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Diet

The American badger is largely carnivorous. Over most parts of its range the badger can find a particular species of small mammal which it specialises on, although it will of course eat any other suitable prey that it comes across when hunting. The primary prey species varies from place to place. In some areas ground squirrels are abundant, in others the badger may specialise on mice, pocket gophers, kangaroo rats, prairie dogs or cottontail rabbits. Marmots, chipmunks, deer mice, voles and even young skunks will also be taken when found.

In addition to small mammals, the American badger will also dig for smaller creatures, such as the larvae of beetles, bees, wasps and even hornets. Other insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and caterpillars are also taken from the ground surface and from low vegetation.

Other animals taken by badgers include ground-nesting birds and their eggs, snakes (including rattlers), lizards, frogs and toads. Vegetable material including cereals are also eaten.

Pictures from the Kita Labs Icon Archive. (No longer online.)

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Feeding behaviour

The American badger finds most of its prey by digging. It uses its well-developed senses of smell and hearing hearing to detect its prey, then digs at a rapid rate in order to uncover the unfortunate victims.

One strategy used by the badger when searching for food is to explore some of its old dens, as these are often occupied by various small mammals. If there is a surplus of food, the badger will cache what it does not need, burying it in the ground and returning later.

The badger will from time to time chase and capture faster-moving animals such as cottontails and even hares. I assume that these are taken by surprise after chance encounters; although the badger can make a fast initial dash, it cannot keep this up for long and soon slows down.

Coyotes have been observed in the company of badgers when the latter are hunting, and this has led to suggestions that the two species form a 'hunting partnership'. However, the coyote is just waiting for a rodent or other small mammal to escape from the digging badger, so that it can catch them instead. A study of this association between the badger and the coyote has shown that coyotes consume prey at higher rates, and with less travelling, than when hunting alone.

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References

b001, b003, b004, b010, b012.

Additional picture credits

The American badger photo used at the head of this Article is a public domain image provided by the US Fish & Wildlife Service; photographer Gary Stolz. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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