How to breed axolotls in Minecraft Bedrock

Minecraft's Axolotls are here at last as one of three adorable new creatures added to the game with the recent Caves & Cliffs update.

We don't blame you if you took one look at these goofy little charmers and just knew that you had to have one of your very own, so we've put together everything you need to know about finding, taming, feeding, and breeding Minecraft axolotls.

Minecraft axolotls: where they spawn

Real life axolotls have only been found in the wild in two lakes in Mexico, one of which no longer exists. So even though Minecraft's axolotl population has some specific restrictions determining where they'll spawn, comfort yourself with the knowledge that they're still much easier to find than in the real world.

Axolotls will only spawn under the following conditions:

• They can only spawn in water and below Y-level 63.
• They can only spawn in perfect darkness (Light Level 0).
• Their spawn location must be within five blocks of a stone-type block, and there must be a solid block above their spawn location.

Because of these restrictions, axolotl used to only spawn in certain underground caves. However, with Cliffs and Caves Part 2, Mojang changed their locations. Now, you'll only find axolotl in Lush Caves, which lie beneath azalea trees

Can you tame axolotls in Minecraft?

Technically speaking, you can't tame Minecraft's axolotls. Disappointing, we know.

You can, however, get them to follow you by holding a Bucket of Tropical Fish (but not Tropical Fish items!) in your hand as you approach them. This allows you to corral them to an extent, giving you some freedom to lead them to a location of your choosing.

You can also attach axolotls to leads, or pick them up in a Bucket of Water if you want to transport them further. An axolotl that has been picked up will never despawn, so you can effectively get yourself a pet one using this method.

Being able to herd axolotls is also highly useful for breeding them.

How to breed axolotls in Minecraft

To breed axolotls, you need to bring two adults into the same vicinity using one of the methods described above. Enticing them with their favourite food is the easiest and most efficient way of doing this.

You then need to get them both into Love Mode by feeding them a Bucket of Tropical Fish each.

When both are in Love Mode they will autonomously breed and produce a baby axolotl.

The baby will follow its parents around until it reaches adulthood after 20 minutes — though if you're truly impatient you can reduce this time even further by feeding the baby Buckets of Tropical Fish. Aww, how quickly they grow up!

Axolotl colours: breeding a rare blue axolotl

Minecraft axolotls come in five colours.

The four common colours are lucy (pink), wild (brown), gold (yellow), and cyan (actually whitish with aqua spots). In-game breeding gives a 50/50 chance for a baby axolotl to inherit the colour pattern of either parent.

There is a one in 1,200 chance that breeding will produce the rare blue axolotl instead.

Some trivia for the curious: unlike the other four patterns, blue axolotls are not based on a real-life axolotl colouration, but are inspired by the Mudkip Pokemon. The low spawning chance is a reference to the estimated number of real-world axolotls left in the wild. The more you know!

Are Minecraft axolotls hostile?

Axolotls are a passive mob — at least when it comes to the player.

They are, however, hostile to all other aquatic mobs, with the sole exceptions being dolphins and turtles.

If you're a flint-hearted monster (or possibly just terribly clumsy) and deal damage to your axolotl, it has a high chance of playing dead rather than actually dying. The same applies if it takes damage from other mobs (like the ones it's constantly aggroing for no apparent reason).

While shamming it will slowly recover its lost health over time, and can't be attacked by other mobs until it returns to normal activity. In other words, these cute amphibians are thankfully, surprisingly hardy creatures.

For more Minecraft, check out our guide to the best world seeds you can play right now.

Or if you're interested in customising your game, you might like our guide to the best Minecraft mods in 2021.

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The Minecraft axolotl is one of the best beasties you'll find around the biomes, small pink amphibians that primarily snuffle about the games caves and caverns, close to water if they can. That's no coincidence; axolotls in Minecraft have to stay close to water, or risk drying out and becoming axed a little. But if you can learn how they work, you can find, breed and tame axolotls in Minecraft to make your very own little entourage of affable amphibians. Find out how they're found and mastered in our simple guide below.

Unfortunately, finding a Minecraft axolotl is easier said than done. The axolotl is an aquatic cave animal, which means that they only spawn in water, and in total darkness (light level 0). Naturally, there must also be blocks roofing over their habitat. 

On the plus side, a Minecraft axolotl cave lake doesn’t have to be deep (there must be a solid block no more than five blocks below the axolotl spawn point). You don’t necessarily have to dig deep either, as the axolotl can spawn below y: 63. That means around sea level or lower.

Note that only one to four axolotls will spawn in one group. They come in five different colors, but the blue ones are extremely rare. About 1 in 1200 axolotls are blue, so don’t get your hopes up if that’s your favorite color.

How to capture and tame axolotls in Minecraft

With such an adorable look, it’s only natural that Minecraft players want to tame their own axolotl pet. Unfortunately, you can’t tame an axolotl like a cat or a wolf. However, they are passive animals and can easily be captured and transported. So yes, you can breed axolotl and make your own axolotl zoo in Minecraft!

The easiest way to transport an axolotl is by using a Bucket on them. You can then take the axolotl bucket with you wherever you go. Alternatively, you can lure them with a bucket of tropical fish, or use a lead. Be careful where you drop your axolotl though; they will die after spending more than five minutes out of water. 

How to breed axolotls in Minecraft

Minecraft axolotls will enter ‘love mode’ if you give them a Bucket of Tropical Fish (you need the bucket here; just the fish won’t work). Of course, you need two axolotls to make a new one. A baby axolotl takes 20 minutes to become fully grown. 

If you want to spawn an axolotl in creative mode, you can use the summon command, a spawn egg, or an axolotl bucket. 

Axolotl armies in Minecraft

So, what are these creatures good for, besides being cute? The axolotl can actually be quite useful if you want to go fishing or take on an underwater fight. First, you need to capture at least two axolotl and start breeding them. Once you have a pretty big Minecraft axolotl army, you can put them all in buckets and take the buckets with you (or just lead them with a Bucket of Tropical Fish). If you encounter an underwater enemy, just release the axolotl from their buckets. As long as it’s not a dolphin or a turtle, they will kill anything for you.

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