Shadowlands Hunter Pet Guide

By Buuloki Updated: 2025/12/13

Changes to Hunter Pets in Shadowlands

The total stable size has been increased to 200 slots, up from just 60 previously. This was one of the most asked-for changes within the Hunter community.

New Pet Families
Camel - Includes Alpacas and Camels

Courser - Includes Horses and Dreamrunners

Mammoth - Includes Elekks and Mammoths

Renamed Pet Families

Silithid is now called Aqiri

Dog is now called Hound

Shale Spider is now called Shale Beast

Krolusk is now called Carapid

Goat is now called Gruffhorn

Quilen is now called Stone Hound

How to School Your Serpent allows you to tame Cloud Serpents (part of the Serpent family) - see the full Cloud Serpent Hunter Pet Guide.

Simple Tome of Bone-Binding allows you to tame Undead beasts from a variety of families - see the full Undead Hunter Pet Guide.

Tranquilizing ShotSpirit PulsePet Families Added in ShadowlandsCamelSpecial Ability:HardyCamelExamples of tameable Camels

Alpaca (makes a noise when clicked!)

Alpaca Alpha

Wild Camel

CourserSpecial Abilities:FleethoofCourserExamples of tameable Coursers

Fel Steed

Freckles

Wild Gloomrunner

MammothSpecial Abilities:TrampleMammothExamples of tameable Krolusks

Steeltusk

Tukemuth

Irontusk Trampler

New Pet Models in Existing FamiliesMaw RoachMaw RoachFleshrocTransport FleshrocTruffle-HunterStray Truffle-HunterDeath ChimaeraSatiated SawtoothReanimated MonstrosityReanimated MonstrosityCrucible SeekerCrucible SeekerPreciousPreciousCloudstriderCloudstrider GrazerMistveil StalkerMistveil StalkerPhalynxUmbral PhalynxArdenmothArdenmothTauralusBloodskin TauralusRei LunRei LunShale WormKypa'rakGoliathR'krox the RuntRunestagRunestagGlowgulletGlowgullet BullEtherwyrmEtherwyrm ShadewingNew Tames with Special RequirementsHow to School Your SerpentOrder of the Cloud SerpentSerpentSimple Tome of Bone-BindingHoundDevilsaurWind SerpentPet SpecializationsFerocity

Primal Rage: Increases haste by 30% for 40 sec for the group.

Predator's Thirst: Passively gives you and your pet 10% leech.

Recommended for: BloodlustHeroismTenacity

Fortitude of the Bear: You and your pet gain 20% maximum health for 10 seconds (2 min cooldown).

Endurance Training: Passively increases you and your pet’s maximum health by 5%.

Recommended for: Cunning

Master's Call: Removes all roots and slowing effects from your pet and your current target (can also be used on yourself). It can also be used to quickly recall your pet to you.

Pathfinding:

Recommended for: Recommended Pets For Different SituationsPetopiaLeveling, Questing, and TorghastPredator's Thirst

Clefthoof (Beast Mastery only) - These are extremely tanky pets due to the combination of Predator's Thirst for self-healing, Thick Hide as a defensive cooldown, and extra healing/armor from Blood of the Rhino.

Core Hound (Beast Mastery only) - Almost as good as a Clefthoof for keeping itself alive with Ferocity spec and Obsidian Skin, it makes a small survivability trade off for Molten Hide instead of Blood of the Rhino.

Scalehide - Has a damage reduction cooldown, Scale Shield.

Gorilla - Has a damage reduction cooldown, Silverback.

Courser - Has a dodge chance defensive cooldown, Fleethoof.

Raiding and DungeonsEndurance TrainingFortitude of the Bear

Spirit Beast (Beast Mastery only) - Tenacity with the very unique Spirit Mend ability. While Spirit Mend's effectiveness has been reduced compared to how it was in Battle for Azeroth, it's still a free extra heal, no matter how small.

Stone Hound (Beast Mastery only) - Tenacity with a very useful instant pet resurrection, Eternal Guardian. This is especially nice now that the pet resurrection cast time is 4 seconds.

Aqiri (Beast Mastery only) - Set to the Tenacity specialization, the combination of Pathfinding and Dune Strider gives the pet a lot of uptime on its target, which is great for high movement or fights with a lot of target swapping.

