What Do Armadillos Eat in Minecraft?

The mob list in Minecraft is already an exciting way to add some novelty to every biome, and the armadillo is no exception. Added in the 1.20.5 update as a subset of the Armored Paws release in April 2024, these cute critters covered in shells have captured hearts and minds of players with their funny demeanor and unusual usefulness. However, there is one question that frequently comes to a mind when players explore savannas and badlands: what do armadillos eat in Minecraft? This guide explores the ins-and-outs of their diet and how to feed them, and why it is important, providing a comprehensive picture of these adorable creatures added to the game.

Armadillos: The Armored Wanderers of Minecraft

Armadillos are neutral mobs that introduce some real-life animals in the Minecraft world of blocks. They are what is referred to as adorable and nervous with the capability to roll up into a ball when surprised. Armadillos (can be found in warm, dry biomes) make the game ecosystems more colorful and have a logical task of playing their part of such unique drops. This grasp of what they eat can make their presence more worthwhile, with or without the objective of breeding them.

Where Armadillos Roam

Armadillos reproduce themselves in warm environments, i.e. savanna, savanna plateau, windswept savanna, badlands, eroded badlands and wooded badlands. These open and arid territories are their natural habitat and here they can be seen dashing around in herds, mostly in small numbers, of two to three in savannahs, one to two in badlands. When walking through these biomes, players will encounter the unique brown armored bodies of armadillos roaming freely, which enhances diversity to the scorching sun landscape.

Armadillo Behavior: Shy but Resilient

Armadillos are timid by nature, making them one of Minecraft’s more cautious mobs. When faced with a threat, they roll into a cube-like ball, reducing damage from attacks. Triggers for this defensive behavior include:

1. Players sprinting or riding mounts (like horses or minecarts) nearby.
2. Undead mobs, such as zombies or skeletons, within a 7-block horizontal and 2-block vertical radius.
3. Recent attacks from players or other mobs.

While rolled up, armadillos are nearly invulnerable, taking significantly less damage. They’ll peek out periodically to check for threats and unroll after 3 seconds (60 ticks) if the coast is clear. However, they won’t roll up if they’re in water, on fire, in the air, or attached to a lead. This behavior makes them fascinating to observe but also affects how players can interact with them, especially when it comes to feeding.

What Armadillos Eat in Minecraft

Unlike cows or pigs, which feed on crops in order to breed, armadillos do not feed on food to survive. Instead, they are associated with certain player interactions and is spookily enough, they eat spider eyes. These weird things, which are deposited by the spiders, and spider cave, are the only food that armadillos will feed on. This decision reflects the real-life armadillo, which is an insectivorous animal because, in the simplified Minecraft ecosystem, spider eyes become the equivalent of insects.

Feeding Mechanics

Feeding armadillos spider eyes serves three main purposes:

1. Breeding: To breed armadillos, players must feed two adult armadillos spider eyes while they’re unrolled. This triggers “love mode,” indicated by hearts above their heads. If the armadillos are close enough, they’ll produce a baby armadillo. Parents have a 5-minute cooldown before they can breed again.
2. Luring: Armadillos will follow players holding spider eyes within a range of 10 blocks in Java Edition or 16 blocks in Bedrock Edition. This is useful for guiding them to a farm or enclosure.
3. Growth Acceleration: Feeding spider eyes to baby armadillos speeds up their growth by 10% per use. Without feeding, babies take 20 minutes (24,000 ticks) to mature into adults.

A key detail: armadillos must be unrolled to accept spider eyes. If they roll up after being fed but before breeding, they lose their willingness to breed, requiring another spider eye to re-enter love mode.

Obtaining Spider Eyes

Spider eyes are relatively easy to come by, though collecting them requires some effort. Here’s how players can gather them:

1. Defeat Spiders and Cave Spiders: Spiders spawn at night or in dark areas like caves, while cave spiders are found in mineshafts. Each kill has a chance to drop 0–2 spider eyes, with higher yields possible using a Looting-enchanted sword.
2. Hunt Witches: Witches, found in swamp huts or during raids, can drop up to 6 spider eyes (up to 15 with Looting III), making them a lucrative source.
3. Loot Chests: Desert temple chests have a roughly 30% chance to contain 1–3 spider eyes, though this is less reliable than hunting mobs.

Players should be cautious, as spider eyes are poisonous when consumed by players, inflicting a poison effect. However, armadillos are immune to this drawback, happily munching on these creepy treats.

Spider Eye Drop Rates

Source	Drop Chance	Quantity (Without Looting)	Quantity (With Looting III)
Spider/Cave Spider	~33%	0–2	0–5
Witch	~12.5%	0–6	0–15
Desert Temple Chest	~30%	1–3	N/A

Why Feeding Armadillos Matters

Feeding armadillos spider eyes is more than just a quirky interaction, it’s a gateway to valuable gameplay mechanics. The primary reason to breed armadillos is to obtain armadillo scutes, which are used to craft wolf armor. This armor provides protection for tamed wolves, making them more resilient in combat against hostile mobs. Scutes can be collected in two ways:

1. Brushing: Using a brush on an armadillo causes it to drop a scute. This can be repeated until the brush’s durability runs out, making it an efficient method for gathering scutes.
2. Natural Drops: Armadillos periodically drop scutes without player interaction, though this happens less frequently than brushing.

Additionally, armadillos have a unique effect on spiders: both regular and cave spiders are afraid of them and will flee, similar to how skeletons avoid wolves. This makes armadillos a natural deterrent in areas with high spider populations, adding a strategic element to their presence.

Tips for Interacting with Armadillos

To make the most of armadillos, players can follow these practical tips:

1. Move Slowly: Armadillos are easily startled, so approach them without sprinting or riding to keep them unrolled and receptive to spider eyes.
2. Stockpile Spider Eyes: Keep a healthy supply of spider eyes for breeding and luring. Nighttime spider hunts or mineshaft expeditions are great for farming them.
3. Set Up a Farm: For a steady supply of scutes, create an armadillo farm by luring two or more armadillos into an enclosed area with spider eyes. Breed them regularly to maintain a population.
4. Protect Wolves: Use scutes to craft wolf armor, ensuring your canine companions are ready for battle.
5. Leverage Spider Fear: Position armadillos near your base in spider-heavy areas to keep those eight-legged pests at bay.

A Glimpse into Armadillo History

Armadillos were introduced in Minecraft with the 2023 Minecraft Live Mob Vote, where they won the majority of votes over the crab and penguin. Their popularity received a combo with the mention of the promise of having the wolf armor which was one of the things that players had requested. Armadillos were added in Armored Paws, and they conquered the hearts of players with their adorableness and usefulness. Fun fact: real life armadillos are able to swim and can hold their breath, up to 6 minutes, but the Minecraft armadillo drowns like other mobs, making it a bit of a humorous design.

Wrapping Up

The armadillos add an exotic taste to Minecraft, which is cute aesthetically and useful. Although their food, spider eyes is quite weird, it contributes to breeding, attracting, and speeding up breeding, thus they are essential to players who need armadillo scutes to make wolf armor. Once players learn where to locate them, how to feed them and as well as how to exploit their traits, they will be able to make full use of them in their Minecraft exploits using their armored critters. Thus, next time you find yourself wandering through a savanna or badlands biome, be sure to pick up some spider eyes, become acquainted with an armadillo and you won’t be disappointed you did!