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Desert Lakes

Minecraft Wiki article. Categories: Unobtainable, Removed_features, Unused_features, Unused_biomes

📌 Mirrored from Minecraft Wiki

This article is reproduced from Desert Lakes on the Minecraft Wiki. Mirrored from revision 3611426. It is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 by the Minecraft Wiki contributors — not under the Codex’s CC BY-SA 4.0, and it may not be used commercially. Edits belong upstream, not here.

On this page
This article describes content that has been officially made unobtainable in Bedrock Edition.
 
It can still be obtained using third-party software. However, this can cause unexpected behavior such as bugs and crashes.
BlockSprite rose.png: Sprite image for rose in Minecraft
This page describes content that has been removed from Java Edition.
 
This feature was present in earlier versions of Java Edition, but has since been removed.
Desert Lakes

Desert Lakes.png: Infobox image for Minecraft biome 'Desert Lakes'

Desert Lakes Vibrant Visuals.png: Infobox image for Minecraft biome 'Desert Lakes'

{
    "title": "Desert Lakes",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "<span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" to File:EnvSprite fossil.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Fossil|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Fossil article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Fossil</span>)</span><br>\n<span class=\"nowrap\"><span class=\"sprite-file\" to File:EnvSprite desert-well.png article, displayed as 16x16px|link=Desert Well|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>(link to Desert Well article, displayed as <span class=\"sprite-text\">Desert Well</span>)</span><br>",
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            "field": "0.0",
            "label": "(link to Biome#Downfall article, displayed as Downfall)"
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            "label": "(link to Biome#Precipitation article, displayed as Precipitation)"
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            "field": "",
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}

The desert lakes or desert mutated biome is a rare variant of deserts that no longer generates since Caves & Cliffs: Part II, and was removed in Java Edition.

Description

Old

The desert lakes featured slightly rougher and hillier terrain than the base desert biome, though not as much as the desert hills. This made them more likely to have oases of water across its landscape. These lakes were often surrounded by large amounts of sugar cane. Like regular deserts, the ground was completely covered with sand and no rain occurred here. Cacti, dead bushes, fossils, and desert wells generated here, but villages and desert pyramids did not.

Current

In Bedrock Edition, desert lakes in older worlds still received updates. When generated through single biome or behavior packs, they can also generate new blocks.

They appear similar to deserts, with patches of short dry grass and tall dry grass while cactus flowers generate on some cacti, although desert villages and pyramids still don't generate. Camels uncommonly spawn at daytime, while parched and camel husk jockeys can also spawn at nighttime.

With Vibrant Visuals, desert lakes re-use desert atmospherics, the sky is tinted turquoise-green at daytime and much brighter during the night. Moonlight is much more vibrant blue, and the warm color grading temperature tints everything yellow/orange.

Mobs

Desert lakes use the same mob spawning chances as deserts.

The following mobs naturally spawn here:

In Java Edition
MobSpawn weightGroup size
Creature category
Rabbit[note 1]12–3
Monster category
Spider100⁄5154
Skeleton100⁄5154
Creeper100⁄5154
Slime[note 2]100⁄5154
Husk80⁄5154
Zombie19⁄5154
Enderman10⁄5151–4
Witch5⁄5151
Zombie Villager1⁄5151
Ambient category
Bat18
  1. ↑ All spawned rabbits are gold.
  2. ↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks. 
{ "hasNotes": true, "notes": { "Slime": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "Rabbit": "All spawned rabbits are gold." }, "1": { "totalWeight": 4, "mobs": [ { "note": "All spawned rabbits are gold.", "mob": "Rabbit", "weight": 4, "notename": "Rabbit", "size": "2-3" } ], "category": "passive" }, "2": { "totalWeight": 515, "mobs": [ { "size": "4", "mob": "Spider", "weight": 100 }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Skeleton", "weight": 100 }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Creeper", "weight": 100 }, { "note": "Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.", "mob": "Slime", "weight": 100, "notename": "Slime", "size": "4" }, { "size": "4", "mob": "Husk", "weight": 80 }, { "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": "hostile" }, "3": { "totalWeight": 10, "mobs": [ { "size": "8", "mob": "Bat", "weight": 10 } ], "category": "ambient" } }
In Bedrock Edition
MobSpawn weightGroup size
Monster category
Husk2402–4
Creeper1001
Slime[note 1]1001
Spider1001
Zombie952–4
Skeleton401–2
Parched401–2
Camel Husk[note 2]251
Enderman101–2
Witch51
Zombie Villager52–4
Creature category
Glow Squid102–4
Rabbit42–3
Camel11
  1. ↑ Spawn attempt succeeds only in slime chunks.
  2. ↑ Camel husks will always spawn being ridden by a husk wielding an iron spear with a parched passenger. 
{ "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" } }

Sounds

Music

Desert hills use the same music as deserts, in the latest version.

