North American Badger (Mammals of Chiricahua NM)

North American Badger

Taxidea taxus

Summary ⁷

The American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a North American badger, somewhat similar in appearance to the European badger. It is found in the western and central United States, northern Mexico, and south-central Canada to certain areas of southwestern British Columbia.

Description ⁸

"Badgers look like short, shaggy, medium-sized dogs. They are powerful diggers. One, taken to a football game as a mascot, escaped and dug its way under the field. They dig after and feed on ground squirrels and pocket gophers, and also eat toads, frogs, birds, snakes, insects and insect grubs, wasps, bees, and worms. They sleep through most of the winter in a den, spending about 29 hours at a time in a state of torpor, rousing briefly, and then sleeping again. In torpor, which is not true hibernation, the Badger's heartbeat slows to about half the normal rate and its temperature drops. Humans are the Badgers' worst enemy, trapping and poisoning them, but they are now protected in some states and provinces."

Links:
Mammal Species of the World
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