National Park Service White Sands U.S. Department of the Interior

White Sands National Monument The American Badger

adgers in the desert? How strange! Well, at least that’s what most people think when they first learn that Bbadgers live right here at White Sands National Monument. Although most people associate them with forests, badgers make their homes in the desert as well

The American badger (Taxidea metabolism, heart rate, respiration, taxus) is found throughout and body temperature). western and central U.S., and in the southwest. They are primarily Because the soil in the monument associated with grasslands and is very compact and hard due to the desert scrublands. In Mexico, where high level of gypsum, badgers with this species is also found, it is called their strong muscular legs and long tlalcoyote or tejón. The badger eats front claws are able to dig burrows, a variety of burrowing animals, both in search of prey and deeper but here at White Sands, it has a burrows that are used as their dens. more restricted diet that consists Badger burrows that are abandoned American badger eating a snake mainly of southern plains woodrats, may then be occupied by kit foxes, December through February. This kangaroo rats, and other small skunks, desert cottontails, and is done so that the young are born rodents, lizards, carrion, as well as black-tailed jackrabbits. Abandoned during a more favorable time of young burrowing owls. badger burrows also provide ready- year between March and April. The made homes for burrowing owls. families usually break-up between Badgers are mostly nocturnal, Badgers are not common at the June and August with the juveniles but in remote places, like White monument, and thus the ones that dispersing to new, unoccupied Sands NM, they can occasionally are here are even more important areas. Female badgers do share their be observed during the day. because they provide homes for all mother’s territory. This is especially true of females of these other desert animals. with young, who tend to forage Badgers are aggressive animals, during the day and spend the Badgers are also solitary, and are and have few natural enemies. nights with the young. Badgers only found together during the Dispersing juveniles in this area are seldom venture above ground breeding season (late summer–early probably only attacked and eaten unless the temperatures are fall) and mothers with their pups. by bobcats (which live at the outer above freezing. Badgers in this Female badgers have two or three edges of the monument). The most area do not hibernate, but go pups per litter. Female badgers important threats to their survival into a state of torpor (a state of are unique in that they experience include loss of habitat, and shooting lowered physiological activity delayed implantation. They delay and trapping. Badgers typically live typically characterized by reduced their pregnancy until the months of nine to ten years in the wild, and may need as much as 2,000 acres of suitable habitat to have enough food and other resources to live and raise a family.

­—Dr. M. Hildegard Reiser, Ph.D., Science Advisor, Chihuahuan Desert Network

American Badger’s den

Originally written Spring/Summer 2015 Revised 04/03/2016