The Isle Mutations Guide: All Mutations, How to Get, & More

Mutations alter a creature’s traits in The Isle. Players can choose which mutation to get, adding layers of strategy to survival. These alterations range from reducing damage from larger species to adding permanent buffs to controlled dinosaurs. Here, you’ll learn the different mutations in The Isle and their effects.

What are Mutations in The Isle?

Mutations in The Isle generally grant in-game creatures beneficial effects, such as increased speed, enhanced senses, and heightened survivability. However, some mutations require specific unlock conditions, such as cannibalizing the same species. Dinosaurs can choose their first mutations as they reach the juvenile stage. The next mutation can be unlocked at sub-adult and the last one at full adult. Infants can also inherit mutations from their parents.

All Mutations in The Isle

Note that certain mutations have restrictions. For instance, some mutations can only be acquired by carnivores, while others can only be acquired by herbivores.

Carnivore Lifecycle Mutations

• Accelerated Prey Drive: Deal 10% more damage to animals with low health.
• Hematophagy: Restore 15% thirst while eating corpses.
• Hemomania: Deal 5% extra damage on the bleeding target.
• Hypermetabolic Inanition: Deals extra damage as health lowers.

Herbivore Lifecycle Mutations

• Barometric Sensitivity: Receive an indication before storms or droughts.
• Hypervigilance: Increases camera angles by 50% when eating and drinking. Also increases volume of footsteps from others.
• Photosynthetic Regeneration: Regenerate stamina 10% faster during the day.
• Truculency: Bucking has a 5% higher chance of dismounting latched animals.
• Xerocole Adaptation: Gain 15% thirst when eating plants.

Lifecycle Mutations (For All Creatures)

• Cellular Regeneration: Recovers health 15% faster.
• Congenital Hypoalgesia: Reduce 15% incoming damage when fighting larger species.
• Efficient Digestion: Your food drains 20% slower.
• Enlarged Meniscus: Fall damage hits stamina before draining health.
• Epidermal Fibrosis: 15% increase in bleed resistance.
• Featherweight: Footprints fade 50% faster.
• Hydrodynamic: 15% increased swimming speed.
• Hydro-regenerative: Recover health 25% faster during rainy weather.
• Increased Inspiratory Capacity: 15% increased oxygen capacity.
• Infrasound Communication: 50% lower volume when talking in chat.
• Nocturnal: 5% faster health or locked health recovery and faster movement speed at night.
• Osteosclerosis: 20% chance to resist or reduce fracture damage.
• Photosynthetic Tissue: 5% faster health or locked health recovery and faster movement speed in the daytime.
• Reabsorption: Recover a small amount of thirst during rainy weather or while swimming in drinkable water.
• Submerged Optical Retention: 5% increased underwater vision range.
• Sustained Hydration: 20% thirst drain reduction.
• Wader: 25% less hindered when wading through shallow water.
• Traumatic Thrombosis: Prevent death from blood loss if resting.
• Gastronomic Regeneration: Eating restores a small amount of health.
• Advanced Digestion (Female Only): 50% faster egg gestation, incubation, and cooldown rate.
• Social Behavior (Group Leader Only): Increased group size (buffed in Patch 0.17.54)

Unlockable Lifestyle Mutations

Augmented Tapetum

• Restriction: Carnivore only
• Effect: Increased vision at night.
• How to Get: Kill 4 to 12 players at night.

Cannibalistic

• Restriction: Carnivore only
• Effect: For species that are not, by default, cannibals. Adds their own species as a preferred prey for nutrients.
• How to Get: Eat the same species as the controlled creature.

Enhanced Digestion

• Restriction: N/A
• Effect: Decrease nutrition decay rate.
• How to Get: Maintain a good diet or better for at least 60% of the growth duration.

Heightened Grelin

• Restriction: N/A
• Effect: Significantly increases overeating capacity.
• How to Get: Maintain a blinking full stomach for at least 9 minutes.

Multichambered Lungs

• Restriction: N/A
• Effect: Reduce stamina regeneration threshold.
• How to Get: Use 6 to 8 stamina bars by sprinting or fast swimming.

Osteophagic

• Restriction: Carnivore only
• Effect: Unlocks the ability to consume bones to increase fracture regeneration rate.
• How to Get: Eat bones.

Prolific Reproduction

• Restriction: Female only
• Effect: Your young have increased health and stamina regeneration. Also, your young require less food and grow faster.
• How to Get: Create, nest, incubate, and raise at least five individuals to their Juvie growth stage.

Reinforced Tendons

• Restriction: N/A
• Effect: Less jumping stamina costs.
• How to Get: Jump 50 times.

Reniculate Kidneys

• Restriction: N/A
• Effect: Drink saltwater.
• How to Get: Consume saltwater until “Fluid Deficient” disappears.