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Distribution

The American badger can be found right across the western two-thirds of the US, and the range extends into Canada in the North and Mexico in the south. Four subspecies are currently recognised, and their ranges are as follows.

• Taxidea taxus taxus: This, the "nominate subspecies", ranges from the southern parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada, down through Montana, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa and Illinois in the US.

• Taxidea taxus jacksoni: This subspecies has a very restricted distribution, and is found only around the western Great Lakes, in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michegan.
• Taxidea taxus jeffersoni: From southern British Columbia in Canada, this subspecies extends down through Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, and the western parts of Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.
• Taxidea taxus berlandieri: This, the smaller, southern subspecies, occurs in central southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri in the US, and down into much of northern and central Mexico as far as Mexico City.

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Habitat preferences

Wide open plains and deciduous woodlands are the principal habitats occupied by the American badger, but across its range a wide variety of habitats are utilised, and the species can also be found in mountainous areas up as far as the arctic-alpine zone, farmland, marshy areas, prairies and deserts.

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References

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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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