The list of Minecraft mobs just received a brand new addition, and it’s the first ancient mob of the game. If you haven’t guessed already, we are talking about the new dinosaur mob Sniffer, which is coming with the Minecraft 1.20 update. It is a fluffy powerhouse that can unlock a bunch of great items in the game. But what makes this mob incredible isn’t only its abilities or size. Even the Sniffer’s spawning mechanic is game-changing. So, let’s dive in and figure out everything there is to know about the Sniffer in Minecraft 1.20.
What Is a Sniffer in Minecraft
The winner of Minecraft Mob Vote 2022 is Sniffer, a passive functional mob that’s being added to the game with the 1.20 update. It is the first ancient mob to enter the game’s world and possesses some unique powers. The Sniffer roams around the overworld, moving its nose dramatically and sniffing ancient seeds. It pulls ancient seeds out of the ground which you can collect to grow exclusive plants.
Where to Find Sniffer in Minecraft
Sniffer is one of the few Minecraft mobs that can’t spawn naturally in the game’s world. Instead, you have to make it come out of an ancient egg in the form of a Snifflet. This Snifflet or baby Sniffer will then grow into the giant dinosaur mob that we know and love. This egg can be excavated from the suspicious sand blocks in the warm ocean ruins. Follow the guide linked here to learn how to find the Sniffer egg in Minecraft, and also, how to hatch it.
Sniffer in Minecraft: Basic Properties
Now that you know the basics of Sniffer in Minecraft, let’s dive into the detailed mechanics of this new mob.
Health & Regeneration
Even though Sniffer is one of the largest mobs in the game, its size doesn’t reflect in its strength. Its health is worth 14 points, which is equivalent to seven player hearts. Sniffers regenerate one heart after they’re fed a torchflower seed.
When it comes to health reduction, Sniffer doesn’t seem to have any special abilities or defenses. Its health fatally reduces due to fire, lava, and fall damage in Minecraft. Moreover, even though Sniffer’s eggs spawn inside the ocean, the mob itself is not immune to drowning and suffocation. So, except for its special sniffing ability, our new mob is just like every other passive mob.
Attacking & Drops
Sniffer is a passive mob in Minecraft, so it’s completely tolerant and doesn’t attack you even if you hit it first. Furthermore, when it comes to mob interaction, both Warden and Wither attack the Sniffer without any discrimination. The former can slay the Sniffer with a single hit. Meanwhile, it takes around 14 simple hits for the players to put the Sniffer to rest.
When it comes to loot, the Sniffer only drops 1-3 experience points (around 10% of the time). However, we suggest that you don’t take drastic steps for this loot as breeding provides more experience.
What Does Sniffer Do in Minecraft
Focusing on mob behavior, the Sniffer mob roams around the world of Minecraft aimlessly. It consciously avoids any obstacles, including water, fire, lava, and non-climbable blocks. While roaming, the Sniffer smells its surroundings (possibly for seeds) and dramatically moves its nose around.
Then, after every little while, the Sniffer sits on all fours and puts its head underground. After that, slowly but surely, it pulls out ancient seeds from the ground. You can pick up the seeds as an item and throw them on the farmland to get unique plants.
Ancient Seeds in Minecraft
As the name implies, the ancient seeds are rare seeds that are buried underground in the overworld and only the Sniffer can find them in Minecraft. Each seed grows into a beautiful plant that you can use for decorative purposes. However, unlike regular plants, you can’t get more seeds from the plant. For these seeds, you have to rely entirely on the Sniffer.
There are two ancient seeds in Minecraft that the Sniffer can find:
- Torchflower Seeds – has three stages of growth
- Pitcher Pods – has five stages of growth
You can plant these seeds on the farmland blocks and wait for them to reach full size. Then, you can break them and get a decorative plant you can place anywhere in your world.
How to Make Sniffer Sniff in Minecraft
When a Snifflet grows up into an adult Sniffer, give them a little bit of time and they’ll start sniffing. Immediately after they are done, the eight-minute cooldown starts and they will not look for any seeds in that time period. Besides the cooldown timer, Sniffers remember the last 20 blocks they’ve dug in and will not choose those blocks. After they dig in more than 20 blocks, they will have forgotten the first blocks they chose and will consider them suitable digging spots.
In Minecraft 1.20, the Sniffer needs at least a 6×6 area of diggable blocks to be able to start sniffing and those blocks are the following:
- Dirt
- Podzol
- Coarse Dirt
- Rooted Dirt
- Grass Block
- Moss Block
- Mud
- Muddy Mangrove Roots
Once you have set up the compatible area for the Sniffer, it all comes down to waiting for the Sniffer to do its job. Though, having more than one Sniffer will surely help.
How to Breed Sniffer in Minecraft
Breeding the Sniffer is easy in Minecraft. You just need to get two Sniffers together and wait for them to dig out Torchflower seeds. Once they find them, you have to feed the seeds to the Sniffer to get them into “love mode”. After that, the sniffer egg will be dropped. Check out the link in the How to find the Sniffer in Minecraft section on how to hatch the Snifflet.
It takes around 20 minutes for the Snifflet to grow into an adult Sniffer. Further, the parents need a 5-10 minute break (cooldown) before being ready for another round of breeding. With such simple breeding mechanics, you can get a small army of these new mobs in no time. And if you face any trouble while doing so, feel free to use our dedicated guide to learn how to breed Sniffer in Minecraft.
Just like that, you know everything there’s to know about the Sniffer mob in Minecraft 1.20. But it is not the only new mob of the upcoming update. So, you should also make some time to meet the camels in Minecraft. Much like the Sniffer, they are also passive mobs, but you can use them to get a lot of tactical advantage during combat. Furthermore, you can even ride camels and use them as a means of transport. But let’s not venture too far from the mob in focus. So, how excited are you to meet the Sniffer in Minecraft? Tell us in the comments below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, the Sniffer can’t be tamed in Minecraft or attracted by food or seed. But you can use a lead, to take it anywhere you want.
The Warden is hostile toward all mobs in Minecraft including the Sniffer. It can detect its scent and vibrations.
Sniffer is a completely passive Minecraft mob. It won’t attack you even if you hit it first.
