* Threatened or Endangered
American Badger *
: Taxidea taxus
: Mammal
: Southwest Canada south to Mexico
: Chipmunks, ground squirrels, mice, rabbits, carrion, and insects
: Weight 12 to 20 lbs., length about 30 inches
: Least Concern
• Once very common in most of their range, badgers are rarely observed in some areas and have disappeared entirely from areas most affected by the encroachment of humans.
• This efficient digger is very effective at hunting ground squirrels and other small burrowing animals.
o They can dig faster than a foot a minute in search of food. o They can smell underground prey their burrows.
o They will dig, following the burrow tunnel until they find their prey.
• Badgers mate in the fall, but delay implantation of the egg until February, with young usually being born in April.