The badger is a long haired member of the weasel family and has a grizzled, brownish gray coat of fur. Its black face is bisected by a narrow, white stripe extending to the tip of a black nose.
This nocturnal hunting carnivore is equipped with a short, flattened, rudder like tail and stubby legs, ending in pebbly black feet and front toes tipped with long, stout, curved, sharp nails and has a broad, flat appearance. Badgers can reach 2.5 feet in length, with a weight of up to 30 pounds. In general, badgers have poor eyesight, good hearing and an exceptionally well developed sense of smell. These stubborn creatures are also equipped with a scent gland (similar to a skunk) that is used to discourage predators.
Badgers are typically found in upland grasslands, such as meadows and hayfields. Their diet consists primarily of burrowing rodents such as, ground squirrels, pocket gophers and kangaroo rats.
Badgers will breed in summer and early fall, giving birth around March and April using a delayed gestation process. Their dens are often abandoned fox, coyote or woodchuck holes that are widened out, forming deep burrows, up to 60 feet long.
