Home / October

A little reason to celebrate

National Badger Day

Animal · October 6

A day for the badger, a low, sturdy digger with a striped face that spends much of its life underground and comes out mostly at night.

National Badger Day falls on Wednesday, October 6, 2027. That is 344 days away.

Badgers are short, broad animals built close to the ground, with strong front claws made for digging. The American badger lives across open country in the western and central United States, in grasslands, prairies and farmland where the soil is loose enough to dig.

A badger's face is easy to recognize. A white stripe runs from the nose back over the head, set against darker cheek patches. The body is flat and grizzled gray, so a badger crossing a field can look a little like a rug that has decided to go somewhere.

Most of a badger's life happens below the surface. It digs burrows to sleep in and to raise young, and it digs after its food, which is largely ground squirrels, prairie dogs, gophers and other burrowing rodents. A badger can dig remarkably fast, and an empty badger hole is often taken over later by other animals looking for shelter.

Badgers are mostly active at night and tend to keep to themselves. They are wild animals with a reputation for standing their ground, so the best way to meet one is from a distance, through binoculars, a trail camera, or a good nature film.

People mark the day by learning about badgers, reading about grassland wildlife, or visiting a nature center that covers prairie animals. In badger country, a large oval hole with a fan of dirt in front of it is a good sign one has been working nearby.

Ways to celebrate

• Watch a nature documentary featuring American badgers.
• Look for badger burrows on a prairie walk, keeping a respectful distance.
• Visit a nature center or zoo with a prairie wildlife exhibit.
• Read about grassland habitats and the animals that share them.
• Draw a badger's striped face with a child.

Dates

All national days on October 6

Also on October 6

• National Noodle Day
• Mad Hatter Day
• National Kale Day

Categories: Animal days