Behavior
American badgers are largely nocturnal, but have been reported to be active during the day as well. They do not hibernate, but become less active in winter. A badger may spend much of the winter in cycles of torpor that last around 29 hours. They do emerge from their setts when the temperature is above freezing.
Badgers sometimes use abandoned burrows of other animals such as foxes or animals similar in size. They will sometimes form a mutually beneficial relationship with coyotes. Because coyotes are not very effective at digging rodents out of their burrows, they will chase the animals while they are above ground. Badgers, in contrast, are not fast runners, but are well adapted to digging. When hunting together, the two animals effectively leave little escape for prey in the area.
Read more about this topic: American Badger
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—Elaine Heffner (20th century)
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—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)
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—Robert Havighurst (20th century)