How to Hatch a Sniffer Egg in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Place the sniffer egg on the ground and wait: it hatches in 20 minutes, or 10 minutes on a moss block. The egg cracks twice before a snifflet pops out. No torch, light level or special biome required.

What you need

Sniffer egg (brushed from suspicious sand in warm ocean ruins)
Moss block (optional, halves hatch time)
Torchflower seeds (optional, to grow the snifflet faster)

Step by step

Get a sniffer egg: brush suspicious sand in warm ocean ruins (see the sniffer egg guide) or breed two sniffers with torchflower seeds.
Place the egg on any block; unlike turtle eggs it needs no sand and no Silk Touch to pick back up.
For double speed, place it on a moss block: 10 minutes instead of 20.
Wait through two cracking stages, like a turtle egg. Stay nearby: chunks must be loaded for the timer to run.
Meet your snifflet: the baby sniffer takes 40 minutes to grow up, or feed it torchflower seeds to speed growth.
Adult sniffers dig up torchflower seeds and pitcher pods for ancient plant farming.

Java vs Bedrock

Hatching works identically in Java and Bedrock: 10 minutes on moss, 20 minutes anywhere else, and the egg floats without a supporting block in both editions.

Versions: Sniffers and their eggs exist since 1.20 (Trails & Tales), the first mob vote winner to reach the game.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a sniffer egg take to hatch?

20 minutes on most blocks, 10 minutes on a moss block. The egg visually cracks twice before hatching into a snifflet.

Does a sniffer egg need light or heat to hatch?

No. Unlike turtle eggs (which need night) or dragon eggs (which do not hatch at all), sniffer eggs hatch anywhere in any light level. Only moss speeds it up.

What do you do with a sniffer after it hatches?

Let it grow up (40 minutes, faster with torchflower seeds) and it sniffs out torchflower seeds and pitcher pods, the ancient plants you cannot get any other way. Breed two adults with torchflower seeds for more eggs.