Overview
Height is the Camel's entire design. At 2.375 blocks tall it puts a rider above the reach of zombies, skeletons and most other ground mobs, which means you can ride through a hostile night and simply not be hit — no armour, no fighting, no torches. It seats two players, the only mount in the game that does, so a Camel is how a pair travels together without one of them running behind. Its second trick is the dash: press the jump key and it lunges forward several blocks, clearing gaps and small ravines a horse would refuse, with a cooldown of a few seconds before you can do it again. In exchange it is slower than a good horse over flat ground, and it sits down to rest at random intervals, standing up again when a player comes near. A Camel has 32 health, cannot be tamed in the usual sense — a saddle is all it needs — and breeds on cactus, which is fitting and also mildly painful to farm. They generate only in desert villages, one or two per village, so finding one means finding a village in a desert rather than waiting for a herd to wander by.
Two-player travel that ignores hostile mobs. The Camel's height keeps riders out of melee range of almost everything on the ground, and its dash clears gaps that stop a horse.
Camels are tall enough that most hostile mobs cannot reach a rider, and wide enough to seat two players at once, which makes them the best mount for travelling with a friend. They dash forward on demand with a long cooldown, clearing gaps a horse cannot, and they sit down to rest at random until a player approaches. A rider gets no special protection, but the height alone puts you out of reach of zombies and skeletons.
Camel sits under Passive mobs in Minecraft 1.21.4. Health sits at 32 points (16 hearts). Killing one drops 3 experience.
Properties
Camel has 32 health, which is 16 hearts. It drops up to 3 experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 1.7 blocks wide and 2.38 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.
- Added in
- 1.20
- Breedable
- Yes
Spawns in
Generates only in desert villages, one or two per village. Does not spawn elsewhere.
It does not appear in open terrain: every Camel comes from Village.
- Dimension
- Overworld
- Only in
- Village
- Biomes
- Desert
- Added in
- 1.20
Dimension: Overworld · Added in 1.20
How it behaves
The Camel never attacks. The only reason to be careful around one is that killing it is often not what you want: breeding it is worth more than the drop.
Killed by a player it drops up to 3 experience; killed any other way it drops none.
Command
In a world with cheats on, this spawns one Camel where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:camel ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
Where do you find a Camel?
Desert villages only, one or two per village. They never spawn in open desert or anywhere outside a village.
Can two players ride one Camel?
Yes. A Camel seats two, and it is the only mount in Minecraft that does.
Do you need to tame a Camel?
No. Put a saddle on it and it is rideable immediately — there is no repeated mounting as with horses.
What do Camels eat?
Cactus. It is both the breeding item and what you use to lead one around by hand.
How much health does the Camel have in Minecraft?
The Camel has 32 health points, which is 16 hearts.
What does the Camel drop?
It drops no items, only 3 experience.
Where does the Camel spawn?
Generates only in desert villages, one or two per village. Does not spawn elsewhere.
Related pages
How to get it
Camels generate only in desert villages, 1 or 2 per village. Put a saddle on one to ride it — no taming is required — or breed 2 adults with cactus to raise more at home.
Tips
- Ride at night without armour: zombies and skeletons on foot cannot reach a rider sitting 2.375 blocks up.
- Use the dash to cross ravines and rivers, but wait out the cooldown before the next one or you will fall short.
- Bring a saddle and a lead, since a Camel needs no taming but will not move without one.
- Breed with cactus and keep a small cactus farm going; nothing else will make two Camels produce a calf.