus mounted by players, who can make use of this fact by riding through dangerous areas undisturbed.
* Wild Spinosaurus frequently kill themselves by aggravating too many nearby creatures with its territorial behavior. In addition, many herbivores have a herd mentality, making them gang up on Spinosaur, increasing the chance of it dying.
* Spinosaurs use no stamina swimming, and in fact regenerate it more quickly than normal in the water regardless of speed.
* Spinosaurus is most effective near the edge of deep water; it can break action with land opponents by entering the water to speed away and recover stamina, and shake aquatic opponents by stepping on land to use its tighter land turning radius to turn around.
* If you plan on taming a Spino make sure to not tranq it near water, as once the Spino hits 75% Torpor it will begin to flee, which usually involves it fleeing into water; falling asleep and drowning. You may have to drag the spino quite far from water before you attempt to tranq it as their fast movement speed on land can cause them to cover large distances in a short time.