American badgers: Can You Dig It?

Publish On

Honey badgers are SO 2011. It’s time to focus on American badgers, or Taxidea taxus, a native species that is primarily found in the western part of North America. 

Typically, American badgers live on prairies, plains or dry grasslands that range from southern Canada to Mexico. In the Bay Area, American badgers have been spotted in areas along the coast and open spaces that dot the peninsula – away from urban sprawl and busy roadways. Learn five interesting facts about this species below!

An American badger lays on the ground, extending its long claws

Nature's bulldozers

American badgers are like excavators of the natural world! Each part of a badger’s anatomy maximizes their digging capabilities, enabling them to make dens and burrows for habitation. For example, American badgers are shaped like a garden spade, making it easy to twist their bodies into dirt and create holes. Their shovel-like back claws and webbed front paws also assist the American badger with creating burrows by providing a simple way to scoop dirt out of the way. Making digging even easier is the American badger’s loose skin which allows them to easily turn around and move within their small, tight underground holes. Once the holes or burrows are complete, American badgers will also use them to capture their prey!

A side profile of an American badger standing in a field of wildflowers and vegetation.

Less than eye-deal vision

If wildlife could wear glasses, the American badger would be one of the first species in line at their local optometrist. Due to their nocturnal nature and fondness of dark spaces, the American badger has poor vision. Instead of using sight as a way to move around their native landscapes, this species relies heavily on scent and hearing.

An American badger stares at the camera with white, grey and black fur.

Badgers vs roadways. Spoiler: the busy roads are winning

Due to urban and agricultural development, fragmented habitat, poor vision and proximity to busy roadways, American badgers have a high risk of mortality. In 1986, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife declared the American badger a “species of special concern,” and is currently working to understand more about this unique creature.

An American badger raises a front paw while walking in a grassy open space

A burrow buffet

American badgers are carnivorous and eat a variety of species that burrow in their holes, including gophers, ground squirrels and rodents – they’re nature’s rodent control! They also eat frogs, reptiles, birds, insects and some plant foods like corn and mushrooms. During the summer and fall, American badgers gain extra weight to offset the winter months which don’t provide as many opportunities to hunt their prey.

An American badger with a white and black striped head looks up towards the camera, in front of gold and green grass and a pile of dirt

Hunting #squadgoals

In 2020, Peninsula Open Space Trust released wildlife camera footage of a coyote playfully engaging with a badger. Together, the two species sauntered through a tunnel on, what appeared to be, their very own adventure. While this pairing may seem unlikely, it’s actually quite common! Coyotes and badgers work together to hunt, increasing a coyote’s catch rate by 33%. An American badger may also benefit from tandem hunting when a coyote scares prey into the burrowing holes of the badgers.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Learn more about local wildlife, as well as nature events and Open Space Authority project updates, by signing up for our monthly newsletter.  

Related Posts

In honor of World Bee Day, the Open Space Authority sat down with Steve Demkowski, a local beekeeper, who shared all about his passion for these small creatures who make a big impact on the environment.
You trust us to protect nature in Santa Clara Valley so that nature, in turn, can take care of you—and we take that responsibility seriously. Here are our top conservation success stories from 2025 so far.
It's estimated that approximately 5,700 tule elk are living in herds throughout California, including populations that roam the open spaces of the Diablo Mountain Range. Averaging 7 feet in length and weighing between 400 and 800 lbs, these large animals need space to roam as they seek food, water, and shelter to survive and rear their young. Over the years, many questions about the movement and health of tule elk populations have gone unanswered. Now, thanks to a new research initiative involving Global Positioning Systems (GPS) collars, scientists may soon unlock the mysteries surrounding the secret lives of tule elk herds in the Santa Clara Valley - including places like Máyyan ‘Ooyákma – Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve.
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is a two-week celebration that kicks off the start of the new year which is based on the lunisolar calendar. Each new year is symbolized by one of 12 Chinese zodiac signs which were used as the initial method to count years, months, days and hours in the calendar. 2025 is represented by the snake, a creature that is commonly found at Open Space Authority preserves and known to be a strong protector and, at times, untrustworthy. Keep reading to learn more about snakes and, in particular, red snakes that are native to California!