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It's interesting that some badgers have formed hunting associations
with other animals. These associations aren't entirely understood
(which probably makes them even more interesting). The honey
guide bird, for instance, has a call that actually leads the
African ratel - known as the honey badger - to a bees' nest,
where both bird and badger share the nest's contents. There's
also evidence that a single coyote will sometimes team up
with a North American badger and they'll hunt together. (When
I say, "North American" I'm talking about the badgers
that live in the arid land and open grasslands stretching
from Southwest Canada down to central Mexico.) It's also true
that North American badgers have an association with prairie
dogs - a member of the squirrel family - and rattlesnakes.
Unfortunately, it's not a cooperative one like we see with
the honey guide bird and the coyote.
It's a predator/prey association
Here's how it works. First of all, you have to understand
that North American badgers are the most carnivorous of all
the badgers. They're wonderful diggers too, and they do their
digging fast. They disappear into the ground almost as fast
as you can try to dig them out. That's certainly an advantage
when they're burrowing after disappearing rodents - which
is their main food. Now, as you know, prairie dogs are members
of the squirrel family which are rodents. So, prairie dogs
are high up on a badger's preferred menu. They also eat birds,
eggs and reptiles.
A little background on the prairie dog and rattlesnake is
in order here....
Prairie dogs get their name because of their terrier-like
appearance and the fact that they send out sharp, doglike
barks to herald impending danger. They, like the badger, are
very adept at digging underground burrows. In their case,
the burrows are interconnected by a network of tunnels and
house many thousands of individuals. Collectively, these burrow-tunnel
networks are called "towns."
How do rattlesnakes fit into the picture? Well, rattlesnakes
use the prairie dog burrows to escape the heat of the sun
and, while cooling off, feed on a few of the smaller prairie
dogs and bite-sized rodents that come their way.
The badger has very thick hair and a thick layer of fat on
its back so it has a lot of protection against the bite of
the rattlesnake. (If you live in fairly close association
with rattlesnakes, it pays to have a way of protecting yourself.)
The badger's silhouette is perfect for entering and exiting
holes. It's a flattened silhouette - not much height to worry
about - and its body is so flexible it can almost turn around
or flatten itself
to the point that it won't get stuck in a dome-shaped hole.
A badger often defends itself by running down a hole backwards.
The only thing that its adversary sees is its defiant mouth
equipped with very powerful jaws.
What predators prey on North American badgers? Giant golden
eagles are sometimes successful. Wolves try their hand at
defeating them, but badgers usually fend them off.
The North American badger is a grassland animal, generally
found in the prairies in the open spaces in the west but...it
is now one of the few animals whose territory is expanding
eastward. We're seeing more badgers in mid-western America
these days. Especially where trees have been cut down and
more prairie-like terrain has evolved. Some territory in Indiana
and Ohio, for example. You can even find badgers as far east
as Pennsylvania.
Something the badger is quite capable of doing. In fact that's
where the word "badgering" comes from. They harass
their prey until they eventually succeed. They have long claws
for digging and a will to keep it up until they dig their
way to their prey. They are also very pugnacious. Badgers
have been known to defend themselves against bears. They not
only move very quickly, but make horrible noises - noises
that are not only frightening to animals, but to people.
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