Minecraft wiki entry for Mob, associated text: Mobs are affected by the environment in the same ways as the player: they are subject to physics, and they can be hurt by the same things that harm the player (catching on fire, falling, drowning, attacked by weapons, /kill command, etc.). Some mobs may be resistant or immune to certain hazards, such as Nether mobs, which are immune to fire. All aquatic mobs except dolphins are immune to drowning. Mobs can ride minecarts and other mobs can climb up ladders. When mobs are killed, they turn to dust and drop items that may be useful resources. Each type of mob in Minecraft has a certain AI (artificial intelligence) system with different behaviors and mechanics. Mobs ordinarily wander around at random if there is a player nearby and usually avoid walking off blocks high enough to cause falling damage. Many mobs have an advanced path-finding system that allows them to navigate through obstacles to get to a desired object or destination. Passive mobs flee in random directions after being hurt, while hostile mobs face and chase/attack the player as soon as the player comes close. Neutral mobs remain neutral until a player or mob provokes it (usually by attacking), at which point the neutral mob becomes hostile toward and attack the entity that hit it. Most mobs are aware of players within 16 blocks of them, but some can see farther. Conversely, most mobs can be heard by players up to 16 blocks (spherical) away.