Desert

For other uses, see Desert (disambiguation).

Desert

Structures	Desert Pyramid Desert village Pillager Outpost
Features	Desert Well Fossil
Blocks	Sand Sandstone Cactus Cactus Flower Short Dry Grass Tall Dry Grass Dead Bush Sugar Cane
Climate
Temperature	2.0
Downfall	0.0
Precipitation	No
Colors
Grass color	#BFB755
Foliage color	#AEA42A
Dry foliage color	#A38046
Water color	#3F76E4‌[JE only]  #32A598‌[BE only]
Vibrant Visuals
Atmospherics	Desert
Lighting	Desert
Volumetric fog	Default
Color grading	Desert

A desert is an expansive arid biome mainly consisting of sand. It is notable for its many structures such as desert pyramids and villages, and its dangerous hostile mob variants.

Generation

Deserts generate in areas with very high temperatures. Despite being uncommon, deserts make up around 2.4% of the Overworld by area since they tend to be quite large.

Deserts can border mangrove swamps, windswept savannas, and all badlands variants. They may also border jungles, savannas, forests, and plains when the temperature decreases.

Unlike most biomes, deserts do not typically generate beaches along the coastlines, instead directly bordering the warm ocean, or generating a stony shore if erosion is low. Rivers are common, and tend to have less water and more dry grassland.

Lush caves, dripstone caves, and sulfur caves frequently generate beneath deserts.

Description

The surface is made entirely of sand, with sandstone generating underneath the sand. The terrain is usually flat, but with occasional hills and cliffs.

Among the animals that can spawn in the desert, only rabbits and camels spawn in the wild, while villagers, cats, and farm animals appear in the common desert villages.

Cacti and dead bushes generate frequently across the landscape, with cacti sometimes featuring a cactus flower on top of them. Sugar cane generates more commonly along water which is equally common to other flatland biomes. Unique desert wells generate occasionally with water as well as desert pyramids and pillager outposts. Deserts are one of the only biomes where fossils generate underground.

This large amount of structures makes desert a valuable source of treasure loot. In contrast, the desert is also one of the most dangerous biomes because of its hostile mob variants. Husks and parched spawn at nighttime or during dry thunderstorms, sometimes on jockey mounts or camel husks. These mobs do not despawn during the daytime.

With Vibrant Visuals, deserts have unique atmospherics, the sky is tinted turquoise-green at daytime and much brighter during the night. Moonlight is much more vibrant blue than in any other biome. Deserts use the warmest color grading temperature of all biomes, tinting everything yellow/orange.

Mobs

The following mobs naturally spawn here:

In Java Edition

Mob	Spawn weight	Group size
Monster category
Creeper	100⁄515	4
Skeleton	50⁄515	4
Slime[note 1]	100⁄515	4
Spider	100⁄515	4
Husk[note 2]	80⁄515	4
Parched	50⁄515	4
Zombie	19⁄515	4
Enderman	10⁄515	1–4
Witch	5⁄515	1
Zombie Villager	1⁄515	1
Creature category
Rabbit	12⁄13	2–3
Camel	1⁄13	1
Underground water creature category
Glow Squid	1	4–6
Ambient category
Bat	1	8

{ "hasNotes": true, "notes": { "Slime": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "Husk": "Husks have a 10% chance of spawning wielding an [[iron spear]] mounted on a [[camel husk]] with a [[parched]] passenger." }, "1": { "totalWeight": 515, "mobs": [ { "size": "4", "mob": "Creeper", "weight": 100 }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Skeleton", "weight": 50 }, { "note": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "mob": "Slime", "weight": 100, "notename": "Slime", "size": "4" }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Spider", "weight": 100 }, { "note": "Husks have a 10% chance of spawning wielding an [[iron spear]] mounted on a [[camel husk]] with a [[parched]] passenger.", "mob": "Husk", "weight": 80, "notename": "Husk", "size": "4" }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Parched", "weight": 50 }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Zombie", "weight": 19 }, { "size": "1-4", "mob": "Enderman", "weight": 10 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Witch", "weight": 5 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Zombie Villager", "weight": 1 } ], "category": "monster" }, "2": { "totalWeight": 13, "mobs": [ { "size": "2-3", "mob": "Rabbit", "weight": 12 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Camel", "weight": 1 } ], "category": "creature" }, "3": { "totalWeight": 10, "mobs": [ { "size": "4-6", "mob": "Glow Squid", "weight": 10 } ], "category": "underground" }, "4": { "totalWeight": 10, "mobs": [ { "size": "8", "mob": "Bat", "weight": 10 } ], "category": "ambient" } }

