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Dens: creation and use

The American badger is a prolific digger, and excavates large numbers of simple burrows or dens throughout its range. Most of these are occupied only for very short periods, especially during the summer, when the badger travels widely and may spend each night in a newly excavated burrow. Fewer dens are used in the autumn however, and during the winter, when the badger enters a period of semi-dormancy, just one burrow is used.

Typically, badgers dig their burrows in friable soils, but they have a reputation as powerful digging machines. There are stories of these badgers digging holes into tarmacced (blacktopped) pavements, and even through 2 inch thick concrete!

As well as digging its own burrows, the American badger will also use holes dug by other creatures, modifying them to suit its needs.

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Dens: physical characteristics

Tunnels dug by the American badger are elliptical in shape, being wider than they are tall. Typically they around 30 cm (12 inches) wide by 20 cm (8 inches) tall. The tunnel system is usually simple, with just one entrance, but breeding dens are usually larger and more complex, with one or two entrances. The main entrance tunnel often branches and then rejoins, and leads to a single chamber containing a nest of dry grass. There may also be several side-tunnels, which are used as latrines. These breeding dens may extend to a length of 4 or 5 metres, and depth of 2 metres. However, burrows can extend for as much as 10 metres in length, and descend to a depth of 3 metres.

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References

b001, b003-01, b012, w031, w032-01.

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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