Filename
in Minecraft 		Gameplay Soundtrack Title Soundtrack Track preview Weight
hal1.ogg Overworld "Subwoofer Lullaby" Minecraft - Volume Alpha No. 3
hal2.ogg Overworld "Living Mice" Minecraft - Volume Alpha No. 5
hal3.ogg Overworld "Haggstrom" Minecraft - Volume Alpha No. 7
hal4.ogg Overworld "Danny" Minecraft - Volume Alpha No. 21
nuance1.ogg Overworld "Key" Minecraft - Volume Alpha No. 1
nuance2.ogg Overworld "Oxygène" Minecraft - Volume Alpha No. 9
one_more_day.ogg The Overworld, further emphasized in Snowy Slopes, Meadow, Forest, Old Growth Taiga, Lush Caves, Desert, Badlands, Eroded Badlands, and Wooded Badlands "One More Day" Minecraft: Caves & Cliffs (Original Game Soundtrack) No. 6
crescent_dunes.ogg Desert, Badlands, Eroded Badlands, Wooded Badlands "Crescent Dunes" Minecraft: Trails & Tales (Original Game Soundtrack) No. 4
fireflies.ogg Desert, the Overworld and Main menu "Fireflies" Minecraft: Chase the Skies (Original Game Soundtrack) No. 5

Data values

ID

Bedrock Edition:

NameIdentifierNumeric ID
BiomeSprite desert-lakes.png: Sprite image for desert-lakes in Minecraft [No displayed name]desert_mutated130

History

Java Edition

Java Edition
1.7.213w36aDesert M variant has been added, along with many other biomes.
1.1016w20aAdded husks, which replace most zombies in deserts.
Added fossils, which may generate in deserts.
1.1318w16a"Desert M" has been renamed to "Mutated Desert".
18w19a"Mutated Desert" has been renamed to "Desert Lakes".
1.18Experimental Snapshot 1The desert lakes biome no longer generates naturally.
21w40aThe desert lakes biome has been removed, any remaining desert lakes are converted into deserts.

Bedrock Edition

Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.9.0build 1Added Desert M variant, along with many other biomes.
v0.11.0build 1Added desert wells to deserts.
v0.13.0build 1Added rabbits, which can spawn in deserts.
v0.15.0build 1Added husks, which replace most zombies in deserts.
Pocket Edition
1.1.3alpha 1.1.3.0Added fossils, which may generate in deserts.
Bedrock Edition
1.18.0beta 1.18.0.20The desert lakes biome no longer generates naturally.
1.21.60Preview 1.21.60.23Dead bushes now generate more frequently.
1.21.70
Experiment
Drop 1 2025		Preview 1.21.70.20Ambient sounds have been added to blocks in desert lakes.
Preview 1.21.70.22Short dry grass, tall dry grass and cactus flowers now generate in desert lakes.
Preview 1.21.70.23Camels now spawn in desert lakes instead of only desert villages.
1.21.90Preview 1.21.90.26Added unique warm atmospherics, lighting, and color grading to desert lakes with Vibrant Visuals.

Data history

Java Edition
1.13pre5The ID mutated_desert has been changed to desert_lakes.
1.1821w37aPrior to the removal of numerical biome IDs, this biome's numerical ID was 130.

Issues

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

  • A desert lakes biome in Bedrock Edition.
    A desert lakes biome in Bedrock Edition.
  • Desert lakes next to badlands.
    Desert lakes next to badlands.
  • Shattered savannas often border desert lakes.
    Shattered savannas often border desert lakes.
  • A desert lakes single biome world.
    A desert lakes single biome world.
  • Desert lakes with ray tracing.
    Desert lakes with ray tracing.

See also

Sources