The Minecraft Sniffer is a new mob community voted into the game, beating the Tuff Golem in the 2022 Minecraft Live mob vote with a whopping 55%.

This adorable prehistoric creature is already a fan-favorite after being added to the colossal Minecraft 1.20 update that introduced new biomes, blocks, and mobs.

As with many Minecraft mobs, players may wonder how to find this ancient creature, what Sniffers do, and how to breed them. Never fear, Rivalry is here with all the answers! Keep reading to find out more.

What is a Sniffer?

A Sniffer is a large, mysterious creature in Minecraft. They look almost prehistoric and dinosaur-like in nature, with a large signature snout. Sniffers are the first ancient mob to be added to the game and possess unique abilities, unlike any other Minecraft mobs.

Minecraft Sniffer Behavior

Sniffers are an extremely passive mob in nature and won't harm the player, even when attacked. As far as their behavior goes, they will avoid obstacles like water, fire, lava, and non-climbable blocks.

Sniffers will only drop one to three experience points and no loot when killed, so it's best to utilize these passive mobs' natural abilities and breed them for experience instead of hurting them.

Despite being the largest mobs in the game, Sniffers only have 14 health points, equivalent to seven player hearts. When fed a Torchflower seed, they will regenerate one health heart.

Where to find a Minecraft Sniffer

Sniffers are one of the few mobs in Minecraft that don't spawn naturally. Instead, players will have to scout out a Sniffer Egg to hatch it into a baby Sniffer, or Snifflet, as they are officially called. A Sniffer Egg can be hatched quicker by placing it onto a moss block.

Sniffer Eggs can be excavated from Suspicious Sand in a Warm Ocean ruins location, using archaeology tools like the Brush. Sniffer Eggs can be hard to spot, so keep your eyes peeled!

What does the Sniffer do in Minecraft?

As their name suggests, Sniffers can sniff out and locate exclusive items for the player that can't be found any other way. They do this by sitting on all fours and burrowing their heads into the ground, pulling out Torchflower seeds and Pitcher pods. Sniffers have an eight-minute cooldown between foraging for seeds.

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In Minecraft 1.20, Sniffers also require a 6x6 block area to be able to dig and can only dig in certain blocks listed below:

  • Coarse Dirt
  • Dirt
  • Grass Block
  • Moss Block
  • Mud
  • Muddy Mangrove Roots
  • Podzol
  • Rooted Dirt

Sniffers will remember the last 20 blocks they sniffed, so ensure an adequate area for them to roam!

The ancient seeds they forage (Torchflower and Pitcher) are entirely decorative. Still, these plants are essential for making your Minecraft world look more aesthetically pleasing! Torchflower seeds are also super important when breeding Sniffers, so hold onto them!

How to Breed Sniffers

While Sniffers can't be tamed like any other Minecraft mob, they can be bred. However, there is quite a vicious cycle with Sniffers, as you will need Torchflower seeds to produce more Sniffers, which can only be found by an adult Sniffer.

So, to breed two Sniffers, you will first need to locate two Sniffer Eggs yourself, hatch them, and wait for them to grow into adult Sniffers. Once you've done this, trap the two adult Sniffers together and feed them Torchflower seeds on them until love hearts appear. Before you know it, an adorable Snifflet will hatch from a Sniffer Egg, and you should have a steady supply of Snifflers!

How to Ride a Sniffer in Minecraft

Unfortunately, Sniffers can only be ridden in Creative Mode, with no clues as to whether Mojang will add the option to ride Sniffers with a saddle in Survival Mode.

To ride a Sniffer, follow the steps below:

  1. First, make sure your game is in "Creative Mode."
  2. Approach an adult Sniffer and stay near it.
  3. Press "T" to open up the game's console.
  4. Enter the command "/ride [playerusername] mount @e[type=minecraft:sniffer,limit=1,distance=..10]"
  5. Press "Enter."

After this, you should immediately be on the Sniffer's back and be able to ride it. If you want to dismount the Sniffer, press "Left Shift." If this doesn't work, you can use the command "ride [playerusername] dismount" to force dismount.

Final Thoughts

With this information in mind, you should be well on your way to creating an adorable Sniffer army, knowing precisely what Sniffers do, and where to find and hatch Sniffer Eggs. The Minecraft Sniffer is an excellent addition to the game we all know and love, and we can't wait to see what new mobs they add in the future.

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