American badger (burrow)

Description:

The American badger has most of the general characteristics common to badgers; stocky and low-slung bodies with short, powerful legs, they are identifiable by their huge foreclaws (measuring up to 5 cm in length) and distinctive head markings. Measuring generally between 60 to 75 cm (23.6 to 29.5 inches) in length, males of the species are slightly larger than females (with an average weight of roughly 7 kg (15.5 pounds) for females and up to almost 9 kg (19.8 pounds) for males). Northern subspecies such as T. t. jeffersonii are heavier than the southern subspecies. In the fall, when food is plentiful, adult male badgers can exceed 11.5 kg (25.3 pounds). Excluding the head, the American badger is covered with a grizzled, silvery coat of coarse hair or fur. The American badger's triangular face shows a distinctive black and white pattern, with brown or blackish "badges" marking the cheeks and a white stripe extending from the nose to the base of the head. In the subspecies T. t. berlandieri, the white head stripe extends the full length of the body, to the base of the tail. (information from Wikipedia)

Habitat:

Roadside adjacent to cattle pastures and mixed woodland

Notes:

A couple of biologist friends who are working in the field tipped me off to this badger burrow. I drove around 20 miles one way to go see it, and while I finally found it, the badger was not visible at the time. I will most likely go back at a different time of day to see if I can catch sight of it.