CDFW is interested in hearing about your badger sightings. The badger is a Species of Special Concern in California and we are attempting to improve our understanding of its current distribution. Although badgers are widely distributed in the state, they may be comparatively uncommon or absent from some areas where they historically occurred. Badgers are primarily solitary, although breeding pairs and family groups are sometimes observed.
Badgers have short, stout legs and a flattened body. A badger’s head is relatively small in proportion to its body and a distinctive white stripe extends from its nose over the back of the head. Its ears are short and it has a short, furry tail. Adult badgers are nearly 2.5 feet in length from their nose to the tip of their tail and weigh about 15-20 pounds.
Badgers have long foreclaws and are excellent diggers. Badgers use their claws to excavate dens for protection, sleeping sites, food storage, places to give birth, and as focal areas for foraging. Entrances to their dens generally have a sideways “D” shaped entrance and the excavated soil is piled outside. Badgers are carnivores and are well-adapted to preying on burrowing rodents, including ground squirrels, but they will also prey on other non-burrowing mammals.
Please report your badger sightings to CDFW.
REPORT YOUR OBSERVATION