The American Badger..................a denizen of the Prairie(eastern limits in Ohio).........squirrels prairie dogs, rats and rabbits are principal foodstuffs.................this tough predator can hold it's own against a coyote............ As we have mentioned in other postings, Badgers can also partner with coyotes to optimize hunting success

The Badger in Texas

While in the field observing wildlife, I have had the opportunity to encounter some intimidating creatures. For example, mountain lions, black bear and alligators are all things that have made what little hair I have remaining stand on end.

However, one that is overlooked many times is the close relative of the small and uncommon weasel, and that is the robust America badger.The American badger (Taxidea taxus) inhabits the western two-thirds of this continent, from central Canada southward through the western United States to the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.In Texas, it can be observed in all but the very easternmost counties, though it prefers the grassland prairies of the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos regions. It is reportedly expanding its known range as land-clearing operations continue throughout the Southeast.
Badgers are comical in appearance, with disproportionately short legs and a broad, rotund torso. Males are the larger of the two sexes, achieving lengths in excess of 2½ feet. Females are slightly smaller, only reaching about 2¼. Healthy adults weigh anywhere from eight pounds up to 22, although the average is about 15 pounds. The fur is colored in a gray and brown mixture, with an undertone of yellow, and is shaggy. The tail is short (roughly 5 inches) and is thick, bushy and colored the same as the body fur. There is a distinctive white line that runs from the tip of the nose over the head to just past the shoulders, where it fades into the grizzled fur. There also is a distinct white patch behind each eye, set off by a black, shark-fin shape between the patch and the ear. The front claws, used for digging in the soil, are extremely long.
The diet of the badger is consistent throughout its known range, and it is no coincidence that the range of the badger coincides with that of the multiple species of ground squirrels that inhabit this state. Ground squirrels, and their larger counterpart prairie dogs, make up the vast majority of the diet of the badger, though other items such as kangaroo rats, cottontails and other burrowing rodents are occasionally eaten as well.
Badgers are expert diggers, and these prey are typically dug out of their burrows as the badger utilizes its long front claws and powerful front legs. Badgers are typically solitary creatures, save for when it comes time to reproduce. Males are polygamous and will mate with up to four females every year. Breeding season is usually in the late summer and early fall, though the fertilization of the egg does not occur until January. The one to five young are born in early spring, and like most mammals are born covered in a light fur and totally blind. The eyes open in about one month, and weaning begins to take place at about the second month. By this time, the young are almost half-grown. They will stay with the mother for an additional five months until they are ready to venture out on their own.
Do not underestimate a badger's fighting skills just because they are comical in appearance. They have few natural enemies, and many domesticated dogs have succumbed to the fiery personality, teeth and claws of a healthy adult badger. There is even a record of a badger that successfully fought off two coyotes, so this animal is not one to be confronted.