Common name:<\/strong>\u00a0American Badger Range:<\/strong> Global range; American Badgers occur over west to central North America. Their range stretches from the mid-Prairies down to the tip of Texas, and in Canada, they can be found across the provinces from southern BC to southern Ontario. The American Badger is part of the Weasel Family, Mustelidae, which features a group of carnivorous, small-to-medium-sized mammals. Their bodies are ideally shaped to adapt to a digging lifestyle: they are short and sturdy, but long in length. Their heads are wide and streamlined, and their short fore-limbs are equipped with strong claws. Each subspecies has relatively the same fur colouration: they can be anywhere from gray to tawny brownish, and possess distinctive white stripes from their face down to their mid-back. They also have fluffy ears, which gives them the appearance of wearing ear muffs!<\/p>\n Each of the \u00a0four \u00a0populations of American Badger subspecies,\u00a0T.t. jacksoni, T.t. jeffersonii\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0T.t. taxus,\u00a0<\/em>occurs in a distinct region of Canada. For this reason their habitat requirements vary to a degree by region, encompassing grasslands, agricultural areas, steppe, open forests and even forested areas fragmented by roads. Because they are a tunneling species, soil type and structure is key wherever this species is found. . They live in dens with elaborate underground tunnel networks and chambers for sleeping \u2013 these dens can be up to 10 metres deep!\u00a0Jacksoni\u00a0<\/em>individuals are found in parts of the Great Lakes region;\u00a0jeffersonii\u00a0<\/em>individuals \u2013 both eastern and western populations \u2013 range from the mid-west US to just north of the border into parts of southern BC; and\u00a0taxus\u00a0<\/em>individuals are found from mid-east US to the Prairie provinces.<\/p>\n The American Badger feeds on rodents \u2013 especially ground squirrels, marmot species, pocket gophers, voles and mice. Due to habitat differences between the subspecies, there is some\u00a0regional specialization<\/strong>\u00a0of American Badger diets determined by prey availability. Badgers are quite opportunistic, and will complement their diet with small birds, eggs, reptiles, amphibians and large invertebrates.<\/p>\n The American Badger is a solitary animal, mainly active at dusk, at night and at dawn. Although they are not\u00a0true<\/em>\u00a0hibernators, they undergo periods of\u00a0torpor<\/strong>, in which they decrease their metabolism and physiological activity to conserve energy during the coldest months.<\/p>\n Breeding takes place during July and August; however, females have\u00a0delayed implantation<\/em>\u00a0of the fetus until February. They will continue to gain weight during the summer so that they have enough energy to develop the fetus and give birth later in the season when the food sources become more plentiful.<\/p>\n During late-March to early-April, a litter of 1 to 5 babies can be expected. Juveniles will leave their natal den in June or July to find their own territory and begin their own life.<\/p>\n Considering the American Badger\u2019s large range over North America, it is of great concern that numbers of some subspecies are very low. Habitat fragmentation, due to ongoing agricultural activity and urbanization, threatens each population, particularly by separating the territories for males and females to come together during their breeding season. Prey availability and collisions with automobiles also limit and diminish the American Badger population.<\/p>\n Before the COSEWIC assessment in 2000, all subspecies were recognized as one, and thus, Canada\u2019s distinct badger populations were not \u00a0properly addresses. Once subspecies were recognized and assessed by COSEWIC \u00a0and distinct statuses were determined in 2012, species recovery teams could be established . After to examine collect data and \u00a0conduct research on each subspecies to map out the distribution and abundance, as well as understand the threats to, each \u00a0of Canada\u2019s badger subspecies.<\/p>\n Jacksoni\u00a0<\/em>badgers reside in southwestern Ontario and are provincially protected by the Ontario Endangered Species Act 2007. This subspecies is also listed under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) as Endangered and is therefore protected on federal lands throughout its range.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Jeffersonii\u00a0<\/em>subspecies is also listed under the federal Species at Risk Act as Endangered, though not yet as eastern and western populations. This subspecies is therefore protected on federal lands throughout its range in BC. BC\u2019s Ministry of Environment lists the American Badger as a \u201cred\u201d species, meaning it is considered provincially threatened or endangered. A provincial Recovery Strategy for the subspecies was published in 2008.<\/p>\n Since\u00a0habitat loss<\/strong>\u00a0is a big threat to the badgers, habitat protection programs have been implemented around known den locations, especially maternal dens.<\/p>\n WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP<\/strong><\/p>\n RESOURCES<\/strong><\/p>\n En consid\u00e9rant la vaste aire de r\u00e9partition du blaireau d’Am\u00e9rique en Am\u00e9rique du Nord, il est pr\u00e9occupant que le nombre de certaines sous-esp\u00e8ces soit faible. Il y a plusieurs facteurs contribuant \u00e0 ceci, notamment, la fragmentation de leur habitat d\u00fb aux activit\u00e9s agricoles et l’urbanisation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":42404,"parent":39347,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-article.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-39702","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nLatin name:\u00a0<\/strong>Taxidea taxus
\n<\/em>Status under SARA:<\/strong>\u00a0As of the COSEWIC November 2012 assessment, 4 subspecies of the American Badger were officially recognized \u2013 3 of which are present in Canada:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\nLife span: An average of 6 years in the wild for both sexes; longest recorded lifespan was 14 years in the wild.
\nSize: Badgers are short but wide, measuring anywhere from 76 to 89 cm head-to-tail. Their weight ranges from 5.4 kg to 7.3 kg\u00a0post-hibernation<\/em>, with a gradual increase to 9.1 kg in preparation for overwintering. Males are larger in length and weight than females.
\nPopulation estimate:<\/p>\n\n
The Facts<\/h3>\n
The Story<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s Being Done<\/h3>\n
\n
\n