Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Bats in Minecraft: Harmless Cave Mobs
Bats are small flying mobs that live in dark caves and do nothing but flutter around and hang upside down from ceilings. They are completely harmless, drop nothing, give no experience and do not count toward the passive mob cap. Their squeaks often tell you a cave is nearby.
Where do bats spawn?
Underground in groups of 8, at light level 3 or lower on Java (4 or lower on Bedrock), on stone, granite, diorite, andesite, tuff or deepslate that is not open to the sky. Lighting caves with torches stops them spawning; see light levels.
What do bats do?
- Fly around randomly and squeak, sometimes into lava.
- Hang upside down under solid blocks, then wake up and fly off when a player comes close.
- Despawn when more than 32 blocks from a player.
- They are the only ambient mob: a separate category that does not take up passive or hostile spawning slots.
How the mob cap works: mob spawning.
Do bats drop anything?
No items and no experience. Bats are there for atmosphere. Their sounds are a handy hint while mining, since they mean there is an open dark space nearby; see ore Y levels for where to dig.
Can you tame or lead a bat?
No. Bats cannot be tamed, bred or leashed in normal play. They can be summoned with /summon bat or a spawn egg; see /summon.
Does ArtemisPvP have bat mobs?
Frequently asked questions
Do bats drop anything in Minecraft?
No items and no experience.
Do bats attack you?
No. Bats are harmless.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.