Minecraft armadillos: how to find and breed these adorable armored animals

Minecraft armadillos are peculiar little critters to stumble across. At first, they seem like a pretty harmless, almost irrelevant addition to the roster of mobs aside from inhabiting the barren biomes of badlands and savannas. But, once you know what makes armadillos such a valuable resource and in turn, a fantastic addition to Minecraft 1.20.80 update, you'll be searching for them in no time.  

There's a lot to love about armadillos, and if you're only just learning about these mobs, we've collected everything you ought to know right here. From where to find them, to what they do and how to make the most of their materials, here's what we know about Minecraft's adorable armadillos.  

What do Armadillos do in Minecraft? 

Armadillos are yet another goofy addition to Minecraft's array of mobs, but aside from looking cute they do serve several purposes. Firstly, armadillos will naturally repel spiders and cave spiders in the same way cats will repel creepers. They're also the only source for scutes which are their scaley outer skins used for crafting wolf armor. 

Armadillos will not attack if you're nearby, but they will roll up into balls if they feel threatened by sprinting or mounted players, when they take damage, or when undead mobs like Zombies or Drowned are nearby. It'll take about four seconds before the armadillo will poke its nose out to scan for threats and uncurl, but if it's not quite content with its surroundings it will stay curled. When they are curled up, they will take significantly less damage but won't be rendered invincible. They also will not be tempted by food or prepared to breed in this state.

If you don't want to attack these friendly fellows though and you'd rather tempt them back to your base for a new pet, leading and breeding armadillos only requires spider eyes. As armadillos tend to spawn in groups of two to three, you shouldn't have too much issue finding a compatible pair, and before you know it you'll have the pitter patter of tiny armadillo talons around your base.

Here's a recap of the basic information you need to know about armadillos:

• Can they be tamed? Armadillos cannot be tamed in the same way cats and dogs can, but you can put them on a lead. 
• Can you breed armadillos? You can breed armadillos using spider eyes, which is also how you lead them around. 
• Are they hostile? Good news! Armadillos are entirely passive in Minecraft, so you don't have to worry about running into a hostile "roll" of armadillos on your many adventures. 
• Where do they spawn? Armadillos spawn in groups of two to three in both badlands and savannas. 

How to get armadillos scutes 

Armadillo scutes are the main appeal of the new mob since this is your key to crafting wolf armor. Armadillos drop them naturally every 5-10 minutes, so you don't need to find a group of them and rush in all guns blazing. This process can be fast-tracked if you have access to an archaeology brush. Dispensers can also be used to brush scutes off armadillos if you don't want to do the legwork yourself and have a handy redstone-powered farm already set up. 

You'll need six armadillo scutes to craft wolf armor, which is another reason why keeping your own roll of armadillos around your base is worth it rather than going on a killing spree. If you need to repair the durability of your wolf armor, you can use a scute on the wolf while the armor is equipped to repair 8 durability points. 

So, if you want a quirky new mob around the house, then you may want to set off on a quest to find some armadillos now you know what they're all about.