Badger Habitat

Badgers are known for being able to adapt to several different types of environments. They are exceptional at digging and will usually have several dens in a specific territory. Many of these dens might even be connected through lengthy underground tunnel systems that take weeks or months to construct. 

You will most commonly find badgers in large grasslands and pastures. Some badgers prefer to hunt rodents, so they might try to stay close to a large population of rodents or another abundant food source. While they can be found throughout a variety of biomes, they are most commonly found in large open grassy fields.

Badgers can also live in forests, deserts, and other similar environments. Some have even been spotted in mountainous terrain. It’s rare for badgers to enter an unfamiliar environment, which is why they enjoy staying close to large rodent populations in their local territory.

They typically remain by themselves for large portions of the year and their badger habitat allows them to thrive by providing them the opportunity to use their attributes to their advantage. As a common wild animal, badgers are capable of surviving out in the wilderness, regardless of their local environment.  

Why Do Badgers Like Grassland Environments?

You might be curious about the connection between badgers and open grassland environments. While most badgers prefer to live within an open grassland environment, it’s not necessarily the terrain that appeals to most badgers. It’s the wildlife that surrounds this environment that makes it such an appealing option.

Badger’s hunt rodents and other similar animals. With such a large population of these animals in grassland environments, it seems like a perfect location for a large percentage of the badger population to also live.

Badgers also enjoy digging underground tunnels in these regions. These tunnels can be called ‘badger dens or setts’ and are common locations for badgers to stay while they’re mating, hunting, or sleeping. They also use these shelters to avoid bad weather, flooding, and other hazardous environmental elements, including potential nearby predators. 

See our article for Badger Dens

It’s also important to remember that badgers are nocturnal. You likely won’t see a badger in your local grassland environment during the daytime when the sun is shining. After sunset, a nocturnal badger will emerge in the darkness and begin hunting, digging, or roaming around its local habitat.

See our article for Are Badgers Nocturnal here.

Badger Habitats Contribute To Survival

Without a region in the wilderness that allowed badgers to hunt and live their preferred lifestyle, badgers would have far lower population numbers and potentially even be considered endangered or at risk of going extinct. 

Several wild animals don’t have habitats that contribute to their survival, either because human beings have built over it with civilization or because the environment has naturally changed over time. As humans continue to slowly expand civilization, fewer natural environments exist around the world. This slow process can have a horrific impact on wild animals like badgers.

The good news is that there are large regions within North America and Europe where badgers can still exist. It seems unlikely that their habitats are in any immediate danger, but more than likely even they will be at risk at some point in the distant future.

Respecting the boundaries and regions of badger habitats is important if you have the intention to preserve large animal populations that live in the wilderness. While badgers have an extraordinary ability to adapt to a changing environment, it can affect their population numbers when significant changes take place. Any change that affects mating season is something that can have a drastic impact on the environment.

Where Do You Find Badgers?

Badgers can be found in North America and Europe. In America, badgers tend to stay away from civilization, staying in grasslands and areas that are populated with other animals. Alongside large cats and some other predators, humans are the badgers biggest threat.

In the UK badger watching is a common hobby. Being able to spot a badger in its natural habitat can be rare, so people have come together to respect the badger’s space while watching from a safe distance. Source.

Badger Habitat Locations

Badgers can survive in many different types of regions and environments. They seem to prefer areas such as plains and grasslands, however, they occupy many other types of habitats.

Habitat location list:

• Plains
• Prairies
• Grasslands
• Deserts
• Mountains
• Swamps
• Forests
• Meadows
• Farmlands

Badgers are very adaptable and can survive in more than one environment even though they prefer grasslands. They have been known to survive on farmlands and even in forests where the habitat is not optimal for them. Source.

Honey Badger Habitat

Honey badgers (Mellivora capensis) are related to badgers but are not considered a badger. They are native to Africa and Southwest Asia. Honey badgers live in many different types of environments and biomes, including deserts, mountains, rain forests, and plains.

Honey badgers do not look like badgers, they are more closely related to skunks and weasels. To me, a honey badger looks like a cross between a skunk and a weasel. They have large white/gray patches on their heads and backs, similar to skunks.

Frequently Asked Questions