Yes—a Doedicurus can harvest obsidian in ARK, but only from compatible obsidian nodes. The black, glossy appearance of a rock is not a reliable indication that the creature can collect from it. Some nodes that look like obsidian return no obsidian when struck by a Doedicurus.
The practical rule is simple: use the Doedicurus at a location known to support its obsidian harvesting, and move to another node or switch gatherers if the inventory stays empty. On The Island, volcano-caldera rocks are a documented compatible example, while the rocks on the final approach to that caldera are documented as incompatible.
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What “yes” means for a Doedicurus
ARK treats harvesting as a property of the resource node and the harvesting method, not merely as a visual identification exercise. A Doedicurus can collect obsidian from some nodes, so the answer to “Do doedicurus harvest obsidian?” is yes. That answer does not mean every rock rendered as shiny black obsidian will work.
When a node is compatible, the Doedicurus can produce obsidian in the normal harvesting interaction. When it is not compatible, the same creature may produce another resource, produce no obsidian, or appear to do nothing useful. The important distinction is between an obsidian-looking rock and a node that recognizes the Doedicurus as a valid obsidian harvester.
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This is why two players can report apparently contradictory results without either one misidentifying the creature. They may be using different rocks, different parts of the same map, or different game versions and server configurations. The ARK Official Community Wiki documents the exceptions by location rather than presenting the Doedicurus as a universal obsidian solution.
Where a Doedicurus works on The Island
Volcano caldera rocks: a compatible example
The Obsidian page on the ARK Official Community Wiki identifies rocks inside the volcano caldera on The Island as a place where a Doedicurus can gather obsidian. If you are testing the creature specifically for this resource, the caldera is therefore a better starting point than an arbitrary black rock elsewhere on the route.
Use the caldera example as a location rule, not as a guarantee that every nearby formation behaves identically. Harvest a node, check the Doedicurus’s inventory, and confirm that obsidian was added. A single successful node is useful evidence that your creature, server and current map build are functioning as expected; it does not prove that every obsidian node on The Island will respond the same way.
The final ascent to the caldera: a documented exception
The same wiki page distinguishes the rocks on the last stretch leading up to the volcano caldera. Although these formations can look like the caldera’s obsidian rocks, the page says a Doedicurus cannot harvest obsidian from them.
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This is the clearest demonstration of the node-specific rule. If your Doedicurus collects nothing on the approach, that result is consistent with the documented exception and is not evidence that the creature never harvests obsidian. Continue to a known compatible area or use another listed harvester instead of repeatedly striking the same incompatible rocks.
Exceptions reported on The Center
Lake beneath the floating island
The Center contains another named exception: the rocks on the shores of the lake beneath the floating island are listed as unavailable to a Doedicurus for obsidian harvesting. Their appearance should not be used as a substitute for a confirmed compatibility check.
Mouth of Skull Island
The rocks in the mouth of Skull Island are also identified as incompatible for Doedicurus obsidian harvesting. If a run through that area produces no obsidian, changing to a different node type or a different tool is the appropriate response.
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Why the Doedicurus’s stone reputation causes confusion
The Doedicurus is primarily associated with stone. The gathering and weight-reduction tables rank it very highly for stone and identify a stone weight reduction, which makes it an efficient choice for large stone runs. That specialization is separate from obsidian compatibility.
High stone performance cannot be used to infer that the creature can mine every black volcanic rock. Resource gathering is evaluated separately for each resource and node. A Doedicurus’s strong stone results therefore tell you why players carry one for construction materials, not why an individual obsidian node will yield.
The Doedicurus page also distinguishes obsidian from metal: it says the creature can gather obsidian but cannot gather metal. In practical terms, “can gather obsidian” and “is a broad mineral miner” are different claims. Do not substitute one for the other when planning a resource trip.
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Use a short, controlled test before committing to a long harvesting route. The steps below avoid assuming that the rock’s texture proves its resource behavior.
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- Bring a Doedicurus you control. Make sure you can open its inventory after the test so you can distinguish collected obsidian from material picked up by another creature or player.
- Choose a documented location. On The Island, test rocks in the volcano caldera rather than the final approach. On The Center, do not use the lake shore beneath the floating island or the mouth of Skull Island as your first test.
- Harvest one node. Use the normal attack or harvesting interaction for your platform and control scheme. Avoid having several gatherers strike the same rock simultaneously, because that makes the result harder to attribute.
- Check the inventory immediately. Look for obsidian after the first successful hit or completed harvesting action. The relevant result is the item actually added to the Doedicurus’s inventory, not the rock’s appearance or a visual effect.
- Repeat on a second compatible-looking node nearby. A second check helps separate a depleted, obstructed or incorrectly targeted node from a compatibility problem.
