Grounded 2 Into the Abyss: How to Unlock the Toe Biter Buggy Saddle

The Toe Biter Buggy is the first mount in Grounded 2: Into the Abyss that you can ride both on land and underwater, which makes it the fastest way to move around Skunk Pond. Unlocking it takes several separate steps. You need to find an optical disk to unlock the recipes, defeat a hidden boss for an egg, gather pond materials for the nest and saddle, then hatch the egg.

Quick answer: Collect the Gnarly Bark Aquatic Optical Disk inside the dead tree, return it to a Ranger Station to buy the Toe Biter Buggy and Toe Biter Nest recipes for 5,000 Raw Science, defeat Papa Toe Biter behind the Memorial picture frame for a Toe Biter Egg, then build the nest, craft the saddle, and hatch the egg in a Hatchery over 12 in-game hours.

What you need before you start

Most of this process happens around the Gnarly Bark region and the pond, so bring endgame gear. You will need diving equipment and high-tier tools to collect the crafting materials, plus enough Raw Science to buy the recipes.

Requirement	Why it matters
5,000 Raw Science	Buys the Toe Biter Buggy and Toe Biter Nest recipes at a Ranger Station
Tier 3 Shovel	Digs Koi Fish Scales from the pond floor
Tier 3 Omni Clippers	Harvests Horsetail Stems and Pond Moss
Gill Tube and Fuzzy Parka	Lets you dive deep and survive the cold water while collecting Sunken Bones
A pet ant (optional)	Carries the egg and materials back to base for you

Find the Gnarly Bark Aquatic Optical Disk

The disk unlocks both the Toe Biter Buggy recipe and the Toe Biter Nest schematic. It sits inside the dead tree at Gnarly Bark, and your buggy cannot follow you up, so plan to climb on foot after the initial ascent.

Travel to the Memorial landmark on the southwest side of the dead tree. This is your starting point for the climb.

Ride up the northern root ramp, then scale the mushrooms growing on the trunk until you reach the first entrance hole in the bark.

Player rides an insect up the root ramp toward the tree trunk mushrooms — Riding up the northern root ramp to reach the mushrooms on the tree trunk. Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment / via @TinyPirateGaming

Move through the hollow interior on foot, climbing the ledges and mushrooms. Watch for Cockroaches and Pincher Earwigs as you head toward the upper exit.

Character moving through the hollow interior of the Gnarly Bark tree — Navigating the tree interior toward the upper exit hole. Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment / via @TinyPirateGaming

Exit the tree, then climb the burnt matchstick and the melted candle on the outer path. Near the candles, find the second hole and go inside.

Player climbing rocks near the candles on the outer path of the tree — Climbing the outer path past the matchstick and candle toward the second hole. Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment / via @TinyPirateGaming

Inside the cavern you will meet Rust Beetles and Black Ants. Look for the Ominent employee corpse on the floor and grab the Gnarly Bark Aquatic Optical Disk lying next to it.

Player fighting a Rust Beetle in the cavern where the optical disk is found — Clearing Rust Beetles in the cavern that holds the Aquatic Optical Disk. Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment / via @TinyPirateGaming

Note: Remember this cavern’s location. You will come back to the area below it for the Toe Biter Egg once the disk is deciphered.

Unlock the recipes at a Ranger Station

Carry the Aquatic Optical Disk to any Ranger Station and insert it into the terminal. This deciphers the disk and adds the Toe Biter Buggies entry to the Science Shop. Purchase the recipe for 5,000 Raw Science to unlock both the Toe Biter Buggy and the Toe Biter Nest for crafting.

Science Shop showing the Toe Biter Buggies unlock costing 5,000 Raw Science — The Science Shop entry for Toe Biter Buggies, priced at 5,000 Raw Science. Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment / via @TinyPirateGaming

Defeat Papa Toe Biter to get the egg

The buggy needs a Toe Biter Egg to hatch, and that only drops from Papa Toe Biter, a hidden boss found below the cavern where you took the disk. The fight is tough because the boss constantly spawns Toe Biter Nymphs, so buff yourself with food such as Cheese ‘n’ Fries and Green Machine before you drop in.

Return to the Memorial on Gnarly Bark and climb up to the candles until you reach the framed photo of the missing children.

Look behind the framed photo to reveal a hidden entrance. Clear the Toe Biter Nymph guarding it, then drop into the arena where the boss is sleeping.

Fight Papa Toe Biter up close. Ranged weapons do very little to its carapace, so use melee and staffs. The boss is weak to Spicy damage, and Tang Staffs or other area-of-effect staffs help clear the swarming Nymphs quickly.

Block its heavy strikes and avoid attacking for too long, since its Sweep attack will launch you back. Keep your stamina topped up so you can guard through the combos.

After the boss falls, loot its remains and pick up the dropped Toe Biter Egg from the floor. Each player can carry one egg. To leave, use the side tunnel to the left of the entrance and drop down to a lower level of the tree.

Tip: Because you have to carry the egg by hand, order a pet ant to hold it and haul it back to base, which frees you up to fight anything on the way out.

Gather the nest and saddle materials

The Toe Biter Nest and the saddle both need pond resources, several of which sit deep underwater. Collect everything below before you start building.

Structure	Materials
Toe Biter Nest	6x Cattail Fluff, 8x Horsetail Stem, 3x Lint Rope, 4x Sunken Bones, Algae
Toe Biter Saddle	2x Horsetail Stems, 1x Koi Fish Scale, 3x Sunken Bone, 4x Pond Moss

Material	Where to find it
Cattail Fluff	Chop fallen cattails near the pond and bridge area with a Tier 3 Axe
Horsetail Stem	Cut Horsetail plants in and around the water with clippers, or on land with an axe
Koi Fish Scale	Dig Muddy Scales with a Tier 3 Shovel near Admiral Grand, upper-right of the bridge
Sunken Bones	Dive deep into Skunk Pond and dig them from the pond bed (Gill Tube and Fuzzy Parka recommended)
Pond Moss	Cut green moss nodes deep underwater with Tier 3 Omni Clippers

Hatch the egg and confirm the buggy is ready

Build the Toe Biter Nest with the materials above, and make sure you also have a Hatchery. If you do not have a Hatchery yet, store the egg in an Egg Storage structure so it does not spoil.

Place the Toe Biter Egg into the Hatchery along with the required ingredients to start incubation. It takes about 12 in-game hours, so sleep in a bed or keep building until it finishes.

Return to the Hatchery once the timer ends and hatch the Toe Biter Nymph. You can rename it or store it at the Toe Biter Nest.

You will know it worked when the Toe Biter appears as a rideable mount. Craft the saddle, then ride it straight into Skunk Pond. It swims far faster than you can on foot, and on land it can use a Charge attack, a Leg Sweep (F key) that knocks bugs back, and a three-hit combo.

Diving Boots unlock alongside the buggy

When you unlock the buggy recipes, the Science Shop also offers Diving Boots for 1,500 Raw Science. They provide a Diving Ballast effect that helps you descend, which pairs well with the deep dives you already need to make for Sunken Bones and Pond Moss.

Science Shop showing Diving Boots for 1,500 Raw Science with the Diving Ballast effect — Diving Boots in the Science Shop, available for 1,500 Raw Science. Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment / via @TinyPirateGaming

With the disk deciphered, the boss cleared, the pond materials gathered, and the egg hatched, the Toe Biter Buggy becomes your best option for crossing Skunk Pond quickly and holding your own in underwater fights.