American Badger (Wildlife and Wildflowers of Texas

American Badger

Taxidea taxus

Identification ⁸

(1) The American badger has most of the general characteristics common to badgers; with stocky and low-slung bodies with short, powerful legs, they are identifiable by their huge foreclaws (measuring up to 5 cm in length) and distinctive head markings. American badgers possess morphological characteristics that enables them to be good fossorial specialists such as a conical head, bristles on the ears and nictitating membranes in the eyes. American badgers have powerful forelimbs. They also possess a strong humerus and large bony processes for the attachment of muscles. The mechanical advantage in badger forelimbs is increased by the specialized olecranon process and bones such as the radius and metacarpals. Measuring generally between 60 and 75 cm (23.5 and 29.5 in) in length, males of the species are slightly larger than females. They may attain an average weight of roughly 6.3 to 7.2 kg (14 to 16 lb) for females and up to 8.6 kg (19 lb) for males. Northern subspecies such as T. t. jeffersonii are heavier than the southern subspecies. In the fall, when food is plentiful, adult male badgers can reach up to 11.5 to 15 kg (25 to 33 lb). In some northern populations, females can average 9.5 kg (21 lb). Except for the head, the American badger is covered with a grizzled, brown, black and white coat of coarse hair or fur, giving almost a mixed brown-tan appearance. The coat aids in camouflage in grassland habitat. Its triangular face shows a distinctive black and white pattern, with brown or blackish "badges" marking the cheeks and a white stripe extending from the nose to the base of the head. In the subspecies T. t. berlandieri, the white head stripe extends the full length of the body, to the base of the tail.
(3) A rather large, robust, short-legged version of a weasel; body broad and squat; tail short, thick, and bushy, usually shorter than the outstretched hind legs; pelage long and shaggy, especially on back and sides; upperparts grizzled grayish yellow in color; a distinct white stripe from near tip of nose back over top of head to shoulder area, also a white crescent on each side of face just back of eye and another at anterior base of ear, enclosing or outlining a large blackish area; snout and rest of head grayish or blackish; underparts yellowish white; feet blackish; five toes on each foot; front feet large, with claws ≥25 mm in length; hind feet smaller, claws much shorter; skin loose on the body; eyes and ears small; neck short. Dental formula: I 3/3, C 1/1, Pm 3/3, M 1/2 × 2 = 34. Young similar to adults in color and color pattern. External measurements of an adult male: total length, 788 mm; tail, 133 mm; hind foot, 120 mm; of a female, 730-150-114 mm. Weight of adults, 4–10 kg, averaging about 7 kg.

Diet ⁸

(1) The American badger is a fossorial carnivore. It preys predominantly on pocket gophers (Geomyidae), ground squirrels (Spermophilus), moles (Talpidae), marmots (Marmota), prairie dogs (Cynomys), pika (Ochotona), woodrats (Neotoma), kangaroo rats (Dipodomys), deer mice (Peromyscus), and voles (Microtus), often digging to pursue prey into their dens, and sometimes plugging tunnel entrances with objects. The American badger is a significant predator of snakes including rattlesnakes, and is considered the most important predator of rattlesnakes in South Dakota. They also prey on ground-nesting birds, such as the bank swallow or sand martin (Riparia riparia) and the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), lizards, amphibians, carrion, fish, skunks (Mephitis and Spilogale), insects (including bees and honeycomb), and some plant foods such as corn (Zea mais), peas, green beans, mushrooms and other fungi, and sunflower seeds (Helianthus).

Behavior ⁸

(1) American badgers are generally nocturnal; however, in remote areas with no human encroachment they are routinely observed foraging during the day. Seasonally, a badger observed during daylight hours in the spring months of late March to early May often represents a female foraging during daylight and spending nights with her young. Badgers do not hibernate but may become less active in winter. A badger may spend much of the winter in cycles of torpor that last around 29 hours. They do emerge from their burrows when the temperature is above freezing. As a fossorial mammal, the American badger uses a scratch-digging process where the forelimbs are withdrawn to break the soil and move the debris behind or to the sides of its body. An abandoned badger burrow may be occupied by mammals of similar size, such as foxes and skunks, as well as animals as diverse as the burrowing owl, California tiger salamander and California red-legged frog. The American badger has been seen working with a coyote in tandem while hunting. Typically this pairing is one badger to one coyote, however, one study found about 9% of sightings included two coyotes to one badger, while 1% had one badger to three coyotes. Researchers have found that the coyote benefits by an increased catch rate of about 33%, and while it is difficult to see precisely how the badger benefits, the badger has been noted to spend more time underground and active. Badgers are also thought to expend less energy while hunting in burrows. According to research, this partnership works due to the different hunting styles of the predators and how their prey reacts to them. A ground squirrel, upon spotting a coyote, will crawl into its hole to escape; while upon seeing a badger, the ground squirrel will climb out of its hole and use its speed to outrun the badger. Hunting in tandem raises the prey vulnerability and both predators win.
(3) As evidenced by the disproportionately long front claws, badgers are expert diggers, and their short, powerful front legs can move earth with amazing speed. A badger was encountered on Padre Island as it sought refuge in a shallow burrow in a sandbank. Three people, working frantically with shovels for more than an hour, were soon outdistanced in their attempt to capture the animal. American badgers do not hibernate, but may sleep through several days of inclement weather, as do skunks and bears, subsisting on stored body fat. They do not experience the physiological changes characteristic of true hibernation (namely, considerably reduced rate of respiration and heartbeat, lowered body temperature, and insensibility). They are frequently seen in winter, particularly on mild days, and in the southern parts of their range they are active throughout the entire year.. Badgers have few natural predators other than humans. They are notoriously aggressive and are ferocious fighters. Typically, they are more than a match for dogs and large carnivores. In one recorded instance, a badger successfully defended itself in a fight with two coyotes.

