While it may look soft and cuddly, the American badger is one of the toughest animals on the planet. Weighing only 15 to 20 pounds, this fierce hunter has no problem defending itself against coyotes, mountain lions and even bears. With its two-inch claws, 1.5-inch razor-sharp canine teeth, powerful jaws and a hiss that makes your hair stand on end, this predator scares off most threats.
Found widely throughout southern Canada, the United States and Mexico, badgers prefer open grasslands where their typical prey of mice, squirrels, gophers and groundhogs are abundant. They roam the open plains, sticking their pointy noses into holes as they sniff for food. Should they locate prey, they begin to furiously dig with their long, curved front claws while their smaller, shovel-like rear claws move the displaced soil. Coyotes have been seen in close proximity to hunting badgers, hoping to catch a fleeing rodent the badger may have missed.
Badgers are nocturnal animals, spending their nights hunting and their days in their underground burrows, which can be 30 feet long and as deep as 10 feet. Burrows are used for denning, feeding and as a refuge from danger. Incredibly efficient diggers, badgers can dig a burrow in a matter of minutes. They prefer sandy soil, but can easily take on frozen ground beneath snow. Though they may spend days at a time in their dens, badgers do not hibernate.
It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of badgers are in the United States. Still, their numbers are declining as suburban development grows. Badgers are also heavily hunted and trapped for their fur, which is used in shaving brushes and paint brushes.
Point Reyes National Seashore has a healthy population of badgers. As there is no hunting pressure on them, they are seen more frequently during the day. Stop at any pullout and use your binoculars to scan the hillsides for the piles of dirt below their dens scattered across the landscape. They often nap on these dirt piles in the early morning and late evening. Enjoy watching them, but keep your distance. At 20 miles per hour, they can run much quicker than we can!
Daniel Dietrich is a professional wildlife photographer living in Inverness. He operates Point Reyes Safaris, a company dedicated to wildlife viewing and photography in Point Reyes National Seashore.