| This stout and shaggy animal is the second largest of the weasel family. Its coat is a grizzled grey to brown with a white stripe from snout to shoulder. The tail is short, bushy and yellowish and the cheeks white with dark patches. Its feet are dark with large fore claws. Male weighs in at 7-25 pounds and are larger than the female. Prefers open plains, farmlands and the edges of woods. Two to five young are born in March/April. They feed on squirrels, gophers, rats and mice. They catch the prey by digging out their burrows. They also eat birds, invertebrates, carrion and are fond of rattlesnakes. The badger is a ferocious animal with few enemies. Its hair is used to make the best quality paint brushes. Forest succession and encroachment into grasslands is reducing the habitat of the badger, an animal vital in controlling rodent populations. |
|
|