Life Cycle ⁸

(1) Badgers are normally solitary animals, but are thought to expand their territories in the breeding season to seek out mates. Mating occurs in late summer and early fall, with some males breeding with more than one female. American badgers experience delayed implantation, with pregnancies suspended until December or as late as February. Young are born from late March to early April in litters ranging from one to five young, averaging about three. Badgers are born blind, furred, and helpless. Eyes open at four to six weeks. The female feeds her young solid foods prior to complete weaning, and for a few weeks thereafter. Young American badgers first emerge from the den on their own at five to six weeks old. Families usually break up and juveniles disperse from the end of June to August; young American badgers leave their mothers as early as late May or June. Juvenile dispersal movements are erratic. Most female American badgers become pregnant for the first time after they are a year old. A minority of females four to five months old ovulate and a few become pregnant. Males usually do not breed until their second year. Large predators occasionally kill American badgers. The average longevity in the wild is 9–10 years, with a record of 14; a captive example lived at least 15 years and five months.
(3) Badgers are ordinarily solitary except during the mating season. They breed in summer and early autumn. Males are probably polygamous and mate with more than one female. Implantation is delayed until between December and February, and the young are not born until March or April. Litter size ranges from one to five, averaging about three. The young are born in an underground nest and are lightly furred and blind at birth. The eyes open at 4 weeks, and weaning occurs at about 8 weeks of age, when the young are half-grown. The young remain with their mother until late fall, when the family scatters.

Subspecies ⁸

T. t. taxus - central Canada and the central U.S.
T. t. jacksoni - southern Great Lakes region, including southern Ontario
T. t. jeffersoni - British Columbia and the western U.S.
T. t. berlandieri - southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico.

Ecological Importance ⁸

(2) Agriculture, development, and poisoning campaigns aimed at other mammals have all greatly impacted badger populations. They are important because they help control rodent populations and may eat insects that cause disease and harm crops. Historically, badger furs were used by Native Americans and later for shaving brushes.
(3) Common. American badgers are locally abundant at many places in the state, and populations appear to be stable. They have been expanding their range and seem to be reasonably adaptable to human conditions, although land clearing and conversion and habitat fragmentation represent potential threats where development is accelerating. The IUCN lists the American badger as a species of least concern, and it does not appear on the federal or state lists of concerned species. Reduction of the badger's primary food sources (prairie dogs and ground squirrels), due to increased agricultural land use, is a primary concern for this species. Careful monitoring would be prudent in the future.

Habitat ⁸

(1) American badgers prefer grasslands and open areas with grasslands, which can include parklands, farms, and treeless areas with friable soil and a supply of rodent prey. They may also be found in forest glades and meadows, marshes, brushy areas, hot deserts, and mountain meadows. They are sometimes found at elevations up to 12,000 feet (3,700 m) but are usually found in the Sonoran and Transition life zones (which are at elevations lower and warmer than those characterized by coniferous forests). American badger use of home range varies with season and sex. Different areas of the home range are used more frequently at different seasons and usually are related to prey availability. Males generally have larger home ranges than females. In a 1972 study, radiotransmitter-tagged American badgers had an average annual home range of 2,100 acres (850 hectares). The home range of one female was 1,790 acres (720 hectares) in summer, 131 acres (53 hectares) in fall, and 5 acres (2.0 hectares) in winter. Lindzey reported average home ranges of 667 to 1,550 acres (270 to 627 ha). Estimated density of American badgers in Utah scrub-steppe was one per square mile (2.6 km2), with 10 dens in active or recent use.
(3) American badgers occupy a variety of habitats. They are most common in the prairie and desert sections of the West, but limited numbers occur in the mountains, where individuals have been seen or captured at elevations well above 3,000 m. In general, they occupy the entire range inhabited by ground squirrels and prairie dogs, which they rely on for food. In Texas, they range from sea level, as on Padre Island, to at least 1,500 m (4,921 ft.) in the Davis Mountains.

Sources ⁸

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_badger
(2) https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/resources/texas-junior-naturalists/watching-wildlife/american-badger
(3) https://www.depts.ttu.edu/nsrl/mammals-of-texas-online-edition/Accounts_Carnivora/Taxidea_taxus.php

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American Badger

Identification 8

Diet 8

Behavior 8

Life Cycle 8

Subspecies 8

Ecological Importance 8

Habitat 8

Sources 8