File:American badger lying near rock - DPLA - 70567897c406bb307d73c5fb7317ee0e.jpg

35 mm slide; color. Scientific Classification: Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Mammalia; Order: Carnivora; Family: Mustelidae; Genus: Taxidea; Genus species: Taxidea taxus. Animal characteristics: Head-Body Length: 42-72 cm; Weight: 3.5-12 kg; Identification: The top of the American badger's body is gray to reddish in color. Its underside is yellowish. The badger's feet are dark brown or black. A white stripe runs down the center of the head from the shoulders to the nose; Habitat: Arid grasslands, burrows underground; Diet: Carnivore: squirrels, mice, rabbits, carrion; Reproduction: Although these badgers mate in August or September, implantation of the fertilized egg is delayed until February. Litters of 1-5 cubs are born in April in an underground nest. They are weaned when they are eight weeks old and will remain with the female until the following fall; Social Structure: Badgers are generally solitary, living in large burrows called 'sets'; Behavior: Some individuals have developed hunting strategies with coyotes that are poorly understood; Status: No special status; Interesting Facts: The American badger is the Wisconsin state animal.