subject: What Exactly Is A Badger [print this page] The badger is an animal related to the skunk, weasel, and mink. It is broad and flat, and about two feet long when full-grown. It has coarse gray or brown fur, upon which are white stripes and other marks. The badger lives in burrows, sleeps during the day, and hunts for food at night. It feeds on small animals, insects, birds, and honey. It is found in central and western North America, from Alaska to Mexico. The badger has powerful claws and it is one of the best of all diggers. It can dig so fast that it disappears underground very quickly when it is in danger. It can also dig smaller animals out of their burrows very easily. The European badger, found throughout Europe and Asia, looks very much like its American cousin, but is larger. Badgers are fierce fighters. Long ago, hunters would surround the badger with dogs, which would kill it. This was called "badgering," and we sometimes hear the word used to express "teasing." That cruel sport is no longer practiced. Badgers are trapped for their valuable hair, which is used to make brushes. Some people consider badgers good to eat. The "Badger State" is Wisconsin. There are eight species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae (badgers of Europe and Asia), Mellivorinae (the Ratel or honey badger), and Taxideinae (the American badger).In Mexico, this animal is sometimes called "tlalcoyote". The Spanish word for badger is "tejon", but in Mexico this word is also used to describe the coati.
