3 things you didn't know about armadillo in Minecraft 

Minecraft 1.21 may be months away from its release date, in all likelihood, but recent Java snapshots and Bedrock previews are providing players a sneak peek at its new content. One such example is the armadillo mob, the winner of 2023's Mob Vote event over its counterparts, the penguin and the crab. This little critter spawns in savannas and can drop scutes for crafting wolf armor.

For the most part, Minecraft fans are pretty up to speed on the armadillo and how it works in its current state. It might gain some functionality as the 1.21 update approaches, but there may be a few things that players might have missed concerning this new mob.

Although the armadillo is still in its early stages, it doesn't hurt to check out some facts about this Minecraft mob that fans might not know.

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Facts about Minecraft's armadillos that players might have missed

1) Uncurling armadillos

Armadillos curl up when certain factors make them feel endangered in Minecraft. (Image via Mojang)

Certain behaviors enacted by other entities in Minecraft can spook armadillos, leading them to curl up and attempt to protect themselves. This includes when players sprint near it or ride a mob nearby, and armadillos will also curl up when undead mobs are in its general area. However, there are multiple ways that players can force the little critter out of its shell if they'd like.

Although armadillos will uncurl themselves after three seconds if they don't detect any threats, players can also uncurl armadillos by damaging them (though this causes them to flee). If fans don't want to hurt the little mob, they can also attach a lead to it or nudge it into the water. However, out of all of these options, simply giving the mob a few seconds to calm down or attaching a lead to it is harm-free.

Minecraft fans are free to do as they please with the new in-game mob, but simply leashing it or letting it realize it isn't in danger will keep armadillos away from dangerous situations where they might need healing afterward.

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2) Mojang changed armadillo eyes and behavior to make them more relatable

While countless Minecraft mobs are heavily inspired by their real-life counterparts, Mojang took some creative liberties with armadillos to make them more agreeable to players. In our world, armadillo eyes are on the sides of their heads, providing an increased range of vision. However, Mojang decided to place armadillo eyes toward the front of their faces to make them cuter and more relatable.

This was confirmed personally by Mojang employee Jasper Boerstra, who stated that players could likely forge connections with armadillos more regularly if their eyes weren't on the sides of their heads. There may be some truth to that, as players being able to connect with an armadillo through direct eye contact may very well find themselves enjoying the company of the critters.

Boerstra also remarked that while real-world armadillos hide their faces when curled up, their Minecraft counterparts do the opposite, aiming to make the mob a bit cuter in-game. This has gotten some mixed feedback as some players have reportedly preferred the more realistic angle, but it's hard to take Mojang's sandbox game that seriously, given its presentation and appeal.

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3) Armadillos can be bred by feeding them spider eyes

A certain brewing ingredient in Minecraft can also lead to the breeding of armadillo pups. (Image via Mojang)

Mojang did a fair job at introducing details for armadillos when they made their way to the game as an Experimental Feature, but some players missed the fact that armadillos can be bred to produce offspring like many other animal mobs. This may be due to the food item that's required to do so, as it isn't exactly a typical item that most animal mobs would eat: spider eyes.

Spider eyes tend to be used more often as a potion-brewing component for potions, but feeding two armadillos these spider drops will also allow them to mate and make cute little armadillo pups. Since this fact was left out of the initial trailers for the armadillo at the Mob Vote, it's a good thing to keep in mind.