American badger
North American digger
A stocky, burrowing mammal native to the grasslands and open areas of North America.
American badgers have distinctive facial markings—a white stripe from nose to neck against darker fur—and powerful front claws for digging.
They hunt ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and other burrowing prey, sometimes cooperating with coyotes.
An American badger had excavated a den near the fence line.
Weasel family member
- furAnimal body hair
- peltFur-bearing animal skin
- stripeContrasting linear marking
- stockyShort and solidly built
facial markings · short-legged · claws · whiskers · snout · black · white · waddle
Unearth by shoveling
- excavateRemove earth systematically
- tunnelEnclosed underground route
- denPrivate room or lair
- burrowAnimal's dug dwelling
underground · sett · warren · earth · soil · claws · subterranean · shelter
Animal being hunted
- huntPursuit of quarry
- carnivoreCreature eating only animals
- rodentGnawing mammal order
- gopherBurrowing North American rodent
ground squirrel · prairie dog · snake · insect · pounce · stalk · capture · kill
Hostile and confrontational
- fierceViolently intense or aggressive
- tenaciousStubbornly determined to continue
- fearlessLacking any apprehension
- defensiveProtective or easily threatened
hissing · growling · snarling · bold · confrontational · formidable · relentless · pugnacious
mustelid
Weasel family member
facial markings · stocky · short-legged · claws · whiskers · snout · black · white · waddle · squat
dig
Unearth by shoveling
burrow · underground · sett · warren · earth · soil · claws · subterranean · shelter · hole
prey
Animal being hunted
gopher · ground squirrel · prairie dog · snake · insect · pounce · stalk · capture · kill · foraging
aggressive
Hostile and confrontational
- fierceViolently intense or aggressive
- tenaciousStubbornly determined to continue
- fearlessLacking any apprehension
defensive · hissing · growling · snarling · bold · confrontational · formidable · relentless · pugnacious · combative
night
Dark hours daily
- crepuscularRelating to dusk
- duskDimming after sundown
- dawnDay's first glow
twilight · darkness · nighttime · solitary · elusive · secretive · moonlight · evening