Animal identifier ยท Other mammals
Taxidea taxus
Grassland and open country from the Great Plains west, and into the southern prairie provinces. Pigeon-toed five-toed tracks with very long front claws.
What does a american badger look like?
Low, wide, grizzled, with a white facial stripe and black cheek patches.
What do american badger tracks look like?
The long front claws are the mark. The trail is short-strided and turned in. A fresh elliptical dig nearby supports it.
- Pigeon-toed five-toed tracks with very long front claws
- Front claw marks can extend an inch or more ahead of the toes
- Diggings: elliptical holes with a fan of soil
- Low waddling trail
- White stripe on the face if seen
What does american badger poop look like?
Rarely seen. Badgers often bury droppings. The dig is the better sign. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
Grassland and open country from the Great Plains west, and into the southern prairie provinces. Typical places: field, desert. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
What to do next
- Watch from a distance
- Do not handle droppings
- If the animal is injured or inside a building, call a local wildlife officer
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Striped skunk identification
- North American porcupine identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
What do badger tracks look like?
Pigeon-toed prints with very long front claw marks, often next to an elliptical hole.
How to tell a american badger from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Striped skunk. Front claws are the clue. Black with a white stripe that splits into two.
- North American porcupine. Inward-turned prints with long claws and a rough, pebbled pad. Dark, slow, with a coat of quills.
American badger field marks
- Pigeon-toed five-toed tracks with very long front claws
- Front claw marks can extend an inch or more ahead of the toes
- Diggings: elliptical holes with a fan of soil
- Low waddling trail
Where the sign shows up
Grassland and open country from the Great Plains west, and into the southern prairie provinces. Typical places: field, desert. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
The long front claws are the mark. The trail is short-strided and turned in. A fresh elliptical dig nearby supports it. Rarely seen. Badgers often bury droppings. The dig is the better sign.
Common questions
What do badger tracks look like?
Pigeon-toed prints with very long front claw marks, often next to an elliptical hole.