Here's everything we know about axolotls in Minecraft

Got questions about the new Minecraft axolotl mob? The new amphibious creature was added in part one of the Minecraft Caves & Cliffs update. And while the new biomes aren't expected until later this year in part two, there's plenty to learn about the axolotl in the meantime. 

The Minecraft axolotl mob is just one of the new animals to be added with the 1.17 update, though you may want to be wary around goats, which will do their best to throw you from their mountainside homes. Luckily, axolotls are far more friendly, so why not befriend these adorable creatures? Exactly. Here's everything we know about the Minecraft axolotl, including where to find them, how to tame them, and their many different colours.

How to spawn

Minecraft axolotl spawn location

Axolotls were originally said to spawn in one of the new cave biomes, Lush Caves. But since the new biomes aren't arriving in Minecraft until later this year, where can we find these fun fish?

Currently, axolotls can spawn in any underground water source, as long as it's in total darkness and below sea level (y63). I'll update this guide when the new biomes go live in update 1.18 to reflect any future spawn changes, but this is how you can find axolotls in the meantime.

How to tame

How to tame an axolotl in Minecraft

Axolotls can't technically be tamed, but they're not hostile towards players and can be scooped up into a bucket with ease. You can then carry them around with you or re-home them in a pond or lake nearer to your base.

You can also attach a lead to an axolotl if you don't have a bucket handy, but it will die if it's out of water for over five minutes, though not if it's raining or there's a thunderstorm.

How to breed

How to breed axolotl in Minecraft

Axolotls can be bred using buckets of tropical fish. Once you have two adult axolotls together, feed each using the tropical fish and you should see red hearts signalling that they've entered 'love mode'. How romantic.

The resulting baby axolotl will inherit the colour of one of its parents at random and take 20 in-game minutes to reach maturity. You can speed up the process by using more tropical fish.

Colours/blue axolotl

Minecraft axolotl colors: How to get the rare blue axolotl 

Minecraft axolotls come in the following colours:

• Lucy (pink)
• Wild (brown)
• Gold
• Cyan
• Blue

The blue axolotl is by far the rarest colour and has a 0.083% chance of spawning, either naturally or via the breeding of adults with other colours. So, if you've got your heart set on a blue axolotl, you'll need to have a lot of patience and more than a bit of luck. 

What they eat

What do axolotls eat? 

Axolotls eat tropical fish, which are generally found in ocean biomes. If you want to feed an axolotl, you'll need to use a bucket of tropical fish rather than single ones you've previously caught. 

As tropical fish tend to scare easily, they can be quite tricky to capture in a bucket, so patience is key. Otherwise, it's worth checking to see if the Wandering Trader has a bucket of tropical fish for sale.

Combat

Do axolotls attack other mobs? 

While these adorable creatures aren't hostile to players, they won't hesitate to attack seaborne threats. While they will leave dolphins and turtles alone, everything else is fair game—they'll even take on a Drowned. 

They also have a neat defence mechanism: If an axolotl takes damage while underwater, it will play dead and gain Regeneration. The Regeneration status effect can be transferred to a player temporarily when killing a mob the axolotl was fighting.

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