New Delhi: National Badger Day is celebrated annually on October 6 to honour and appreciate these fascinating creatures. Badgers can be found across the United Kingdom and the Great Plains region of North America. They are members of the weasel family and live in underground burrows called ‘setts’.
Badgers play a crucial role in ecosystems by contributing to habitat heterogeneity and soil health. American badgers are powerful nocturnal animals that primarily feed on rodents, while European badgers are omnivorous and consume various food, including earthworms, insects and fruits.
In this article, let us look at some interesting facts about Badgers.
Badgers: Interesting facts to know about small mammals
The word “badger” comes from “bageard” in the 16th century. This likely refers to the white mark on the badger’s forehead. Another word for badger was “bauson” in 1375. In North America, young badgers are called kits, and adults are referred to as male or female. A group of colonial badgers is sometimes called a cete, but it’s more common to call them clans. A badger’s home is called a sett.
Badgers are small mammals that grow 20 to 34 inches long from head to tail and weigh between 9 and 39 pounds.
Badgers are found in various habitats, such as dry grasslands, woods, quarries, sea cliffs, and moorland. They are primarily located in North America, southern Africa, Southeast Asia, India, Sumatra, Russia, China, Eastern Europe, and Europe. In the United Kingdom, officials have taken steps to control the badger population to prevent the spread of disease to cattle.
Badgers are most active at night and sleep during the day because they are nocturnal animals. They have strong limbs and sharp claws that help them dig burrows and find food underground. Badgers live in groups called a cete or clan and make their homes in tunnels and caves.
Most badgers are omnivores, eating both plants and meat. They mainly consume earthworms, insects, small mammals, snails, bird eggs, and fruit. The honey badger is a meat-eater and will consume snakes, jackals, foxes, and even crocodiles. It also searches for beehives to obtain honey.
Badgers mate any time of the year, but only have one litter per year. They give birth in mid-to-late winter and have one to five babies at a time.
Most badger species are not endangered or threatened, with the American badger having a population of several hundred thousand in the United States. The hog badger is listed as near threatened due to a population decline in some areas.
Quick Facts
Badgers usually don’t hibernate but may sleep for a few days or weeks in their dens during the coldest part of winter.
The dachshund was bred to hunt badgers. Dachshund in German means “badger hound.”
The badger is the state animal of Wisconsin.
Badgers typically live around ten years.
Unlike many other social badgers, the American badger is solitary and prefers to spend most of its time alone.
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family. They have squat bodies and are good at digging. All badgers are part of the dog-like group of meat-eating mammals. Read on to learn some interesting facts about Badgers. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
