Badgers really are solitary animals. The typical population density is about 12 animals per square mile. Badgers are nocturnal, meaning they are mainly active at night. During the winter months, they tend to be inactive. However, badgers are not true hibernators, but spend much of the winter in cycles of torpor that usually last about [...]
This month in Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine readers can meet the urban bobcat and learn how it has adapted successfully to life in the suburbs. The magazine also uncovers the mysteries of Enchanted Rock, exploring the legends and history behind the enigmatic landmark. To gear up for the holidays, the 2008 Gear Guide by [...]
The relative merits of predator control and habitat development as bobwhite quail management practices have long been debated. A recent study in North Carolina sheds some light on this contentious issue. The study took place during 1997–1999 on the coastal plain. This region consists of about 40% farmland devoted to soybeans, corn, cotton, wheat, and [...]
Hantavirus is carried by certain species of rats and mice and the illness is rare. Infected rodents shed the virus in their urine, droppings and saliva. The virus can be transmitted to people when infected rat or mouse urine, saliva, droppings or nesting materials are stirred up, temporarily aerosolizing the virus, which can be [...]
San Antonio parks and recreation officials recently decided to close three city parks and wilderness areas on the city’s northwest side off I-10, citing public safety concerns amid TV news reports about a series of reported mountain lion sightings. Several department Wildlife Division employees investigated the reports this past week, interviewing witnesses and visiting the [...]
Badgers are members of the weasel family and have the musky odor characteristic of this family. They are especially adapted for burrowing, with strong front legs equipped with long, well-developed claws. Their digging capability is used to pursue and capture ground-dwelling prey. Typical burrows dug in pursuit of prey are shallow and about 1 foot [...]
 Badgers are opportunists, preying on ground-nesting birds and their eggs, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Common dietary items are ground squirrels, pocket gophers, prairie dogs, and other smaller rodents. Occasionally they eat vegetable matter. Metabolism studies indicate that an average badger must eat about two ground squirrels or pocket gophers daily to maintain its [...]
