LOCAL FACTS: The North American Badger

The North American Badger is a local animal that can be found throughout the region and is known for its signature white, black and gray coloration. Here are a few facts from National Geographic about this local animal.  

• Badgers are carnivorous mammals, meaning they give birth to live young that they raise on milk and they are meat eaters.  
• Badgers live in tunnel systems called setts that they dig out with their long, curved front claws. Their front paws are webbed, while their rear paws are more shovel-like. 
• Common prey for badgers are ground-dwelling birds, insects, prairie dogs, mice and groundhogs, though they have been known to hunt larger creatures. They generally run from humans unless threatened or backed into a corner.  
• Badgers have been known to hunt alongside coyotes in what is known as mutualism, a term meaning that animals of different species work together to meet their needs.  
• Badgers are primarily nocturnal.  
• Cubs are born in groups of one to five and generally don’t open their eyes until they’re about a month old.  
• A badger generally lives four to five years in the wild and varies in size from just under 2 feet long to nearly 3 feet in length and can weigh as much as 26 pounds fully grown.  

    COLOR ME! Color this picture of a North American badger and draw in your best background of the Columbia Basin, whether that's a cliff, a lake or sagebrush. Have your parents help you send this in to [email protected] and we'll select some of the submitted pictures for publication in the paper.