Fox: a clever night hunter with two variants
The fox is a neutral mob added in version 1.14, "Village & Pillage". It comes in two variants, red and snow (white). Foxes hunt chickens and rabbits at night, pick up items from the ground, and are the only mobs you can "tame" solely by breeding offspring. If you are looking for another tameable companion, check out the page on the wolf.
Stats
| Attack damage | 2 (attacks chickens and rabbits) |
| Type | Neutral |
| Dimension | Overworld |
| Speed | Faster than a sprinting player |
| Experience (XP) | 1-3 points |
Foxes are faster than a sprinting player, which makes them practically impossible to catch in open terrain. The only way to "tame" one is breeding: you can't tame a wild fox.
Color variants
| Variant | Color | Biomes |
|---|---|---|
| Red fox | Red/orange | Taiga, Old Growth Spruce Taiga, Old Growth Pine Taiga |
| Snow fox | White | Snowy Taiga |
Both variants behave identically. The difference is purely visual. The snow fox is rarer because the snowy taiga is a less common biome. If you breed a red fox with a snow fox, the baby has a 50% chance of each variant.
Spawning and conditions
Foxes spawn in taiga biomes in groups of 2-4. You are more likely to find them at night, since that is when they are active. During the day they sleep curled up under trees or in shady spots.
There is a small chance that a fox spawns with an item in its mouth, for example a feather, rabbit hide, egg or emerald. A nod to the folklore in which foxes are clever thieves.
Behavior and hunting
Foxes are nocturnal mobs: they sleep during the day and hunt at night. A sleeping fox slowly moves its head. If you approach too quickly, the fox wakes up and runs away. Crouching (Shift) lets you get close without waking it.
At night, foxes actively hunt chickens, rabbits and fish (cod, salmon). A fox stalks its prey and then performs a characteristic pounce, diving nose-first into the ground when it hunts hidden prey. This pounce animation is one of a kind in all of Minecraft.
Foxes pick up items from the ground and carry them in their mouths. A fox can hold a weapon in its mouth and uses its bonuses: a fox with a sword enchanted with Fire Aspect will set its prey on fire. This mechanic is mostly a curiosity, because you can't control what the fox picks up.
Relations with other mobs
Foxes attack: chickens, rabbits, fish and baby turtles. Foxes run away from: wolves and polar bears. Wolves actively attack foxes, which makes them natural enemies. If you keep foxes and wolves nearby, you need to separate them with a fence.
How to tame a fox
You can't tame a wild fox: it will always run away from the player. The only way is to breed a baby fox. Feed two adult foxes sweet berries, and the newborn will trust the player who bred it. The baby fox still follows its parents, so you have to separate it with a leash.
Step by step:
- Find two adult foxes in a taiga (sneak up on them by crouching)
- Fence them in so they can't run away
- Feed both foxes sweet berries
- Wait for the baby fox to be born
- Put a leash on the baby fox
- Lead it away from its parents
A trusting fox defends the player against hostile mobs: it attacks zombies, skeletons and other monsters that attack you. It is not as effective in combat as a wolf, though.
Drops
| Item | Amount | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Held item | 1 | If the fox was holding something in its mouth |
| Experience (XP) | 1-3 | Killed by a player |
Foxes don't drop anything valuable when they die. The only thing you can get is the item the fox had in its mouth. There is no point in hunting foxes: they are far more valuable as companions and as decoration for your base.
Breeding foxes
Foxes breed after you feed two adults sweet berries or glow berries. After feeding, a baby fox appears that trusts the player who bred it. The breeding cooldown is 5 minutes.
If you breed a red fox with a snow fox, the baby has an equal chance of each variant. Baby foxes grow up after 20 minutes. You can speed up growth by feeding them more berries: each one shortens the time by 10%.
Sweet berries grow on bushes in taiga biomes, and you can plant them in your base too. A single sweet berry bush is an unlimited source of food for foxes. You can find more about growing them in the farming guide.
Trivia
- Foxes deliberately pick up items from the ground and carry them in their mouths. A fox holding a totem of undying will use it when it takes fatal damage, and survive.
- A sleeping fox slowly moves its head, a subtle animation detail.
- A fox jumps over fences and walls 1 block high. An enclosure needs to be at least 2 blocks tall.
- Snow foxes are harder to spot in snowy biomes: their white fur works as camouflage.
- Foxes are immune to damage from sweet berry bushes, so they can walk through bushes that hurt the player.
- Baby foxes have proportionally bigger heads than adults, a classic "baby mob" design in Minecraft.
Summary
The fox is a unique mob that combines clever AI behavior with interesting mechanics. Picking up items, hunting at night and the "taming" system through breeding make it one of the more interesting animals in Minecraft. Remember that you can't tame a wild fox: you have to breed a baby from sweet berries and separate it from its parents with a leash. A trusting fox will be a loyal companion that defends you against hostile mobs.