In Bedrock Edition

Mob	Spawn weight	Group size
Monster category
Husk	240	2–4
Creeper	100	1
Slime[note 1]	100	1
Spider	100	1
Zombie	95	2–4
Skeleton	40	1–2
Parched	40	1–2
Camel Husk[note 2]	25	1
Enderman	10	1–2
Witch	5	1
Zombie Villager	5	2–4
Creature category
Glow Squid	10	2–4
Rabbit	4	2–3
Camel	1	1
Ambient category
Bat	1	2

{ "hasNotes": true, "notes": { "Slime": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "Camel Husk": "Camel husks will always spawn being ridden by a [[husk]] wielding an [[iron spear]] with a [[parched]] passenger." }, "1": { "totalWeight": 760, "mobs": [ { "size": "2-4", "mob": "Husk", "weight": 240 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Creeper", "weight": 100 }, { "note": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "mob": "Slime", "weight": 100, "notename": "Slime", "size": "1" }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Spider", "weight": 100 }, { "size": "2-4", "mob": "Zombie", "weight": 95 }, { "size": "1-2", "mob": "Skeleton", "weight": 40 }, { "size": "1-2", "mob": "Parched", "weight": 40 }, { "note": "Camel husks will always spawn being ridden by a [[husk]] wielding an [[iron spear]] with a [[parched]] passenger.", "mob": "Camel Husk", "weight": 25, "notename": "Camel Husk", "size": "1" }, { "size": "1-2", "mob": "Enderman", "weight": 10 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Witch", "weight": 5 }, { "size": "2-4", "mob": "Zombie Villager", "weight": 5 } ], "category": "monster" }, "2": { "totalWeight": 15, "mobs": [ { "size": "2-4", "mob": "Glow Squid", "weight": 10 }, { "size": "2-3", "mob": "Rabbit", "weight": 4 }, { "size": "1", "mob": "Camel", "weight": 1 } ], "category": "creature" }, "3": { "totalWeight": 10, "mobs": [ { "size": "2", "mob": "Bat", "weight": 10 } ], "category": "ambient" } }

Sounds

Music

These music tracks play while the player is in the desert:

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Translation key
Desert	desert	biome.minecraft.desert

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID
[No displayed name]	desert	2

Biome definition

{
  "attributes": {
    "minecraft:audio/background_music": {
      "default": {
        "max_delay": 24000,
        "min_delay": 12000,
        "sound": "minecraft:music.overworld.desert"
      }
    },
    "minecraft:gameplay/natural_mob_spawns": {
      "argument": {
        "spawn_costs": {},
        "spawns_by_category": {
          "ambient": [
            {
              "type": "minecraft:bat",
              "count": 8,
              "weight": 10
            }
          ],
          "creature": [
            {
              "type": "minecraft:rabbit",
              "count": {
                "type": "minecraft:uniform",
                "max_inclusive": 3,
                "min_inclusive": 2
              },
              "weight": 12
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:camel",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 1
            }
          ],
          "monster": [
            {
              "type": "minecraft:spider",
              "count": 4,
              "weight": 100
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:zombie",
              "count": 4,
              "weight": 19
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:zombie_villager",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 1
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:skeleton",
              "count": 4,
              "weight": 50
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:creeper",
              "count": 4,
              "weight": 100
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:slime",
              "count": 4,
              "weight": 100
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:enderman",
              "count": {
                "type": "minecraft:uniform",
                "max_inclusive": 4,
                "min_inclusive": 1
              },
              "weight": 10
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:witch",
              "count": 1,
              "weight": 5
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:husk",
              "count": 4,
              "weight": 80
            },
            {
              "type": "minecraft:parched",
              "count": 4,
              "weight": 50
            }
          ],
          "underground_water_creature": [
            {
              "type": "minecraft:glow_squid",
              "count": {
                "type": "minecraft:uniform",
                "max_inclusive": 6,
                "min_inclusive": 4
              },
              "weight": 10
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "modifier": "overlay"
    },
    "minecraft:gameplay/snow_golem_melts": true,
    "minecraft:visual/sky_color": "#6eb1ff"
  },
  "carvers": [
    "minecraft:cave",
    "minecraft:cave_extra_underground",
    "minecraft:canyon"
  ],
  "downfall": 0.0,
  "effects": {
    "water_color": "#3f76e4"
  },
  "features": [
    [],
    [
      "minecraft:lake_lava_underground",
      "minecraft:lake_lava_surface"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:amethyst_geode"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:fossil_upper",
      "minecraft:fossil_lower",
      "minecraft:monster_room",
      "minecraft:monster_room_deep"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:desert_well"
    ],
    [],
    [
      "minecraft:ore_dirt",
      "minecraft:ore_gravel",
      "minecraft:ore_granite_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_granite_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_diorite_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_diorite_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_andesite_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_andesite_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_tuff",
      "minecraft:ore_coal_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_coal_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_iron_upper",
      "minecraft:ore_iron_middle",
      "minecraft:ore_iron_small",
      "minecraft:ore_gold",
      "minecraft:ore_gold_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_redstone",
      "minecraft:ore_redstone_lower",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond_medium",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond_large",
      "minecraft:ore_diamond_buried",
      "minecraft:ore_lapis",
      "minecraft:ore_lapis_buried",
      "minecraft:ore_copper",
      "minecraft:underwater_magma",
      "minecraft:disk_sand",
      "minecraft:disk_clay",
      "minecraft:disk_gravel"
    ],
    [],
    [
      "minecraft:spring_water",
      "minecraft:spring_lava"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:glow_lichen",
      "minecraft:flower_default",
      "minecraft:patch_grass_badlands",
      "minecraft:patch_dry_grass_desert",
      "minecraft:patch_dead_bush_2",
      "minecraft:brown_mushroom_normal",
      "minecraft:red_mushroom_normal",
      "minecraft:patch_sugar_cane_desert",
      "minecraft:patch_pumpkin",
      "minecraft:patch_cactus_desert"
    ],
    [
      "minecraft:freeze_top_layer"
    ]
  ],
  "has_precipitation": false,
  "temperature": 2.0
}