- Change location if both checks fail. Move to a documented compatible area before concluding that the creature cannot harvest obsidian on your map.
- Switch gatherers when the location is known to be incompatible. Repeatedly attacking an exception node will not turn it into a Doedicurus-compatible one; use another creature or the Metal Pick listed by the wiki.
Other obsidian gatherers listed by the wiki
The Obsidian and Gathering and Weight Reduction pages list several alternatives: Ankylosaurus, Magmasaur, Phoenix, Excavation Rig, Mantis and Metal Pick. The gathering table includes relative gain-per-action ratings, but the supplied material does not provide a dated numerical yield for those ratings. It also does not establish one universal winner across every map, game version, server setting or stage of progression.
| Option | Type | What the wiki establishes | How to use that information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doedicurus | Creature | Can harvest obsidian from some nodes; strongly associated with stone gathering and stone weight reduction. | Use it at a documented compatible node, not as a guarantee for every glossy black rock. |
| Ankylosaurus | Creature | Listed among the wiki’s obsidian gatherers, with a relative gain-per-action rating. | Consider it when you already have access to one and the Doedicurus location is returning no obsidian. |
| Magmasaur | Creature | Listed among the wiki’s obsidian gatherers, with a relative gain-per-action rating. | Its usefulness depends on whether that creature and the relevant map or server content are available to you. |
| Phoenix | Creature | Listed among the wiki’s obsidian gatherers, with a relative gain-per-action rating. | Use the same access and location checks; the listing alone does not establish a universal best yield. |
| Excavation Rig | Equipment | Listed by the wiki as an obsidian-gathering option, with a relative gain-per-action rating. | Evaluate it as equipment rather than as a creature substitute, including whether your server makes it available. |
| Mantis | Creature | Listed among the wiki’s obsidian gatherers, with a relative gain-per-action rating. | It is an alternative when you already have access to the creature and a suitable harvesting setup. |
| Metal Pick | Tool | Listed by the wiki as an obsidian-gathering tool. | Use it as a direct fallback when creature compatibility or creature access is the limiting factor. |
Because the table’s ratings are relative rather than dated, organization-published production figures, they should not be converted into claims such as “this option always gives the most obsidian.” Your decision should be based on the option you can access, the node you can safely reach, and the settings of the server you are actually playing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing between the Doedicurus and an alternative
Use the Doedicurus when the node is confirmed compatible
If you already have a Doedicurus and can reach a documented compatible node, it is a reasonable obsidian gatherer while also serving its well-known stone role. This can reduce the number of different creatures or tools you need to carry on a mixed stone-and-obsidian run.
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If you are at the final approach to The Island’s caldera, the named lake-shore rocks on The Center, or the mouth of Skull Island, the wiki’s location-specific rule is more useful than the rock’s appearance. Move to a compatible node or use one of the listed alternatives rather than spending time testing the same exception.
Use access as the tie-breaker
The source does not rank one alternative as best for every player. A Metal Pick may be the practical answer if it is already available, while a listed creature may make more sense if you are already transporting it for another resource. Map availability, server configuration and your current progression can matter more than a relative table label.
Troubleshooting a failed harvest
- No obsidian appears: Check the exact location first. A visually convincing node may be one of the documented exceptions.
- You get stone but no obsidian: Do not treat the Doedicurus’s stone specialty as proof that the node supports obsidian harvesting. Move to a known compatible area.
- A different player says it works: Compare map location, game version and server settings before comparing creatures. They may be harvesting a different node type.
- One hit gives no result: Test a second node in the same documented area and inspect inventory after each action. This rules out targeting, depletion or attribution errors.
- The wiki description no longer matches your server: Game updates, server settings and wiki revisions can change practical results. Recheck the current Obsidian, Doedicurus, and Gathering and Weight Reduction pages when the discrepancy matters.
What the available evidence does—and does not—prove
The ARK Official Community Wiki’s Obsidian page provides the most direct support for the qualified yes and the named map exceptions. The Doedicurus page independently states that the creature can gather obsidian and cannot gather metal. The Gathering and Weight Reduction page supplies context for the creature’s strong stone role and lists the alternative obsidian gatherers.
Those pages support a location- and node-specific mechanic. They do not provide a single dated, organization-published obsidian yield number that applies to every platform or server, and they do not identify a universal best gatherer. If you need exact production for a particular version or modded server, verify that environment’s current behavior rather than importing a general ranking.
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Keeping the answer current
The information summarized here was checked against the wiki material on October 13, 2026. ARK content and community documentation can change after that date. Before planning a major resource expedition, confirm the current page wording for your map and version, especially if an update, mod, cluster rule or server setting could alter node behavior.
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