Badger Biology (Ontario Badgers)

The North American Badger (Taxidea taxus) is a medium-sized carnivore in the weasel family. They are stocky animals, with short black legs and a wide body. They generally weigh between 7 kg (15 lb) and 11 kg (25 lb), with males being larger than females. Their coat is a grizzled grey to tawny brown (with other colours mixed in) while their head shows distinctive black and white markings that generally run vertically from nose to neck.

They are solitary and nomadic animals that wander over extremely large home ranges. They use their powerful front legs and long claws to dig burrows for shelter and protection, as well as for hunting their prey. Throughout each badger’s home range, it may have hundreds of unique burrows that it, as well as other badgers and even other species, may use. They will rarely stay in any one area for more than a few days before moving on, though they often return to previous locations.

They are primarily carnivores, and will eat a variety of small prey including rodents, frogs and toads, and eggs. They are mostly nocturnal (active by night) but can occasionally be seen during the day. Badgers are polygamous and mate with multiple partners each year. They breed in the late summer and the young are born in the winter. They are not true hibernators, but may stay in their burrows for extended periods during the winter. Despite the name, the North American badger is not closely related to the European badger. Other distant cousins include the wolverine, marten, mink, and honey badger.