PvPPathfindingMaster's Call

Aqiri (Beast Mastery only) - Has a slow with Tendon Rip and bonus extra movement speed with Dune Strider, which helps them stay on target.

Any Cunning pet with a Mortal Wounds ability such as Raptor, Hyena, and Rodent. This reduces the healing your enemy can receive. If your team doesn't have the Mortal Wounds effect from a Warrior, this should be your priority in PVP.

Comments

Comment by Gaghiel

Pets that have had their dispel abilities removed have had them replaced with an ability that removes 1 Disease, Magic, and Poison effect from itself.

Soothing Waters
Spore Cloud
Sonic Screech
Nether Energy
Oiled Feathers
Spirit Pulse
Nature's Grace
Serenity Dust

Not anything to write home about.

Comment by Gleak

Please tell me the camels get a Spit ability

Comment by WolfStarbuck

So, since no one else seems to bring this up... I really, really, really want a pet or three that can battle-rez. It's great that we're getting new models, and pet types... but I have a stable full of pets I never used in BfA because it all ultimately came down to either Ferocity, Tenacity or Cunning with a small group of pets having some abilities (like pterrodax had safe fall, for example - which was only really helpful prior to getting pathfinder finished). I can usually deal with Hunter class changes - but I spent WoD (MoP maybe) collecting one of every pet family to make myself better in whatever dungeon or raid I found myself in. Bfa was almost exclusively a Spirit Beast, a Pterrordax for the safe fall and the speed bonus, and a ferocity pet (Core Hound) for the haste... I really miss having to agonize over which pet I'd need to have to fit. Don't get me wrong, I like the variety in appearances, but once that novelty wears off, the dps meter rules.

Comment by Adaelus

Blood of the Rhino has been removed from Clefthooves on the Beta.

Comment by datgrl

Another great guide, Bendak. Enjoy your retirement. You dedication and insight to the class are appreciated.

Comment by Whild

What? Precious? NOOO -- I mean YESSSS!

Comment by rosadolol

Wind Serpents should be caster pets IMO

Comment by panpanpandy

Oop, typo alert! Under the "Mammoth" header in the new pet families, it says "Examples of tameable Krolusks" instead of mammoths!

Anyhow, great guide! One of the first things I'm doing is carrying my fuzzy Pandaren butt over to tame Elegon. Though I didn't realize the undead book might be covenant-locked... hm. Guess time will tell who I'm choosing for her in the end. I really need mummysaurus up there...

Comment by Perpantaq

tbh, this expansion( alpha and beta) has been a huge disappointment to me as a hunter with pet rez being 4 sec and no instant rez. I just hope the Blood of the Rhino isn't removed and this situation is just a bug (like my shop purchased mounts being disabled). without it the first few month of pve, leveling and world content would become even harder.

Comment by Fjornir

The change to move purge from a pet ability to tranquilizing shot is super disappointing as the new version of it is nearly useless.

There's very few times where we would want to dispel our pets outside of them being CC'd but this ability won't be useable for most of those situations.

Stack that with the massive nerf to spirit mend... might mean RIP to the era of spirit beasts as the go to pet

Comment by juunx

About How to School Your Serpent, I bought with my shaman (exalted) and sent to my hunter (honored) but i cannot use it. Text in red "Requires Order of the Cloud Serpent - Exalted". I am exalted now with my hunter after 3 days doing dailies and I used it. (Sorry my bad english, isn't my native language).

Comment by plavallee

I just trapped a Hazzali Sandreaver to get an Aqiri pet with the Dune Strider ability but I can't see any reference to this ability in the Pet section of the spellbook. I have searched around but can't find anything on this subject. Was this ability dropped or what am I missing here?

Comment by babe1973

Please let us tame cows. Those moo moos outside goldshire are too cute.

Comment by ciscokidd73

Still no racoon or duck for my hunter to tame :(

Comment by direhuman

It appears that the Updraft ability has been removed from the Pterrordax family without warning? Has there been any explanation given, especially since Feathermanes still have it? This leaves Pterrordax as an Exotic family without an extra Exotic ability.

Comment by sivla

This 'requirement' to be 'exalted' for mst of these pet tames is inexcusable to be honest. Why should we need to be 'exhalted' to tame anything? If the beast is running around and alive and kicking or dead and kicking then it should be tamable. This exalted business to tame stuff for hunters really must be made obsolete and removed entirely from the game. Beast Hunters rely entirely on their pet's, and they are the ones being penalized. It is penalizing a class who must jump through mind numbering murder inducing grinds just because 'blizzard employees sadistic #$%^&*s as developers.' When are you going to learn Blizzard? A core mechanic hidden behind ridiculous endless exalted grinds.

