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 and are mostly nocturnal. They have perineal glands, which emit a fetid odor. The pelts have considerable value as furs, and the hairs are used in the manufacture of shaving and other types of brushes.

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 (about 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 gray 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.

The common badger, also known as the European badger, is up to 90 cm (up to 35 in) long. It differs from the American badger in facial markings, dentition, and other details. It lives in forests and digs a deep chamber, where it spends the winter and where in spring it bears two to six furless and blind young. It is omnivorous; fruits, roots, beechnuts, eggs, young birds, small quadrupeds, frogs, snails, worms, 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 is protection against stings.

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

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

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