A short,
squat, medium-sized member of the weasel
family, the badger is readily recognized
by its grizzled gray, white, and black fur,
cheek stripes, short legs, long claws, and
the white stripe down its head and back.
Adults may weigh from about 10 to up to 20
pounds and are approximately 20 inches long,
with the tail adding another 4 to 6 inches
in length. Widely distributed, the badger
occurs almost anywhere in Arizona having
ground suitable to dig in and excavate burrows.
Natural History
Badgers feed primarily on burrowing rodents such as prairie dogs and ground
squirrels but also take snakes, lizards, and insects on occasion. Mating
in these usually solitary animals takes place in the summer, the young
being born the following spring due to delayed implantation. Primarily
a nocturnal animal, badgers are sometimes encountered during the early
morning hours.
Hunting and Trapping History
Although the take of badger pelts averaged more than a 1,000 a year in
the late 1970s and early 1980s, the number of these animals recently trapped
in Arizona is virtually insignificant. A few badgers are undoubtedly also
taken incidental to pursuing other game, but these numbers too must be
very small. Probably less than 50 badgers a year are taken in the state.
Habitat
