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American Badger

Taxidea taxus

Mammal · family Mustelidae · order Carnivora

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G5: secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

American Badger
Photo: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G5 Secure[2]
Native in
26 states[3]
Longest recorded life
25 years[4]

The American Badger is a mammal in the weasel family, Mustelidae, in the order Carnivora[5]. NatureServe ranks it as Secure worldwide, and it is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act[2][1].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the American Badger a global rank of G5 and a US rank of N5, and both mean Secure[2][6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. It is not listed as Endangered or Threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe estimates 100,000 to 1,000,000 adults worldwide, but says its secretive nature makes trends hard to judge[8][9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G5 (Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5 (Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[8] 100,000 to 1,000,000 individuals

Where American Badger lives

NatureServe lists the American Badger as native in 26 US states and territories[3]. They stretch from Washington, Oregon and California across the West, through the Great Plains, and east to Ohio, Indiana and Michigan[3]. NatureServe gives each state its own conservation rank, and the ranks differ from state to state[10].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: native, state rank S4WIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: native, state rank S4WAIdaho: native, state rank S4IDMontana: native, state rank S4MTNorth Dakota: native, state rank S5NDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRMNIllinois: native, state rank S4ILMichigan: native, state rank S4MINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: native, state rank S4ORNevada: native, state rank S4NVWyoming: native, state rank S5WYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S5SDIowa: native, state rank S4IAIndiana: native, state rank S2INOhio: native, state rank S2OHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: native, state rank S3CAUtah: native, state rank S5UTColorado: native, state rank S4CONebraska: native, state rank S5NEMissouri: native, state rank S3MOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: native, state rank S3AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S3NMKansas: native, state rank S5KSArkansas: native, state rank S1ARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: native, state rank S3OKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S5TXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[10].
Show state ranks (26 states)
StateRankMeaning
ArizonaS3Vulnerable
ArkansasS1Critically Imperiled
CaliforniaS3Vulnerable
ColoradoS4Apparently Secure
IdahoS4Apparently Secure
IllinoisS4Apparently Secure
IndianaS2Imperiled
IowaS4Apparently Secure
KansasS5Secure
MichiganS4Apparently Secure
MinnesotaSNRNot Ranked
MissouriS3Vulnerable
MontanaS4Apparently Secure
NebraskaS5Secure
NevadaS4Apparently Secure
New MexicoS3Vulnerable
North DakotaS5Secure
OhioS2Imperiled
OklahomaS3Vulnerable
OregonS4Apparently Secure
South DakotaS5Secure
TexasS5Secure
UtahS5Secure
WashingtonS4Apparently Secure
WisconsinS4Apparently Secure
WyomingS5Secure

Habitat

NatureServe records shrubland, savanna, grassland, desert and cropland as habitat types[11]. The notes say the badger prefers open areas and may also use brushy places with little ground cover[12]. When it is resting, it stays in an underground burrow, and the young are born in burrows too[12].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[11]

Size, diet and lifespan

The American Badger eats mostly small rodents, which it often digs out of their burrows[13]. Ground squirrels, pocket gophers and mice are often on the menu, and it also eats insects, snakes, lizards and birds[13]. A typical length is 87 cm (34 in)[14]. A typical adult weight is 25 lb[15]. A litter averages 3 young, and gestation is 41 days in AnAge[16][17][18]. The longest recorded lifespan is 25 years, in captivity[4].

Trait Value
Typical length[14] 87 cm (34 in)
Typical adult weight[15] 11.4 kg (25 lb)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[4] 25 years (captivity)
Litter or clutch size[17] 3
Gestation or incubation[18] 41 days
Female maturity[19] 183 days (about 0.5 years)
Food habits[20] Carnivore
Active[21] nocturnal

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[22]

  • 70% warm-blooded vertebrates
  • 20% reptiles and amphibians
  • 10% invertebrates

When to look for it

The American Badger is recorded as nocturnal, which means active at night[21]. NatureServe also notes it is usually active by day and night, and reports it as chiefly nocturnal[23]. In Idaho, badgers rarely stayed underground longer than 24 hours except in winter[23]. Young are born from March to early April[16]. GBIF observation records peak in June, July and August, which shows when people report badgers and not how many there are[24].

January: 295 recordsJanFebruary: 235 recordsFebMarch: 370 recordsMarApril: 499 recordsAprMay: 711 recordsMayJune: 896 recordsJunJuly: 1,070 recordsJulAugust: 849 recordsAugSeptember: 522 recordsSepOctober: 474 recordsOctNovember: 432 recordsNovDecember: 363 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[24].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January295
February235
March370
April499
May711
June896
July1,070
August849
September522
October474
November432
December363

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record American Badger as present in 93 park units[25]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 69 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: California, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado[26]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the American Badger endangered?
It is not listed as Endangered or Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G5, which means Secure[2].
Where does the American Badger live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 26 US states and territories, mostly in the West and the Great Plains, with some Midwest states too[3]. It uses open habitats such as grassland, shrubland and desert[11][12].
What does the American Badger eat?
It eats mostly small rodents such as ground squirrels, pocket gophers and mice[13]. EltonTraits estimates its diet at 70% warm-blooded vertebrates, 20% reptiles and amphibians and 10% invertebrates[22].
How big is an American Badger?
NatureServe records a typical length of 87 cm (34 in)[14]. It records a typical adult weight of 25 lb[15].
How long does an American Badger live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 25 years, in captivity[4]. That is a record and not a typical lifespan.

Facts and sources

  1. American Badger is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for American Badger: G5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists American Badger as native in 26 US states and territories: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 25 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  5. American Badger (Taxidea taxus) is a mammal in the family Mustelidae, order Carnivora. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5 (Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 100,000 to 1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe notes on trend for American Badger. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe state ranks for American Badger (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  11. Habitat types NatureServe records for American Badger: Shrubland/chaparral, Savanna, Grassland/herbaceous, Desert, Cropland/hedgerow. NatureServe Explorer
  12. NatureServe notes on habitat for American Badger. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe notes on food for American Badger. NatureServe Explorer
  14. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 87 cm (34 in). NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 11.4 kg (25 lb). NatureServe Explorer
  16. NatureServe notes on reproduction for American Badger. NatureServe Explorer
  17. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 3. AnAge
  18. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 41 days. AnAge
  19. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 183 days (about 0.5 years). AnAge
  20. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore. NatureServe Explorer
  21. Activity time in EltonTraits 1.0: nocturnal. EltonTraits 1.0
  22. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 70% warm-blooded vertebrates, 20% reptiles and amphibians, 10% invertebrates. EltonTraits 1.0
  23. NatureServe notes on phenology for American Badger. NatureServe Explorer
  24. GBIF observation records of American Badger in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  25. NPSpecies park lists recording American Badger as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies
  26. US states with the most GBIF observation records of American Badger: California, Wyoming, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Jonathunder, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.