A stocky badger of North America with a black-and-white face. Strong forelegs and long claws help it dig underground burrows.
It has a stocky body, short legs and bold black-and-white facial stripes. Its strong forelegs and long claws help it dig.
Researchers tracked 16 American Badgers in British Columbia’s Cariboo Region and documented 139 burrows. The shape of the soil excavated around an entrance and the number of openings varied with the season and purpose for which a burrow was used.
Researchers recorded soil fans and entrance numbers as well as surrounding vegetation and burrow temperatures. Natal burrows had larger soil fans and more entrances than summer burrows. Winter burrows also had larger soil fans, but greater vegetation cover did not correspond to warmer interiors. The visible structure of a burrow and its internal temperature therefore described different features of shelter use.
IUCN Red List · Least Concern · Global
The 2016 global IUCN assessment lists the American badger as Least Concern (LC).