Taxidea taxus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a North American badger similar in appearance to the European badger, although not closely related. It is found in the western, central, and northeastern United States, northern Mexico, and south-central Canada to certain areas of southwestern British Columbia.
The American badger's habitat is typified by open grasslands with available prey (such as mice, squirrels, and groundhogs). The species prefers areas such as prairie regions with sandy loam soils where it can dig more easily for its prey.
The American badger is a member of the Mustelidae, a diverse family of carnivorous mammals that also includes weasels, otters, ferrets, and the wolverine. The American badger belongs to the Taxidiinae, one of four subfamilies of mustelid badgers – the other three being the Melinae (four species in two genera, including the European badger), the Helictidinae (five species of ferret-badgers) and the Mellivorinae (the honey badger); the so-called stink badgers are mephitids. The American badger's closest relative is the prehistoric Chamitataxus. Among extant mustelids, the American badger is sister to all other species; its lineage is thought... Wikipedia →
Recording0:15
United States · 2024
© mmw209 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:07
United States · 2025
© erikbeadle · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Badlands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an American Badger sighting in Badlands National Park on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 14 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report an American Badger in Badlands National Park on a given day, against under 5% in November, the lowest month.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Badger sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate American Badger sightings, Badlands National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Yellowstone National Park (United States, about 20%) and Death Valley National Park (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Badger is recorded against all the mammals logged in Badlands National Park (24 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
