The American Badger

Ahh yes the American Badger, this animal is synonymous with our very own University of Wisconsin Madison, serving as the university's mascot. For most of us though, that's where the information about this little critter starts and ends.

Obviously Badgers are found in Wisconsin, because it might be a bit weird to have an animal that wasn't a Wisco native on our red and white. The American Badger has been found as far south as the mountain areas of Mexico and as far north as the top of Canada. This little bugger scoots just as far east and west as well. It is generally classified as a Great Plains animal though.

Badgers are solitary animals and seek other badgers for mating. They are primarily nocturnal and don't truly hibernate. They will slow down in the winter but they come out on the warmer days. Badgers will have multiple burrows in their territory and those tunnels can be as far as 10 feet below ground. They'r excellent diggers with claws so sharp that they have been known to cut through black top and two inches of concrete.

Badgers are carnivores. Their diets consist of smaller mammals, ground nesting birds, fish insects and honey combs. Since they are expert tunnel diggers, they typically attack other burrowers, digging at a rapid pace until they have captured their prey. Hence the term "Relentless as a badger". They are also known to store kills for later as well.

Mating for badgers occurs in late autumn but the embryo typically doesn't develop and implant into the mother's uterine wall until December and this can happen as late as February. The True development of the embryo is about six weeks.  Females give birth in early spring and usually have 3 offspring, though they can have up to 5 young when giving birth.

Next time you're at Timbavati Wildlife Park, check out our American Badger!!