i dont know if its just me but i tnink that the mandragoras in Sarutabaruta East just outside of the north zone into Sarutabaruta west, drop cornettes alot more than anywhere else that i've found. (like 3/4 drop) i dont know if it helps, or if i'm just imagining it... but there eya go :P
I farm all the time in E. & W. Sarutabaruta, and cotton does not drop from these guys. Just fyi. What lvl does THF actually start being able to steal things, have the abilitty but haven't stolen so much as pocket lint yet. Lvl 7 THF.
Yes you can ONLY steal Cotton from the Mandragora, cotton does not drop, and as far as I can remember; I could NOT steal this from the mandragora in Yoahtor and Yuhtunga.
An excellent way to make quick gil is to fight Crawlers for silk (10k per stack, Bahamut) and steal Saruta Cotton every 5 min (4k per stack, Bahamut).
Actually your wrong The cotton does drop from these guys in only two areas. All other areas they dont drop but can be stolen.. How do i Know? I farm them >;o)
The mandragora-type mob in Tahrongi (and many other zones) is not called a Mandragora - it's called a Pygmaoi. Yeah, cotton will drop from mandragora-type mobs in some places, but from the mob named "Mandragora" it does not drop - it is only stolen. So yes, it does not drop from this guy.
My Fiance is a lvl 10 theif and shes been stealing balls of Saruta Cotton of the mandragora's. So we have proof that you can find the cotton in the Sarutabaruta East and Sarutabaruta West areas.
Steal? You can't steal crap off these things. Only Pygmalioi and Sylvestre's can you steal anything. Not even the Yuhtunga and Yhoator. Odd that Saruta cotton can only be found in places not in Sarutabaruta.
Every monster has an item which you can steal from them. It is possible to steal Saruta Cotton from them, and my sister has done it many times. However, I think it is misleading to say that they "drop" Saruta Cotton, since (as far as I know) you can only get it from stealing from the Mandragora.