In general, sensitivity of the American badger appears to be mostly driven by prey and habitat specialization. Badgers occur in shrub-steppe, grassland, semi-desert, and open forest habitats, require friable soils for digging, and prey primarily on ground squirrels, pocket gophers, and a variety of other small mammals. Warmer, drier conditions that lead to more frequent and hotter fires and/or encourage the growth of invasive plants (e.g., cheatgrass) may degrade or alter natural habitat for badgers by negatively impacting some prey species (e.g., ground squirrels). However, warmer and drier conditions may also allow grassland and prey expansion, especially at higher elevations, thereby possibly creating more habitat for badgers. Based on these conditions, badgers may decline in the Columbia Basin, but increase in the east Cascades and other eastside mountainous areas.
Reference: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/taxidea-taxus#climate
Back to Badger Main Page