Just think: If badgers could help us with our gardening activities, our plants would always be in tip-top shape.
A badger is built for digging! With long claws and powerful legs, a badger can dig faster than a man with a shovel. When digging, a badger loosens dirt with its front feet–passes it under its belly–and kicks it out with its hind feet—sometimes sending dirt five feet in the air!
In the Midwest, badgers live in open prairie and agricultural land. They dig shallow burrows for living and hunting food. They dig deeper dens lined with grass for rearing young. Badgers are strictly animal eaters and favor young rabbits and rodents, which they dig up.
All this digging helps mix and aerate the soil. In the past, badger fur was used to trim coats and make shaving brushes; and their hides were used for rugs. Badgers are important predators.
The Best of the Badger
- Male and female badgers look alike, though males are heavier.
- Badgers have a home range of 1 to 2-1/2 square miles. They dig a series of dens across their home range.
- Badgers are most active at night.
- Badgers move up to 15 miles per hour, and are capable swimmers.
- Badgers control rodent populations, and their digging activities aerate and mix the soil.
Find out more in MDC’s Field Guide.
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