Sniffer eggs spawn only in warm ocean ruins, and you need to warm them in a specific way to hatch them

Sniffer eggs are found in the warm ocean biome, specifically inside the structures called warm ocean ruins. These are underwater buildings that generate naturally in warm ocean water — the kind where tropical fish swim and the sand is light-colored. You cannot craft sniffer eggs or find them anywhere else in Survival mode.

Once you locate a warm ocean ruin, search the structure for suspicious sand or suspicious gravel blocks. These look slightly different from regular sand and gravel — they have a speckled texture. Break these blocks with a brush tool (not a pickaxe) to uncover the sniffer egg inside. Each warm ocean ruin typically contains one or two eggs.

The egg itself does nothing when you place it down cold. You must place it on a moss block and keep it warm by placing a heat source nearby — usually a campfire, soul campfire, or magma block directly underneath the moss block. The egg will crack and hatch into a baby sniffer after a few minutes of being warmed.

Key Takeaways

  • Sniffer eggs are found only in warm ocean ruins, which generate in warm ocean biomes with light sand and tropical fish.
  • Use a brush tool to break suspicious sand or suspicious gravel blocks inside the ruin to uncover the egg.
  • Place the egg on a moss block and add a heat source like a campfire underneath to warm it and trigger hatching.
  • A single sniffer egg takes several minutes to hatch once warmed, and you can speed up the process by placing multiple heat sources nearby.

How to locate warm ocean ruins on your map

Warm ocean biomes exist in the Overworld but are not common everywhere. They typically spawn in areas with warm climates — near jungles, deserts, or savannas. The easiest way to find one is to use a map viewer tool like Chunkbase or Amidst, which shows biome locations for your specific world seed. Enter your world seed into the tool, and it will mark all warm ocean biomes on a map.

If you prefer to search without tools, travel toward warm biomes and look for ocean water that is noticeably warmer in color — it appears more turquoise than the standard blue ocean. Once you spot warm ocean water, dive down and search for the underwater structures. They are made of sandstone and prismarine blocks and often have openings you can swim through.

What the brush tool is and how to get one

The brush is a tool added in the 1.20 update that breaks suspicious blocks without destroying them. Suspicious sand and suspicious gravel contain hidden items inside — sniffer eggs, pottery shards, and other loot — but only the brush can extract them safely. If you use a pickaxe or shovel on suspicious blocks, they break and the items inside are lost.

You craft a brush from one copper ingot, one feather, and one stick. Arrange them in a crafting table with the copper ingot in the center, the feather above it, and the stick below it. Once you have a brush, hold it and left-click on suspicious blocks. The brush will wear down over time and eventually break, so you may need to craft multiple brushes if you are searching many ruins.

How to prepare moss blocks and heat sources for hatching

Before you bring your sniffer egg home, gather a moss block and a heat source. Moss blocks grow in the lush caves biome, which is underground and filled with vegetation. Mine the moss block with any tool — it drops itself as an item. You only need one moss block per egg.

For heat, a campfire is the simplest choice. Craft one from three logs, three sticks, and one coal or charcoal. Place the campfire on the ground, then place the moss block directly on top of it. Set the sniffer egg on the moss block. The heat from the campfire will warm the egg, and you will see cracks appear on the shell after a few minutes. Once the cracks spread across the entire egg, it hatches into a baby sniffer.

If you want faster hatching, place multiple heat sources around the moss block — for example, a campfire below and magma blocks to the sides. The more heat nearby, the faster the egg warms. However, even with a single campfire, the process takes only a few minutes.

What sniffers do once they hatch

A baby sniffer grows into an adult over time and becomes a passive mob that wanders around your base. Adult sniffers have a unique ability: they dig in the ground and uncover sniffer seeds, which are plants that do not grow anywhere else in the world. These seeds grow into torchflower and pitcher plants, both decorative blocks that are useful for building.

Sniffers are not hostile and do not attack you. They follow you if you hold a sniffer seed in your hand, making them straightforward to lead around. You can breed two adult sniffers by giving each one a sniffer seed, and they will produce a baby sniffer egg that you can hatch the same way you hatched the first one.

Common mistakes when searching for sniffer eggs

The most common mistake is searching in the wrong biome. Cold ocean ruins exist in cold ocean biomes, but they do not contain sniffer eggs — only warm ocean ruins do. Check your biome carefully before diving. If the water is dark blue and you see snow or ice nearby, you are in a cold ocean.

Another mistake is using the wrong tool. A pickaxe or shovel will break suspicious blocks and destroy the egg inside. Always use a brush. If you do not have a brush yet, craft one before entering the ruin.

Players also sometimes place the egg on the wrong block. The egg must sit on a moss block to hatch — placing it on dirt, sand, or stone will not work. And the heat source must be directly underneath the moss block, not beside it or above it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I find sniffer eggs in cold ocean ruins?

No. Sniffer eggs appear only in warm ocean ruins. Cold ocean ruins contain other loot like pottery shards and copper ingots, but never sniffer eggs. Make sure you are in a warm ocean biome before searching.

What happens if I break a suspicious block with a pickaxe instead of a brush?

The block breaks and the sniffer egg inside is destroyed. You will not recover the egg. Always craft a brush before entering a warm ocean ruin to avoid this mistake.

How long does it take for a sniffer egg to hatch?

With a single heat source like a campfire, hatching takes several minutes. Adding more heat sources nearby speeds up the process. There is no exact timer — the egg hatches when it has absorbed enough warmth.

Do I need to do anything special to keep the sniffer alive after it hatches?

No. Sniffers are passive mobs and do not need food, water, or special care. They wander around and dig for seeds on their own. You can keep them in an open area or build a pen if you want to contain them.

Can I get sniffer eggs from breeding sniffers?

Yes. If you have two adult sniffers and give each one a sniffer seed, they will breed and produce a sniffer egg. You can then hatch that egg the same way you hatched the original one.