Minecraft wiki entry for Enderman, associated text: Unlike any other mobs, which cannot hold blocks except as items, endermen have a unique ability to pick up, carry and set down certain blocks. They silently[7] pick up blocks in a 4×3×4 (xyz) region horizontally centered on the enderman and vertically encompassing it. An enderman cannot pick up blocks in a completely flat area. Endermen drop the block they are holding upon death as an item, although they do not visually let go of the block when dying.[8][9] It does not despawn while holding a block. Endermen cannot place blocks onto bedrock or entities.