Achievements

Icon		Achievement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)	Gamerscore earned	Trophy type (PS)
PS4	Other
		Adventuring Time	Discover 17 biomes.	Visit any 17 biomes. Does not have to be in a single world.	40	Silver

Advancements

Icon	Advancement	In-game description	Actual requirements (if different)
	Adventuring Time	Discover every biome	Visit all of these 56​[until: Fourth Drop 2026]/57​[upcoming] biomes: Badlands Bamboo Jungle Beach Birch Forest Cherry Grove Cold Ocean Dappled Forest Dark Forest Deep Cold Ocean Deep Dark Deep Frozen Ocean Deep Lukewarm Ocean Deep Ocean Desert Dripstone Caves Eroded Badlands Flower Forest Forest Frozen Ocean Frozen Peaks Frozen River Grove Ice Caves Ice Spikes Jagged Peaks Jungle Lukewarm Ocean Lush Caves Mangrove Swamp Meadow Mushroom Fields Ocean Old Growth Birch Forest Old Growth Pine Taiga Old Growth Spruce Taiga Pale Garden Plains River Savanna Savanna Plateau Snowy Beach Snowy Plains Snowy Slopes Snowy Taiga Sparse Jungle Stony Peaks Stony Shore Sunflower Plains Sulfur Caves Swamp Taiga Warm Ocean Windswept Forest Windswept Gravelly Hills Windswept Hills Windswept Savanna Wooded Badlands The advancement is only for Overworld biomes. Other biomes may also be visited, but are ignored for this advancement.

Videos

History

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

Legacy Console Edition

New Nintendo 3DS Edition

Data history

Issues

Issues relating to "Desert" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Screenshots

• 
  A desert with Vibrant Visuals on
• 
  A desert at sunset
• 
  Naturally generated vines and azalea trees in a desert biome, indicating lush caves underground
• 
  The Desert Village seed template thumbnail
• 
  The Abandoned Village seed template thumbnail
• 
  A desert single biome world

Historical screenshots

• 
  A desert with ray tracing
• 
  Another example of a desert before Caves & Cliffs
• 
  Hey! A new guide today. The Desert Village (seed preset) discountinued.
• 
  A desert village with a partially buried desert pyramid
• 
  A sunrise in a desert with mushroom fields
• 
  A floating sand block in a desert
• 
  A river running through a desert biome
• 
  An unusually large cactus in a desert
• 
  The Desert Fortress (seed preset) discountinued in Pocket Edition
• 
  A desert single biome world before 1.18
• 
  A desert biome before The Update that Changed the World
• 
  The Vast Desert Oasis (seed preset) discountinued in Pocket Edition

Mojang screenshots

• 
  An extremely small desert biome in Java Edition and Bedrock Edition
• 
  A desert with an interesting mountain in the distance
• 
  Shattered terrain in a desert
• 
  A flat desert, with plains in the distance
• 

In other media

• 
  Artwork of a desert village
• 
  A camel and fox resting together in a desert^[1]
• 
  Official logo of the Desert biome used during the promotion of the 2018 Biome Vote.
• 
  Alex and a camel in a desert biome
• 
  Ari admiring a decorated pot in a desert, with a desert pyramid visible behind her
• 
  Same image as before, but as a phone background
• 
  Ari standing in front of a desert pyramid in a desert
• 
  A phone wallpaper of Steve and Alex riding a camel through a desert
• 
  Alex and Steve on a camel with husks trying to attack them
• 
  Steve running from some husks in a desert
• 
  A desert as it appears on the key art for the Wild Update

See also

• Badlands
• Savanna
• Desert Hills
• Desert Lakes

References

External links

• "Around the Block: Desert" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, February 22, 2024.
• "Around the Block: Desert Lakes" by Duncan Geere – Minecraft.net, March 30, 2021.