How to identify it
Heavy, flattened body with short stocky legs, short neck, broad head and short bushy tail; 26-35 in long, roughly 4-12 kg. [1][2]
Brown face marked with a white stripe running back from the nose, white patches and vertical black bars; throat and chin whitish. [1][2]
The white head stripe ends near the shoulders in northern animals but runs to the rump in southern ones. [1][2]
Grayish to reddish back and flanks with a buffy belly; low, rounded ears. [1][2]
Where it lives
Dry, open grasslands, prairies, fields and pastures, favouring sandy soils where burrowing prey is easy to dig out; from alpine meadows to below sea level. [1][2]
How it behaves
Solitary and mainly nocturnal; less active in winter, passing it in bouts of torpor and emerging on warm days. [1][2]
Where it is listed for legal take
These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.
Where legal take is listed
- Alberta — hunting, trapping · 2026 Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
- Manitoba — trapping · Trapping of Wild Animals Regulation, M.R. 245/90, Schedule A
- Saskatchewan — trapping · 2026-27 Trappers Guide
- Arizona — hunting, trapping · 2026-2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- California — hunting, nuisance or unprotected take · California Trapping Laws and Regulations (rev. 5/1/2025), FGC and 14 CCR excerpts
- Colorado — hunting, trapping · 2 CCR 406-3 Chapter W-3 Furbearers and Small Game, Except Migratory Birds (07/16/2026; eff. 2026-09-01)
- Idaho — hunting, trapping · Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer 2026 & 2027 Seasons & Rules
- Illinois — trapping · Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026-2027 (PDF read from cached copy of the digest linked on this page)
- Iowa — hunting, trapping · 2026-27 Iowa Hunting, Trapping & Migratory Game Bird Regulations (DNR PDF; page numbers cited)
- Kansas — hunting, trapping · Kansas Hunting & Furharvesting Regulations Summary, Fall 2025-Spring 2026
- Minnesota — hunting, trapping · Minnesota Hunting & Trapping Regulations (effective July 2026 - June 30, 2027)
- Missouri — hunting, trapping · A Summary of Missouri Hunting and Trapping Regulations 2026
- Montana — hunting, trapping · 2026 Wolf, Furbearer, Trapping and Hunting Regulations
- Nebraska — hunting, trapping · Small Game & Waterfowl Guide 2025-2026
- Nevada — hunting, trapping · Nevada 2026-2027 Small Game Hunting Regulations & Seasons (NDOW official guide, eRegulations-hosted)
- New Mexico — hunting, trapping · 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules & Information (v08.11.26)
- North Dakota — hunting, trapping · 2026-2027 Small Game, Waterfowl and Furbearer Proclamation
- Oklahoma — hunting, trapping · Furbearer/Coyote Regulations
- Oregon — hunting, trapping · Oregon Furbearer Trapping & Hunting Regulations, July 1 2026 - June 30 2028
- South Dakota — hunting, trapping · 2026 South Dakota Hunting and Trapping Handbook
- Texas — hunting, trapping · Outdoor Annual: Seasons & Bag Limits: Fur-bearing Animals
- Utah — hunting, trapping · 2026 Black Bear, Cougar and Furbearer Guidebook
- Washington — trapping · 2026 Washington Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulations (Jul 1 2026 - Jun 30 2027)
- Wyoming — hunting, trapping · WGFC Ch. 4 Furbearing Animal Hunting or Trapping Seasons (dated Jul 14 2021; matches 2026/27 brochure)
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Primarily the Great Plains: north into the central-western Canadian provinces, through suitable habitat across the western United States and south into Mexico; has expanded east since about 1900 and now reaches Ontario.
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
- BIOLOGICALAmerican Badger
Missouri Department of Conservation · reviewed 2026-09-30
Missouri Department of Conservation
- BIOLOGICALTaxidea taxus (American badger)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology