#minecraft mooshroom

The Moo's!!! Well, the moo

"A bit unfair, isn't it?"

RAHHH, I had such a hard time making this one😓 IT WAS FUN THO!!!

I really hope to see the Moobloom in the game at some point, it's such a fun and cute mob honestly

Note: While bovini refers to a wide array of bovine, this will be focused on the prominent ‘variants’ of feral cattle seen in the Overworld. Other wild bovine may be discussed briefly for reference.

‘Common’ (temperate variant):

Often the thought of ‘cow’ when one pictures the animal, the Common Cow is a well built, yet passive hooved mammal that can be found grazing in temperate environments from open prairies to old-wood forests. They are notable for their short-furred black and white coats, long white ‘strips’ down the front of each leg, prominent eye spots, upward-turning yet short horns, and docile behavior.

Despite this being the typical appearance of the wild populations, there are numerous breeds that have been selectively breed by players and villagers to showcase varying coat colors, horn structures, and builds as seen below.

This is the work of selective breeding over generations and while not commonly seen outside captivity in most worlds, certain breeds have been found to survive well in the wild and in select worlds it is not too uncommon to find more diverse expressions of colorations and coats in the wild populations.

Though while there could be concern of ‘mixing’ wild and domestic populations, I must clarify and point out my usage of ‘feral’ cattle in the note at the beginning for unlike other ‘wild’ bovine (bison, buffalo, etc.), these cattle ‘variants’ are most likely to be descended from escaped domesticated animals from past civilizations similar to camels and most horses. Thus, in technicality, the ‘wild’ populations of cattle are more accurately feral.

This also presents the further complex matter in regards to these variant cattle is that, unlike other entries where I refer to different ‘species,’ the classification for these cattle is much more muddled.

There has been note that all variants can, and, when placed together, will interbreed with one another and result in viable and fertile offspring.

Despite this, I also don’t know if I can precisely refer to them as the mere subspecies of a singular species due to other variants’ showcasing strong links to wild cattle which adds an even more complex issue of trying to trace the lineages of these feral cattle to begin with.

This is most prevalent with the Cowak, or ‘cold’ variant.

‘Cowak’ (cold variant):

A variant often found in the colder regions of the overworld from windswept landscapes to taiga forests. Distinct with its shaggy fur that can come in varying shades of reddish-orange, the Cowak is also notable for its long, forward facing horns. Despite the appearance of these horns, the breed shares a similar temperament to the Common cow being mostly passive and preferring flight over fight.

Similar to the Common cattle, the Cowak is believe to, in part, be the result of feral domestic cattle thriving long after the fall of the civilizations that domesticated them. There are fewer notable breeds that have been derived from this variant but it is more common to find feral breeds of the variant than there is for Common variant breeds.

They are very hardy animals and while they are more restricted due to need cooler temperates as a result of thicker coats, they are nevertheless popular for the milk, leather, and meat they can provide.

This may be, in part, due to possible interbreeding with wild cattle like yaks in the past, though due to the very rare nature of wild yaks (which in themselves are distinct from the domestic yak), it is difficult to make more direct comparisons between the two. The long horns, long fur, and adaption to colder climates is a main factor of this proposed idea along with the fact the feral cattle can create viable and fertile offspring with yaks as seen with the recording of several cattle-yak hybrids.

However, the next variant showcases an even stronger connection to its wild relatives.

‘Tarlb’ (warm variant):

The ‘wildest’ variant, the Tarlb or ‘warm’ variant, is a very distinct animal with its reddish-brown coat, long and upward-facing horns, and adaptable nature. They can be found in arid to tropical environments and have overlapping ranges with rarer wild bovine like buffalo, saola, banteng, etc.

They share many similarities in body structure with several of these wild cattles and it is thought that this a result of past interbreeding between wild cattle like kouprey and banteng with their feral ancestors. This variant is sometimes confused with buffalo (mostly the forest buffalo) or with temperate breeds that have been bred to have longer horns and reddish coats.

However, the Tarlb can’t produce fertile offspring with buffalo and rarely produce even viable offspring with other wild bovine like saola (though some of these wild bovine are so restricted in the worlds they cling to that even hearing about hybrids is either from accidental breeding within captivity or historical accounts). The can reproduce with other variant breeds though their ‘hunched’ form and contrasting colors often stay notable in offspring lineages.

‘Soil Cows’ (growth ‘variant’):

Technically, while I refer to these animals as the ‘growth variant,’ it is highly debatable whether this holds much standing without proper genetic evidence due to the sheer oddity of fact vs observation vs abnormal situations. I will mostly just refer to the soil cows as that, soil cattle, or by their specific type of Mooshroom (mushroom-based soil cattle) or Moobloom (flower-based soil cattle.

A cattle noted for their symbiosis with specific mushrooms (mooshroom fungi) or flowering plants (I have only heard the moobloom flowers be called by ‘yellow’ flowers but there seems to be differences in petal structures in some of the photos I analyzed for these references so there may be multiple technical species), both appear similar to the Common Cow, however, the relationship between them and the Common Cow is where things get difficult. Soil cattle will never breed with any variant of feral cattle, I am unsure if they can even have viable offspring as there is no interest, unless, their symbiotic partner is removed.

(In the case of the mooshroom at least, due to the negative side-effects shearing can have to the lifespan and health of soil cows, I have not heard of many cases of shearing mooblooms.)

Once the symbiotic partner is removed, these cattle can and will breed and produce viable yet usually infertile offspring (note usually). Yet the sheared mooshroom will no longer be seen as a viable partner for unsheared mooshroom.

Mooblooms seem to have a similar selectiveness in partners.

I propose that the symbiosis is influential in this behavior but I have no real concrete data elsewise. They seem compatible but when the fruiting/flowering bodies are present, there is no interest and it could be possible the fruiting/flowering bodies may prevent hybrids.

It could also be simply a cause of not noting the other cattle as a possible partner due to mooshrooms commonly being isolated to mushroom islands. I am unsure about the natural habitat of mooblooms but it could be a likewise situation of isolation creating an unintentional barrier and allowing for enough diverse behavior that it has seperated the cattle further.

Yet I wonder if the mooshrooms and mooblooms are naturally occuring or if their similar appearance to the Common Cow is merely coincidence? Or perhaps it does mean they could have likewise originated from feral populations of previously domesticated animals. Or perhaps there is simply something else I am not thinking of? There is so much still unknown and uncertain.

Nevertherless, this has been fascinating to explore and brings me further interest towards why these feral cattle seem so much more prevalent than their wilder cousins, did past civilizations have greater environmental impact than initially concluded or was it simply that these feral animals were more capable of surviving in the wale of their absence? Did the feral populations come about from crossbreeding with wilder cousins or is it convergence due to environment? How much has magic influenced the biology and adaption of these species and how did it compare pre-past civilizations collapse?

I can’t say much with certainty, but I can say, either way, the world proves to be h

Note: My data regarding the Moobloom is highly subject to change due to the sheer difficulty there is in studying living animals as most information came from brief contact with groups trying to preserve the critically endangered soil cattle or historical records I have managed to find.

You Won’t Have Mush-room For Seconds - Minecraft: Gather, Cook, Eat! Official Cookbook

Tonight’s menu: sourced from the Official Minecraft Cookbook

Main Course: Mooshroom Burger, pg 55

Side Dish: Roasted Crops, pg 26

Full review under the cut!

22. Mushroom flu