American Badger

Also known as North American Badger, Silver Badger

American badgers are master diggers that spend much of their lives underground, using massive front claws to excavate elaborate burrows and hunt subterranean prey. Recognized by their low-slung bodies, grizzled fur, and bold black-and-white facial markings, these solitary carnivores occasionally form cooperative hunting alliances with coyotes on open prairies. When threatened, they expand their fur, emit harsh growls, and fiercely defend their territory against intruders of any size.