Imagine you're sound asleep in the comfort of a quiet dark tent and you are suddenly jarred awake by this...
Well, that never happened to me either, that's why I have to imagine hearing the cranky churl of an American Badger in the middle of the night from the sheltered comfort of my tent.
But, I've had the thrill of accidental sightings five times in my life. Badgers (taxidea taxus) are so elusive and shy that most people will never experience the wow-tingle of a first time observation in the wild.
They're secretive mustelids and are nocturnal members of the weasel family. Badgers range from the Great Lakes states west to the Pacific Coast, and from Canadian Prairie Provinces, south to the Mexican Plateau. Females usually claim 2 or 3 square mile territories. Polygamous males stake out the territories of several polygamous females and roam even farther when breeding.
The last time I happened upon a plucky badger we were exploring a mixed-grass prairie on the north rim of the South Dakota Badlands. Oblivious to our nearby presence a grizzled godzilla was intensely focused on viscerally tearing apart a frantic prairie dog coterie.
Panicked adults screamed frenzied chips and barks in worried terror as the badger worked furiously to pry praire pups from their burrowed cradles. A frightened juvenile popped out of a hidden hole to escape the fury of the hunt and it was over. The badger slowly waddled away with a smug low-slung swagger with the slain squirrel swinging in rhythm with each stride.
We stood frozen together for a stunned moment of silence. When words returned to us they were flooded with excited exclamations of shocked awe.
Fun Badger Facts
Even though Badgers have relatively small territory zones, a number of dens are used regularly over different parts of the territory. These underground dens are quite often elaborate. Most tunnels are 6 to 8 feet deep and 20 to 30 feet long to the main chamber which is elevated to discourage flooding. A smaller chamber is also dug underground to serve as a toilet area, and many dens have several entrance holes.
Dens that have been used for generations by badgers may have as many as 30 to 40 exits, and tunnels as deep as 15 feet. Bedding grass and leaves are sometimes removed from the den chamber for airing out by a den entrance, after which it is taken back down into the chamber for reuse.
Adult badgers measure 30 inches to 35 inches in length, including a short furry tail averaging 5 inches. Their bodies are wide and give a flat backed appearance. Many adult badgers weigh 12 pounds to 16 pounds, although weights increase to over 20 pounds in the late fall as they store up layers of fat to sustain them during periods of cold weather and deep snow. They have loose fitting skin, which prevents them from being held securely by another animal.
Colors are mostly gray, with a grizzled effect due to long guard hairs that have a black band ending in a white tip. Their "underfur" is either a light tan, or a creamy white. A white stripe from the nose leads between the eyes and back over the head of the badger, ending between the shoulders. Ears are set low along the sides of the head. Lower legs and feet are black in color. There are five toes on each foot and four of the toes on the front feet have exceptionally long sharp claws of up to 1 3/4 inches in length. Badgers have 34 teeth, including four sharply pointed canine teeth. All badgers have a pair of musk producing glands near the anus as well as two skin glands located on the bellies.
Badgers eat chipmunks, woodchucks, mice, rabbits, ground squirrels, ground nesting birds, carrion, invertebrates and whatever else they can catch. They don't hibernate in winter, but they do sleep for extended periods of time in northern states or high elevations.
I chuckled at this biologist's quote.
Summer is also their mating season. Crazy thing is though, while they get laid in July or August, the fetuses don't actually start to develope until January or February. They are able to hold them in a quasi suspended animation for about 5 or 6 months, then they experience a six week gestation period, giving birth to litters of 1 to 7 around April. The young head out on their own around August. The birthing den is often a grass lined den with a thirty to forty foot shaft, that can reach ten feet below the surface of the ground. It is much more complex than their summer dens.
pluck·y
adj. pluck·i·er, pluck·i·est
Having or showing courage and valiant spirit in trying circumstances or danger.
I had to include this 16 pounds of plucky badger vs. grizzly bear.
Back in the 1950's, while walking hand-in-hand along a lonesome sand road in the wilder area west of Neillsville, Wisconsin, I have a sweet memory of my Grandmother's smile while she noted with a finger point...
Never poke your walking stick in a badger hole. Trust me on this.
Badger Watching
by Francis Duggan
I recall how I often watched the badgers
From low branch of tree as lamp of day did die
In their mouths from their sett they brought out last night's bedding
For to replace it with long grass clean and dry.
Downwind of them I watched in intense silence
As to and from their sett they hurried to and fro
That memory undimmed by time still with me
Though on looking back the decades that now seems long ago.
The greyness of their faces I remember
Quite prominent in the fading light of day
I often spent a pleasant half an hour or more of badger watching
Though that was years ago and far away.
Perhaps for their size the world's greatest fighters
It brings to mind a great poem by John Clare
When he told of human cruelty to the badger
These creatures now considered to be rare.
At twilight before they go on their food search
They always change their bedding for the night
A thing I do feel privileged to have witnessed
And that remains with me as a memorable sight.
I still recall those Spring and Summer twilights
That I watched the badgers cleaning out their sett
Cock robin piped his good night on the birch tree
Such good memories will remain with me till death.
What's new in your Wild Notebook?
Backyard Science Diary ends here.
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P.S. Bucky is plucky.
Here's to all my fellow Badger brothers and sisters of Wisconsin.
Forward.
Solidarity.
Walker is a weasel. Not a badger.
Fight on.