Taming a snow fox in Minecraft involves a unique process as they cannot be tamed directly like other mobs such as wolves or cats. Instead, you must breed two wild snow foxes, and the resulting baby fox will automatically be loyal to you.
How to Tame a Snow Fox
To get your very own tamed snow fox, follow these steps:
1. Locate Two Wild Snow Foxes
Snow foxes naturally spawn in snowy taiga, snowy taiga hills, and snow-capped peaks biomes. You'll need to find at least two of them to begin the breeding process.
2. Create a Secure Enclosure
Before breeding, it's crucial to contain the wild foxes. Build a secure pen using fences or walls to prevent them from escaping. Foxes are quite agile and can jump over certain obstacles, so ensure the pen is tall enough or has a roof.
3. Gather Sweet Berries
Sweet berries are the key item for breeding foxes. You can find sweet berry bushes in taiga, snowy taiga, and giant tree taiga biomes. Simply break the bushes to collect the berries. Each fox will require one sweet berry to be put into 'love mode'.
4. Breed the Foxes
With the two wild snow foxes safely enclosed:
- Approach one fox and feed it a sweet berry by right-clicking (or using the equivalent action on your platform). Hearts will appear around it, indicating it's ready to breed.
- Do the same for the second fox.
- If both foxes are in love mode and close enough, they will breed, and a baby fox will instantly appear.
5. Obtain Your Tamed Baby Fox
The newborn baby fox will automatically be tamed and loyal to you. Initially, it will follow its parents. To fully claim your new companion:
- You can patiently wait for the baby fox to grow up.
- Use a lead to guide it away from its parents.
- Alternatively, move far enough away so that the parent foxes unload from the game's memory (despawn) if they are not persistently loaded chunks.
Key Characteristics of Tamed Foxes
- Loyalty: Unlike wild foxes that flee from players, a tamed baby fox will not be scared and will follow you.
- Item Holding: Foxes can pick up and hold items in their mouths. If they pick up a food item, they will eventually eat it. If they pick up a weapon, they will use it in combat.
- Nocturnal Behavior: Foxes are nocturnal and prefer to sleep during the day. If given the chance, they will find a dark spot or a bed to sleep in.
- Mob Attacks: Tamed foxes will attack various hostile mobs that pose a threat to the player or themselves, including chickens, rabbits, fish, and certain hostile mobs like zombies and skeletons.
- Health: Baby foxes have less health than adult foxes but will gain full health upon growing up.
Required Items for Taming a Snow Fox
To make the process easier, here’s a quick overview of the items you'll need:
| Item | Purpose | How to Obtain |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Berries | Essential for breeding the two wild foxes. | Found on sweet berry bushes in Taiga, Snowy Taiga, and Giant Tree Taiga biomes. |
| Fences/Walls | To build a secure pen and prevent the wild foxes from escaping. | Craftable from various wood types, cobblestone, etc. (e.g., 6 wood planks for 3 fences). |
| Lead (Optional) | Useful for leading the tamed baby fox away from its parents and to your base. | Crafted with 4 String (from spiders/cobwebs) and 1 Slimeball (from slimes). |
By following these steps, you can successfully obtain and befriend a loyal snow fox companion in Minecraft.
