Besides some fruits, rations, and root vegetables, meat will be your primary source of food in Stranded Deep. But before you can gather it and cook it, you'll have to know which animals give you what and how you can deal with them. So here's everything you need to know about animals that walk on land — the creatures you'll find roaming around the many islands of Stranded Deep.
Crabs
Crabs are found around islands or in very shallow waters; they are tiny and will only give you one small piece of meat once killed and skinned. But they have non-hostile behavior, so hunting them won't be challenging or dangerous to your character.
These creatures will try to avoid players as much as they can, but they'll give you a light pinch if you get too close, which is why you have to stay away from them when you see them in a big group and your character is low on health, or things can get ugly pretty quickly. Still, killing them is super easy and any weapon will get the job done.
Boars
Like crabs, boars are non-hostile creatures. But they are super fast, so hunting them will be more challenging. Still, it'll be worth it since boars drop two rawhide (which you can use to make leather in the tanning rack) and two medium pieces of meat. Keep in mind that while these creatures will respawn after being killed, this process will take around seven in-game days.
When dealing with boars, any weapon will work, honestly. The only thing you have to worry about is the creature's speed because it is slightly slower than the speed your character has, so catching up to them can prove to be rather tricky. Still, it isn't impossible. You can attack the boar, then get closer once it starts to flee, then hit it again — repeat this process until it drops dead.
TIP: While hunting boar, pay attention to your surroundings. Chasing down these creatures can cause you to accidentally get too close to a snake and put you at risk of getting bitten.
Giant Crabs
These guys are stronger, deadlier, and angrier than their smaller cousins. You'll spot giant crabs in any Stranded Deep island except for the one you start the game on. When dealing with them, any melee weapon or tool will work — just try not to get hurt since these types of crabs deal way more damage than the smaller ones.
The best thing you can do is sneak behind these creatures and attack them before they spot you. This works because the giant crab will try to flee once attacked (but only if it hasn't seen you). Another thing to keep in mind is that these crabs won't go into the water, so in case of an emergency, go there to save yourself.
After you've managed to kill a giant crab, use the refined knife to skin it and obtain two medium pieces of meat.
Snakes
Explore any big island for long enough and you'll eventually run into one or two snakes. These creatures don't want any trouble, and they will mind their own business unless you decide it's a good idea to approach them. When you get near them, snakes will hold their ground and start making warning noises. Get too close and the creature will turn aggressive, biting you and afflicting you with a poisoning status effect.
TIP: If you end up getting bitten by a snake, craft an antidote to battle the poison; all you'll need is 1 pipi, 1 coconut flask, and a crafting level of at least 3.
The best way to deal with these creatures is to use ranged weapons (like a refined spear or crude spears) in order to avoid getting too close to them. Once killed, a snake provides players with one small piece of meat. However, if for some reason you don't kill the snake immediately, it will start to chase you down — you can try to outrun them or get in the water.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that these snakes are small and, due to their coloring, hard to spot unless they're on the sand. That's why you have to pay attention to sounds since you'll probably hear the rattling noise they make before being able to see them.
Hogs
Hogs are bigger and more dangerous than regular boars. These guys can be seen on any big island and they'll provide the player with four rawhides as well as two large pieces of meat. Once a hog has spotted you, it will immediately charge to try and attack you.
Hogs' aggressive nature is something you shouldn't take lightly as they will deal more damage than boars and are the strongest land creature in the entire game. When dealing with them, any ranged weapon, like refined spears, crude bow, crude spears, etc., will work since you'll have to keep your distance to avoid getting hurt. Just like some of the other land creatures, hogs won't go into the water or rafts — so use that to your advantage.