Badger

Badger, mammal characterized by short, strong legs; elongated feet that are more or less plantigrade (heels touch the ground); and straight, strong toes adapted to burrowing. Badgers are heavily furred, distinctly marked, and very strong. They live in dens (called setts) and are mostly nocturnal. They have perineal glands, which emit a fetid odour. The pelts have considerable value as furs, and the hairs are used in the manufacture of brushes.

The European badger is up to 90 cm (35 in) long. It has a grey coat with black undersides and legs. Its head is white with two distinct black streaks over the eyes and ears. It lives in woods or forests across Europe south of the Arctic Circle. It digs a deep chamber where it spends the winter in semi-dormancy. In spring the female bears two to six furless and blind young. The badger is omnivorous; fruits, roots, beechnuts, eggs, young birds, small quadrupeds, frogs, snails, worms, carrion, and insects constitute its natural food. It also feeds on honey and on the larvae of wasps and wild bees; the shaggy hair of the badger provides protection against stings.

The American badger is native to the western regions of North America, as far east as Ohio, south to central Mexico, and north to southern Canada. About 60 cm (24 in) long, the animal has a squat, broad body and forelegs armed with long claws, which are highly efficient digging tools. The badger lives in deep burrows that it digs in hillsides. The shaggy fur is grey tipped with brown, and the head is brown with a single white stripe extending from behind the nose and running back along the spine. There are also a few white markings around the ears and eyes. The animal feeds principally on gophers and other pests in agricultural areas, and carrion.

Other animals of the same subfamily include the teledu of Java and the balisaur, or sand badger, of north-eastern India. The so-called honey badger, or ratel, of Africa belongs to another subfamily.

Scientific classification: The badger belongs to the family Mustelidae. The European badger is classified as Meles meles, the American badger as Taxidea taxus.