The development of agriculture and housing for humans is a major threat to the badgers' habitats. They may eat poison left out for coyotes and thousands are hit by cars while trying to grab road kill.
Badgers have few natural enemies. Their strong body structure, powerful jaws, thick skin and keen sense of hearing and smell are good defenses. The increase in the number of ground squirrels in the western United States favors the growth of the American badger population.
When frightened, badgers produce a strong scent that discourages predators. Badger-baiting was outlawed in Britain in , but elimination efforts from the s through the s were an effort to combat rabies and bovine tuberculosis transmitted by them. The Protection of Badgers Act was finally passed in In , the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed the subspecies Taxidea taxus jacksoni and Taxidea taxus jeffersonii as endangered. There is no loss of pigmentation in the eyes, so the eyes will be black.
This helps distinguish the difference between an albino badger or leucistic badger. The erythristic badger has mainly sandy or gingery colour hair on the back and sides and the hair on the underbelly can be a shade of red.
The eyes will normally be light brown in colour but in some cases they may have a reddish appearance. A badger which is extremely rare is the melanistic badger and sightings of this animal are uncommon. The pigmentation of a melanistic badger is mainly black. The eyes will be black. Badgers have been living side by side with hedgehogs for centuries but will occasionally prey on them if their main food sources of worms and grubs are not abundant. Hedgehogs are currently undergoing a sharp decline in rural habitats and unfairly, badgers are often blamed.
A report on hedgehog declines read here , owed the reduction of rural hedgehogs to mainly habitat loss, through the intensification of agriculture and fewer hedgerows. This habitat reduction is more than likely affecting badgers as well. More work needs to be done to maintain natural habitats and to re-establish a balanced ecosystem for all species.
The fascinating lives of badgers. Play Video. Badger bringing in fresh bedding at night. Scent marking. It's Badger Cub Season! Badgers and foxes. Watch Now. Badgers can grow up to 20 to 34 inches 51 to 86 centimeters long from head to tail.
The tail adds an additional 4 to 6 inches 10 to 15 cm to its length. Badgers weigh between 9 and 39 pounds 4 to 18 kilograms. Badgers prefer dry, open grasslands, though they are very adaptable. Some also live in woods, quarries, hedgerows, sea cliffs and moorland. American badgers are typically found in the Great Plains region of North America. Honey badgers are found in southern Africa; hog badgers live primarily in Southeast Asia, India and Sumatra.
Badgers are also found in large numbers in the United Kingdom. Badgers have strong limbs and sharp claws that help them dig burrows and find food underground. They make their homes by digging tunnels and caves and use grass and leaves for bedding. Find out more. How do badgers breed? Did you know? Where do badgers live? Signs and spotting tips Badgers are strictly nocturnal and extremely wary of humans.
During warm summer weather they may emerge from the sett a short while before sunset. Setts: One of the best ways to spot a badger is to locate a sett and quietly wait for the inhabitants to emerge, usually around dusk.
Position yourself downwind of the sett if possible, as this will prevent the badgers from picking up your scent. Always maintain a respectful distance when badger watching as these are shy animals and it is against the law to disturb them and their setts. Tracks: Keep an eye out for badger tracks when visiting the woods — they might just lead you to a badger sett! Badger prints are fairly distinctive: they have kidney-shaped pads, five upward-pointing toes and long claws.
Scat: Badgers often deposit their scat poo in communal areas known as latrines. These are often located at the border between the territories of different groups.
Look out for areas of disturbed ground with scat deposited in small holes. Threats and conservation Historical persecution means badgers are now fully protected by law.
Who's been there? Learn how to track elusive woodland animals with our poos and clues swatch book Buy it now. Trees woods and wildlife Mammals Trees and woods provide a stable habitat and food supply for many mammals. Trees woods and wildlife Fox Ever adaptable, the fox sits top of the woodland food chain with a diet that takes in everything from birds and beetles to rabbits and rats.
Trees woods and wildlife Hedgehog Sleepy, cute, truly iconic.
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