The American Badger, Taxidea taxus, is native to Montana and is a widespread resident across the state’s landscape. Though often hard to spot due to its habits, this robust mammal is found in a variety of habitats and plays a specialized role in the local food web.
Confirmation of Presence and Species
The American Badger (Taxidea taxus) is a native mammal present throughout Montana. It belongs to the Mustelidae family, a diverse group of carnivorous mammals that includes weasels, otters, and wolverines. The badger is the only living member of its genus, Taxidea. With a secure population status, the American Badger is considered a common component of the state’s non-game wildlife.
Geographic Distribution Across Montana
American Badgers are distributed widely across the state, ranging from low valleys to high alpine country. Their presence is determined primarily by the availability of prey and soil conditions suitable for digging. They are most commonly observed in the open areas of Eastern and Central Montana. Preferred habitats include dry, treeless expanses such as open grasslands, sagebrush flats, prairies, and agricultural fields. They avoid dense, high-elevation forests, preferring the friable soil and rodent populations found in drier, open terrain.
Identifying Characteristics and Habits
The American Badger is recognizable due to its distinct physical features and stout, flattened body shape. They possess a grizzled coat, typically yellowish-gray to reddish-brown, with a white stripe running from the nose over the head. The face is marked with black patches on the cheeks and in front of the ears, contrasting with the white stripe. This mammal is built low to the ground with short, powerful legs and long, partially webbed front claws, which aid its specialized lifestyle.
The badger maintains a fossorial lifestyle, meaning it is an expert digger that spends much time underground. They use their powerful limbs and claws to excavate burrows up to 30 feet long and 10 feet deep for shelter and to pursue prey. Their diet consists predominantly of small, burrowing rodents, such as ground squirrels, pocket gophers, voles, and prairie dogs. Badgers are mostly solitary and nocturnal. While they do not hibernate in the winter, they may enter a state of torpor, sleeping for extended periods during the coldest weather.