Even though we don't get to enjoy the new world generation of the Caves and Cliffs update in the new 1.17 version of the game, axolotls will make sure that there's plenty of fun and cuteness to be experienced. These new amphibian and aquatic mobs were the most anticipated new addition to Minecraft, right after the Warden, which is due for release towards the end of this year.
RELATED: Minecraft: Everything You Need To Know About Goats
Axolotls are not just there for their cute appearance. They have a ton of utility to them, unlike a lot of other mobs in the game, and come in handy against aquatic enemies. However, there's quite a bit to know about axolotls before jumping into the game and trying to tame them. Here are all the details about Minecraft's new sea lizards.
Axolotls Were Put Into The Game For A Good Reason
Mojang has always been a vocal advocate for protecting the environment. It's why they chose to include coral reef biomes and polar bears into the game, to celebrate nature's beauty and spread awareness of endangered species.
Axolotls were no different in that regard. While Mojang could have chosen just about any other amphibian species to add to the game and make their first amphibian mob, axolotls are an extremely rare and critically endangered species found only in Xochimilco, a lake located near Mexico City.
Axolotls Come In Five Different Colors
In Minecraft, axolotls appear quite similar to their original real-life appearance. They also come in a variety of five different colors:
- lucy (light pink)
- wild (brown)
- gold (yellow)
- cyan (light blue, nearly white, with pink details)
- blue
RELATED: Minecraft: Everything You Need To Know About Hardcore Mode
The most common colors you're likely to see in the wild are lucy, wild, gold, yellow, and cyan. These are also reportedly based on actual axolotl colors, whereas blue isn't a real color for these amphibian creatures.
Blue Axolotls Are Special
Speaking of blue axolotls, they're incredibly special in several ways. First of all, they're the rarest type of axolotl color. Only about one in 1200 axolotl will have this coloration in Minecraft, making it an extremely lucky find if discovered in the wild.
- This number was used because 1200 is actually the current estimated number of remaining axolotls in the real world.
The blue coloration was also suggested on Reddit by a user named Darkiceflame, and Mojang took this suggestion to heart and decided to make a very special version of the regular axolotl.
Axolotls Spawn Underwater
As amphibians, it comes as no surprise that axolotls love water. If you're looking to hunt one down in Minecraft, head over to your closest body of water, whether it's an ocean or an underwater cave. The darker it is, the easier it will be to most likely come across an axolotl, so underwater ravines and cave systems are your best bet.
Axolotl will spawn very similarly to squids, usually requiring some type of stone to be within five blocks of their spawn location. They can also spawn in a group with a maximum of four specimens. Their spawning elevation needs to be underneath Y=63.
Axolotls Don't Last On Land
While axolotls can crawl on land and even have a specific animation for it, they don't enjoy their time on the dry shores. Any axolotls stuck on land will wander to the closest water source or look for one as soon as possible. Within five minutes or so, however, if they still haven't found water, axolotls will die.
RELATED: Minecraft: Everything You Need To Know About The Daylight Cycle
During rain and thunderstorms, axolotls can tolerate being on land much better than most aquatic mobs that would typically suffocate. The key is to make sure that they have moisture.
Axolotls Are Aquatic Predators
Don't let their adorable appearance fool you. Axolotls are at the end of the aquatic predators, and they leave a whole host of dead fish floating in the water. They'll attack any aquatic mob with the exception of dolphins and turtles, and will prioritize attacking hostile mobs like the drowned, guardians, or elder guardians.
They also consume any type of fish, squids, and glow squids. Pufferfish will react negatively to axolotl approaching by puffing up, similarly to how they would react to players.
Axolotls Give Status Effects And Know How To Play Dead
Axolotls were early on hinted to be great companions in aquatic combat in particular. This was an aspect of the Aquatic update that was somewhat ignored by Mojang back in 1.13. However, the axolotls make up for that oversight splendidly with two cool abilities that make them fantastic allies in combat situations.
- Axolotls will grant you a Regeneration I status effect if you kill an enemy the axolotl is attacking.
- They will also remove Mining Fatigue, which is very useful inside ocean monuments.
If axolotls lose health, they can play dead by floating to the bottom and regenerating health. During this animation, hostile mobs will ignore axolotls.
Axolotls Can Be Captured With A Bucket Or Lead
Axolotls are not very hard to capture at all. The difficulty is finding some in the first place. Grab a bucket or a lead if you've found a spot where a bunch of them have spawned, and approach the axolotl.
RELATED: Minecraft: Everything You Need To Know About Smelting
Using a lead on an axolotl will make it follow you around, but using a bucket on one allows you to transport axolotl easily even across dry land without exposing it too much to drought. If you need to bring your axolotl far away, make sure to use a bucket instead to avoid killing it. Leads are more useful when leading the axolotl to battle against guardians and elder guardians in an ocean monument.
Axolotls Can Be Bred With A Bucket Of Tropical Fish
Breeding axolotl is quite a simple process as well. You'll need to get at least two of them at the same location and then grab a bunch of tropical fish into a bucket. This actually makes the axolotl the first mob that must be bred using items that can't be stacked.
Just like with other mobs, simply right-click with a bucket of tropical fish on both axolotls and the hearts will appear. A baby axolotl will be born, and it will take about 20 minutes for it to grow into an adult.
Until then, a baby will always follow around its parents. Usually, a baby will inherit the color of one of its parents, but it's possible for a baby to have the rare blue color as well.
Axolotls Have New Achievements Related To Them
There are two new advancements related to axolotls. Note that only one of them is available for Bedrock Edition.
- The Healing Power Of Friendship (Java and Bedrock Editions): unlocks when you fight an enemy together with an axolotl.
- The Cutest Predator (Java Edition only): use a bucket to capture an axolotl.
NEXT: Minecraft Complete Guide And Walkthrough