How about the good old days where you had to camp for days some times just to wait for the thing you want to tame to spawn? Sure it was a total pita, but it beats grinding for no reason except some sadisitic wim of the developer. Or how about a quest to go and tame something in the family tree of the pet you want to tame? It beats the murder inducing pointless exalted grind.

You have removed the mindless grind now for obtaining flying, because it and you failed massively on that score and you lost a lot of subs. Now removed the mindless stupid exalted grinds for taming certain tamable pets. We never had to contend with this crap years ago and it only came into the game when you Ion arrived. I often wondered if the guy had a really bad mental illness such as OCD what with all the %^&*!@ed endless exalted grinds...because they where far to lazy to make any content or make it interesting enough. I personally know a lot of people who quit when they brought out the nzoth garbage.

Blizzard just remove these exalted grinds..please!

Comment by ArcaneEther

It MASSIVELY sucks that we no longer have the option to choose which spec Pets come in.

I have a Mechagnome Hunter that would very much like to have Ferocity Mechanical Pets, but no, all Mechanical are Cunning.

Dumbest Hunter change ever.

Comment by Oneshotsnipa

I was able to unlock undead pet taming by killing undead mobs in shadowlands, not sure if it is specific to shadowlands, but that's how I unlocked it. Also cant remember if it was undead beasts or just undead in general

Comment by iSamsonite

Simple Tome of Bone-Binding Just dropped from Domina Venomblade in Plaguefall on Normal

Comment by 4ldaris

You have some very interesting members of the Fox family wowhead :D : https://i.imgur.com/qBHLzFZ.png

Comment by rari55

If i partner with a sub rogue who was wound poison, will it stack with mortal wounds?

What is the best pet to use in 2v2 with Sub rogue?

Comment by Catitude

Exalted Rep with Order of Cloud Serpents is required both for purchase & USE of How to School Your Serpent
Evidently it can be purchased and USED by any toon (even non-hunters) that has the rep & it will be applied account wide...
:D no need to purchase multiples to mail off to other realms, frantic scrambling to get exalted on a toon that never went to Pandaria. lol

Comment by Madmaddynl

What about Gorgons?

Comment by Charlayne

Well, hell.

I'm leveling a Beast Master Hunter and started gathering pets. I decided to hunt down the spirit animals. And that star-filled Pandaran dragon is one I want.

I read the guide for the "Tame Your Dragon" and go up on my mage, who is exalted with everyone and buy the book. The guide says "Note that the tome unlocks Cloud Serpent taming for your whole account which means if you are exalted with another character, you can buy it there to unlock it on your account. You must use the book on your exalted character (any class can use it). "

Well, not.

I got it, and tried to use it. It was open to use. But when I clicked it to use it on my account, it wouldn't work. At all. I have an Alliance hunter that I evidently used one on previous to making this one. And since I did that, now that I have a big new hunter (horde), I'm screwed.

This sucks. Anyone have a work-around for it?

Comment by Scaryfox

I appreciate the recommendations since I usually solo so, I have to be as efficient as possible. However, I think your comment regarding Spirit Mend is a bit too optimistic. I ran (or at least tried to) the Bastion of Twilight, and I didn't have any time to dismiss Elegon before I fell. When I finally got to the bottom, he was almost dead. My first reaction was to cast Spirit Mend, which barely did anything. So, I had to resort to Mend Pet.

I couldn't help thinking about it, however. I just don't know what Hunter player would wake up, and want a weaker heal. If we had self-heals out the whazoo, that would be different. Because that's not the cause, I imagine that happened due to one dev who probably doesn't even play the class.

Still, I'm not surprised because I've noticed that pet abilities have a long history of changing. For instance, some went from to dealing damage or stat raising to increasing dodge chance. I get removing the latter since that wasn't always going to helpful. However, if I wanted dodge chance, I would tame a fox or something.

Comment by Briesje

I play for the first time a Hunter now. And the first thing I want to know is how can I easily keep track of all the pets I have collected? Can I collect some pets double by accident? If so I don't want to do that and than I need to know easily what I already collected to avoid doubles.

Shadowlands Hunter Pet Guide

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