What Are Minecraft Scutes?

Minecraft scutes are items obtained from turtles or armadillos. They are a unique material in the game, not only because of how they are obtained but also for their specific uses in crafting and brewing. Although they were introduced to the game in 2018, they became more relevant again with the 1.20 ‘Trails & Tales’ update in 2023. We’ll tell you all there is to know about Minecraft scutes, where to find them and what to do once you have them.

This is what Minecraft Scutes Look like

There are two types of scutes in Minecraft:

• turtle scutes
• armadillo scutes

These Minecraft scutes are small, either green or brown items that visually resemble a piece of a turtle's or an armadillo’s shell. Their appearance is designed to be easily distinguishable from other items, with a texture that suggests the protective, keratinous nature of real-world turtle scutes or armadillo scutes.

How to Get Minecraft Scutes from Turtles

Getting, or collecting, Minecraft scutes is centered around turtle breeding and care. It is also not done in a minute but takes some time. Here's a detailed guide on how to collect Minecraft scutes effectively:

Step 1: Turtles are Needed for Minecraft Scutes
Find a beach biome where turtles naturally spawn on the sand, usually near the water. Since turtles spawn during the daytime, it's easier to find them when the world is well-lit. And so, your Minecraft scute-hunt may begin.

Step 2: Breed Turtles to Get MC Scutes
Before you can breed turtles, you'll need seagrass, which is found underwater. Use shears to harvest seagrass from the ocean floor or any water body containing it. Then, approach two adult turtles with seagrass in hand and feed them. Hearts will appear above the turtles when they enter love mode. One turtle will return to its home beach (the beach where it spawned or has wandered around for a while) to lay eggs. This is the important part because to collect Minecraft scutes you’ll need baby turtles to grow into adult turtles. Follow the turtle as it may take some time for it to lay eggs on the sand blocks. To protect the eggs from being trampled by mobs or other players, consider fencing off the area around the eggs. Also, to prevent hostile mobs from spawning and attacking the eggs at night, place torches or other light sources around the fenced area.

Step 3: Hatch Turtle Eggs & Collect Minecraft Scutes
Turtle eggs go through several stages before hatching. This process takes time and tests your patience. Additionally, turtle eggs hatch exclusively at night. Once the baby turtles hatch, they will take some in-game days to grow into adults. You cannot directly collect scutes from baby turtles but must wait for them to grow, but you can accelerate their growth by feeding them seagrass. Each seagrass item fed to a baby turtle reduces the remaining growth time. When baby turtles grow into adults, they automatically drop a Minecraft scute. Make sure you are around to collect them, or set up a collection area to gather any items dropped.

Tip:
To collect scutes efficiently, maintain a cycle of breeding turtles. The more turtles you have laying eggs, the more baby turtles will grow into adults, increasing your scute collection rate. Also, ensure the area is safe from hostile mobs that might harm the turtles or break the eggs. Consider using a combination of fences, lighting and even slabs to create a mob-proof environment.

How to Get Minecraft Scutes from Armadillos

The whole Minecraft scute collection process is way easier if you want armadillo scutes. All you have to do is find one or more armadillos, secure the area around them with fences so as not to lose them and wait. An armadillo will periodically just drop a Minecraft scute that you can collect afterwards. As long as you know where these armadillos roam, you can check the area every once in a while to collect more Minecraft scutes. Oh, and if you breed armadillos, there will be more of these animals to drop scutes.

After all, collecting scutes requires patience and a bit of preparation, but it's a rewarding process that not only yields valuable materials for crafting but also contributes to the conservation of turtles and armadillos within your Minecraft world.

Tip:
If you don’t really want to collect Minecraft scutes yourself, you can use an allay to help you with that.

Uses of Scutes in Minecraft

Scutes in Minecraft have specific uses that make them valuable. There are two main uses and one indirect use. We’ll look at them all. Let’s start with the turtle Minecraft scute. It is used to craft turtle shells:

Five Minecraft scutes can be used to craft a turtle shell, a piece of armor that players can wear on their head. Turtle shells offer not only protection comparable to an iron helmet but also grant the player 10 extra seconds of breathing underwater, thanks to the water breathing effect when worn.

Indirectly, these Minecraft scutes are also used for brewing potion of the turtle master:

1x turtle shell + 1x nether wart + 1x water bottle = 1x potion of the turtle master

Minecraft scutes may not be used in brewing to create the potion of the turtle master itself but since you need a turtle shell first, they are necessary. This potion gives the player resistance and slowness effects, making it a double-edged sword suitable for certain tactical situations.

As the newest addition to Minecraft scutes, armadillo scutes serve only one cause so far. They are needed to craft the much anticipated wolf armor:

While this is not much to craft with Minecraft scutes, these are some useful items after all. So, it is probably worth it to collect them at least for a while until your whole pack is geared up. Well, Minecraft scutes are a unique item in the game that encourage players to engage with the game's environmental aspects. They offer practical benefits in crafting and brewing, making them a valuable resource for players willing to invest the time in obtaining them. You could also invite some friends over to your Minecraft server from G-Portal to start your little breeding stations together in multiplayer mode. Or you do it on your own. However, have fun!