Minecraft Naturalist mod guide

Minecraft has various kinds of animals like cows, sheep, pigs, wolves, cats, cod, salmon, squid, polar bears, etc. Each of them has its own behavior and can interact with players in different ways. While the game has wildlife, the community has always craved for more animals.

Since Java Edition is heavily moddable, players have created all sorts of mods to add new mobs. One such mod is called Naturalist, which adds various new real-life animals to the game. Here is more to know about this Minecraft mod.

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Features and download guide on the Naturalist mod for Minecraft

What does the Naturalist mod offer?

Naturalist is a mod that adds loads of animals to Minecraft to enhance the game's wildlife and immersion. Here is a list of all the animals the mod adds:

• Alligators
• Bass
• Bear
• Bird
• Boar
• Butterfly
• Catfish
• Deer
• Dragonfly
• Duck
• Elephant
• Firefly
• Giraffe
• Hippo
• Lion
• Lizard
• Rhino
• Snail
• Snake
• Tortoise
• Vulture
• Zebra

These animals engage with the environment in dynamic ways that produce a living ecosystem rather than existing as inert ambient features. For instance, bears can be observed prowling through forests, chasing deer, and turning aggressive if their young are in danger. Whereas a deer grazes in peace but is nonetheless wary and fast to escape danger.

Additionally, the mod adds various tiny animals with their own unique features. Butterflies undergo a whole life cycle, beginning as caterpillars and then turning into vibrant adults. Snails scuttle across the forest floor, and snakes actively hunt other gangs.

You can also interact with all these creatures in unique ways. For example, you can feed birds to tame them, but you will have a hard time dodging lions that cannot be tamed by any means.

You can head to Naturalist's official Wiki page to learn every single detail about each animal the mod adds. As of now, it supports game versions 1.18.2 through 1.20.1 and runs on both Forge and Fabric.

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How to download and install the Naturalist mod for Minecraft

Naturalist mod can be downloaded from the Modrinth website (Image via CurseForge/crispytwig)

Here is a short guide on downloading and installing the Naturalist mod for Minecraft:

1. Download and install Forge and Fabric for the game version 1.20.1.
2. Head to Modrinth and search for the Naturalist mod.
3. On the mod's product page, find and download the mod file, which should be compatible with Forge or Fabric 1.20.1 as of now.
4. Also, download the GeckoLib mod for Forge or Fabric 1.20.1.
5. Copy and paste the mod files into the "mods" folder in the root Minecraft directory. For me, it's C:\Users\admin\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft.
6. Open the title's launcher and find the Forge or Fabric 1.20.1 modded game version.
7. Open the game, enter a world, and start exploring all the new animals the mod adds.

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